Articles by Ruby Fletcher

Glue and Embed Hardware in Resin Jewelry (No Drilling Needed)

The first time I made resin earrings, I did everything “right” and still had a post pop off mid-wear. It was one of those humbling, sticky-fingers lessons that sent me down a rabbit hole of glues, surface prep, and better ways to lock hardware into resin without touching a drill. If you want...

Resin Jewelry With Open Back Bezels

The first time I tried an open back bezel, I confidently poured resin like it was a normal mold. Ten seconds later, my pendant was doing a slow, tragic drip right onto my work mat. Open back bezels are absolutely beginner-friendly, but they are picky about one thing: your tape seal. This guide...

How to Drill Cured Resin and Attach Eye Pins

The first time I tried to turn a cured resin charm into a necklace, I grabbed a regular drill, held the piece between my fingers, and went for it. The bit caught, the charm spun, and I learned two important things in about half a second: resin is slippery, and cured epoxy can crack like glass if...

Resin Petri Dish Effect with Alcohol Inks

The first time I tried a petri dish effect in resin, I was so sure I had ruined the whole piece. I had these gorgeous drops of color sitting on top like little oil slicks, and nothing was “blooming.” Then I added the heavy white ink and watched it pull the color down into wispy, 3D tendrils like...

How to Seal and Embed Photos or Paper in Resin

The first time I tried to preserve a printed photo in resin, I watched it darken and ripple like it was being dunked in tea. It still cured, but the picture looked… exhausted. Paper and photos are thirsty, and epoxy is nosy. If you do not seal correctly, resin can soak in, push out trapped air,...

Heat Gun vs. Butane Torch for Resin Bubbles

The first time I tried to “pop bubbles” in epoxy, I got a little too confident with heat and a coaster that looked perfect suddenly turned into a wavy, fish-eyed mess. If you have ever watched tiny bubbles rise and thought, I just need more heat , you are in good company. Both heat guns and butane...

Pouring Epoxy Resin in Layers Without Visible Lines

The first time I tried a “deep” pour with a regular 2-part epoxy kit, I did what most of us do. I poured, waited until it looked cured, then poured again. The next morning I had a faint horizon line running through my piece like a tiny acrylic aquarium wall. It was not subtle, and once you see a...

How to Dome Resin on Jewelry and Small Crafts

The first time I tried doming resin, I treated it like icing a cupcake. I piled it on, admired the shine for about eight seconds, then watched it slowly creep right over the edge and drip onto my dining table. Doming looks like magic when it works, but it is really just surface tension plus good...

Resin Coaster Tutorial: Pour, Mix-Ins, and Clean Edges

The very first resin project I ever finished was a set of coasters, mostly because I wanted something useful after I had already glued myself to a mixing stick trying to preserve pressed garden flowers. Coasters are the perfect beginner win: small pours, quick feedback, and you can experiment with...

How to Sand and Polish Epoxy Resin

The first time I tried to “fix” a cloudy resin coaster, I did what every optimistic beginner does. I grabbed the nearest sandpaper, gave it a few swipes… and instantly turned a small scuff into a big, sad matte patch. The good news is that sanding and polishing epoxy is absolutely learnable. The...

How to Dry and Embed Real Flowers in Epoxy Resin

The first time I tried to preserve real flowers in resin, I did what a lot of beginners do. I pressed a few blooms from my very overgrown Pacific Northwest garden, tucked them into a coaster mold, poured resin on top, and crossed my fingers. It looked gorgeous for about a day, then tiny bubbles...

How to Color Epoxy Resin

I got into resin because I wanted to preserve pressed flowers from my wildly overgrown Pacific Northwest garden. My first coaster kit was equal parts dreamy and disastrous, including one pour where I got so excited about color that I basically turned my resin into glittery soup. It cured, but not...

How to Prevent and Remove Micro-Bubbles in Epoxy Resin

The first time I poured a “clear” coaster with my garden flowers, it looked perfect in the cup. Then it cured with a snowy haze of tiny pinprick bubbles, especially around every petal edge. I learned fast that fine bubbles are sneaky, but they are also very beatable once you know where they come...

Best Mats and Coverings for Resin Spills

The first time I spilled resin on my dining room table, I did the classic beginner thing: I froze, stared at it, and then tried to wipe it up with a paper towel. Spoiler: epoxy does not respect paper towels. That was the day I learned that a good table covering is not a “nice to have”. It is part...

Epoxy Resin on Skin: Removal and Prevention

The first time I got epoxy resin on my hands, I did what a lot of beginners do. I panicked, grabbed the closest thing that “felt” like it would dissolve it, and scrubbed way too hard. My skin was red for the rest of the day, and I learned a lesson I wish someone had drilled into me sooner: your...

Silicone Molds for Resin: Choose, Prep, and Care

I still remember my first “real” silicone mold: a set of tiny hexagon coasters that promised crisp edges and glossy bottoms. I popped my cured resin out the next day and thought, oh, this is easy . Then I got cocky, skipped cleaning, used a little too much heat, and somehow managed to give the mold...

8 Reasons Your Epoxy Resin Is Sticky or Soft (And How to Fix It)

The very first time I poured resin in my dining room, I woke up the next morning to what looked like perfect, glassy coasters. Then I touched one and my fingerprint stayed there like a little fossil. Sticky resin is one of those beginner moments that feels personal, but it is almost always a...

How to Clean Up Uncured Resin and Dispose of Epoxy Waste Safely

The first time I poured epoxy in my dining room, I thought cleanup would be the easy part. It was not. I ended up with sticky gloves, a tacky stir stick, and a paper towel ball that felt like it could glue itself to the floor forever. The good news is that uncured resin cleanup gets simple once you...

How to Measure and Mix 2-Part Epoxy Resin

I still remember my first “real” pour beyond a little coaster kit. I mixed confidently, poured excitedly, and woke up the next day to a tacky, fingerprint-magnet surface that never fully cured. The culprit was not bad resin. It was my mixing. Epoxy is wonderfully forgiving in some ways, but it is...

Ideal Temperature and Humidity for Epoxy Resin Curing

The first time I poured resin in my dining room, I blamed myself for everything. Bubbles. Cloudy spots. A piece that felt dry on top but stayed bendy underneath. Later I realized my “craft room” was also where we cooked pasta, ran the dishwasher, and cranked the heat down at night. Epoxy is picky,...