Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Fresh cut flowers might be short-lived but we can't help but admire them for their fragrance, beauty, shape and colour. It's no wonder that we want to preserve them forever in resin!
But how do you prepare flowers for resin?
And can you put them straight into resin?
These are questions I'm often asked about putting flowers, leaves and other botanicals into epoxy. Hopefully, this FAQ page will answer the questions you've been wondering about.
I know you're itching to get your flowers in resin before they begin to fade, but before you dive in with those beautiful flowers from your bridal bouquet, your Mother's Day flowers or the memorial flowers from a loved one's passing, read through these FAQ's so that you know how to treat your flowers for best results.
Keep Your Flowers Fresher for Longer
First things first, keep the flowers in a cool place until you're ready to work with them. Have you noticed how florists keep their arrangements in the fridge?
There's a very good reason why.
It helps slow down the flowers' development so that they are fresher when they're delivered. You can keep your precious blooms in the fridge for several hours.
Things that will make them wilt faster are heat, draughts and direct sunlight.
Here are some ideas for keeping your flowers fresh until you're ready to dry them:
- Put the flowers in the fridge
- Place them in an esky (aka cooler/chilly bin)
- Put them in a bucket of fresh, cool water to help keep them hydrated (in the coolest place in your house and away from draughts)
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| Keep flowers in a bucket of fresh water in the coolest place in your house |
Preparing Flowers for Resin - FAQs
Now, read on to find out the answer to some common FAQs.
Q. Do you have to dry flowers before putting them in resin?
A. Yes. Flowers and other organic materials should be completelydried before embedding in resin. If any moisture remains in the material, theflowers will become brown, sludgy or mouldy inside the resin in a short time.
Q. How do you dry flowers for resin?
A. For whole flowers, place them on a layer of silica sand (like Flower Drying Art) orcooking salt and then carefully spoon more desiccant around and over them until they arecovered.
Leave them to dry for 3 days and then check them. They should feelpapery. If not, re-cover them and check again daily until they are dried.
>>You can learn more about how to dry flowers for resin using silica gel here.
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| Fresh flowers on the left and flowers dried in silica sand in the microwave on the right |
Q. How do you preserve the colour of flowers when you dry them?
A. Most flowers will change colour when you dry them. But thebest way to preserve the colours is to dry them using a quick method like themicrowave drying method.
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| For quick results, dry flowers in the microwave using a Microfleur flower press |
Q. Can I dry flowers in the microwave?
A. Yes. This is the quickest way to dry them. You can use a microwave flower press kit like theMicrofleur flower pressto press the flowers flat.
To keep the flowerswhole and 3D, place them in a microwave-safe container and cover them with fine silica gel. The silica gel needs to get down inside the layers of petals too so that the whole flower dries out.
Q. What’s the fastest way to dry flowers?
A. Use the microwave. Not only does it give the fastest results, but the flowers retain their colour really well. The power level and length of timerequired will depend on your microwave. You can press them or dry them whole in the microwave.
Some dried flowers become translucent when they're put in resin while others don't.
You won't know the answer until you put your individual flowers into resin, so preparing flowers for resin by sealing them first helps prevent the epoxy from penetrating the petals.
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| Sealing dried petals and leaves with Mod Podge |
Q. How do you seal flowers before putting them in resin?
A. There are many methods that work well. Dried flowers can be coated with white craft glue (Mod Podge), hairspray, resin spray, quick-drying gloss spray, or sandwiched inside clear packing tape or a laminating pouch.
Just choose the one that works best for you.
FAQs
How do you dry flowers for resin? A. For whole flowers, place them on a layer of silica sand (like Flower Drying Art) or cooking salt and then carefully spoon more desiccant around and over them until they are covered. Leave them to dry for 3 days and then check them.
How long does it take to set flowers in resin? ›
Hoffman says casting resin typically takes longer to cure than other types of resin, usually at least 48 hours. "Resin cures best when using a heat gun or torch to pop all of the bubbles that the resin accumulates when mixing and pouring," she explains.
Why do you dry flowers before resin? ›
Drying flowers is an essential first step before casting them in resin. If the flowers aren't completely dry, they can eventually rot in the resin mold. Using silica gel, which is available at any local craft store, you can quickly and thoroughly dry flowers.
What happens if you dont dry flowers before resin? ›
Step 1: Dry the flowers
Your flowers must be dry before you include them in resin. If they aren't, they will rot and change colors. I know because I've made this resin mistake. You can see what happened when I used fresh flowers in resin.
How do you know when resin is done? ›
The easiest way to identify if a resin 3D print is fully cured is simply to look at it. A fully cured 3D print will be distinguishable by its matt finish. A green resin 3D print (that is right off the 3D printer or is not done curing), by contrast, will have a glossy finish.
Do you need to seal flowers before putting in resin? ›
Flowers can be sealed before resin by being frozen, having a sealer like hairspray added, or being dried.
Do you need to seal flowers before resin? ›
Sealing flowers creates a barrier between the flower and the resin that stops the resin from penetrating the cells. Sometimes, the resin doesn't penetrate the flower surface, but there's no way to tell if your flowers will be affected by the resin until AFTER you embed them, so the safest thing is to seal them first.
How to keep flowers from floating in resin? ›
Make sure your flowers and other materials are completely dried before placing in the epoxy resin. Arrange them as you desire, making sure not to overcrowd the space or create any air pockets. Take your time to ensure everything is in contact with the resin.
What happens to fresh flowers in resin? ›
Both dried and live flowers can be encapsulated in resin. However, live flowers fade in color, and bubbles may form as a result of the plant's natural moisture being released.
What happens to real flowers in resin? ›
When casting any natural object into resin, like flowers, you should always use completely dry objects, if you used fresh flowers these could trap moisture in the resin which then has no way to escape and will eventually rot the flowers. You can dry your flowers by placing them in forestry silica gel beads.
Unfortunately, any liquid, or items containing an element of moisture, may adversely trigger a chemical reaction, increasing the solidification process and turning white. Fresh food or plants. As mentioned before, these items contain moisture that can ruin the curing process.
How to seal flowers before resin? ›
To prevent the resin from reacting with the flowers they need a protectiv sealing. A simple way to do that is by covering the flowers and leaves with a layer of clear drying glue. Just add some water to the glue and mix evenly.
What to do with flowers before putting them in resin? ›
How do you prepare fresh flowers for resin?
- Wooden flower press – two pieces of wood screwed together at all four corners, leave to dry naturally for 3 – 4 weeks.
- Between the pages of books – place flowers between parchment paper in the pages of a heavy book, close and weight down with more books.
Superclear® deep pour epoxies are the best resin for flower preservations. Liquid Glass® Deep Pour is perfect for thick, large volume pours, and 24 Hour Deep Pour is ideal for pours that need to cure faster, no more than 1 inch thick at a time.
Can you put wet flowers in resin? ›
Both dried and live flowers can be encapsulated in resin. However, live flowers fade in color, and bubbles may form as a result of the plant's natural moisture being released. Therefore, for best results, we recommend drying your flowers before encasing them in resin.
What happens if you put wet flowers in resin? ›
When casting any natural object into resin, like flowers, you should always use completely dry objects, if you used fresh flowers these could trap moisture in the resin which then has no way to escape and will eventually rot the flowers. You can dry your flowers by placing them in forestry silica gel beads.
Can you put real dried flowers in resin? ›
The second way to cover dried flowers in resin is to simply place the flower in the mould, pour the resin into the mould, and then wait for the flower to settle into the resin on its own. Alternatively, you could just use a toothpick to help the bloom settle into the resin.
Do you have to seal dried flowers for resin? ›
Sometimes, the resin doesn't penetrate the flower surface, but there's no way to tell if your flowers will be affected by the resin until AFTER you embed them, so the safest thing is to seal them first. If you're working with PRESSED flowers, (or paper or stickers), you can choose any of the three methods above.
