Craft tape resin bangle bracelet tutorial
When perusing the craft section at the dollar store recently, I found a ‘Caution’ tape that was just begging to be made into a bracelet.
For this bracelet, I used a plastic bangle bracelet mold with an inner diameter of this mold is 2 3/8 inches. The formula for circumference is Pi x diameter. Here, that math comes to 2.375 x 3.14 for a circumference of 7.4575 inches. To that, I added an extra quarter of an inch to give me some wiggle room to overlap the ends.
If you don’t have a plastic bangle bracelet mold, a silicone one will work just as well.
After measuring the tape, I coated the adhesive side with a layer of Ultra Seal sealant and glue. I didn’t do this to seal the tape (the tape will be impermeable to water stains), but instead did it to keep the adhesive backing from being difficult to work with. I didn’t want to worry about the tape sticking to my gloves, cup, or stir utensils when working with it. Let it dry for at least 12 hours.
For this bracelet, I used Resin Obsession super clear epoxy resin. I used 1 ounce mixing cups to measure 1 ounce of Part A and 1/2 ounce of Part B (this resin mixes 2:1), then I poured both parts into a large 10 ounce mixing cup to give me enough room to mix both parts. I also used a Stir Stix to mix for 2 1/2 minutes.
Not shown: I sprayed the mold with a light mist of the Petrolease silicone free mold release. If you use this mold release, you will notice a light, greasy feel to the mold (almost like petroleum jelly). I let it sit for 30 minutes before pouring resin in it to make sure there was no liquid residue.
Pour enough mixed resin into the mold so it comes up about halfway or a little more.
Before placing your tape in the resin, put it in your resin cup. This will break the surface tension so you will have fewer bubbles.
Gently place your tape into the mold. Use your stir stix to push it down around the center. Fill it with extra resin to the top of the mold. Check for and remove any bubbles. Cover and allow to cure for 24 hours.
Once the resin has cured, demold the bangle bracelet.
Note: At this point, this process can be way more frustrating than you might be anticipating. I can’t sing enough praises for the Petrolease universal mold release and how much easier it made this process. What I did here was twisted the mold to introduce air in between the casting and the plastic. I then slapped the plastic onto a countertop to get the bangle to pop out. You can see what I’m talking about in this video
Not shown: I sanded up the rough edges with some wet/dry sandpaper. If you haven’t sanded a resin bracelet before and want help, this article explains more: how to sand resin smooth
Enjoy your new bracelet!
Unpublished Blog Posts of Resin Obsession, LLC © 2020 Resin Obsession, LLC
The tip about unmolding is great – this has been so frustrating for me!
Just bought a few rolls of Washi Tape, and am breaking out the bangle molds I got from you.
@Rhonda, that’s awesome! Share some pictures of your finished bracelets!
Had to experiment a bit – the one washi tape was too thin, almost transparent, and mostly disappeared into the resin, leaving a faint cloudy look. Very disappointing! It was very pretty tape, a cherry blossom print. Somehow, I’ll have to fix it to the outer wall of the bangle with an opaque pink or white resin behind it. Or else simply stick it on the finished bangle and coat it with clear resin. Does this sound feasible?
What about putting it on a layer of white tape, then putting that in the resin?
I have affixed my washi tape that tends to blend out to a piece of colored vinyl tape. Works every time
I have affixed my washi tape that tends to blend out to a piece of colored vinyl tape. Works every time