Resin Wooden Tray
Let's Get Started!
My goal was to create a simple, sophisticated wallet/keys tray for an entryway. I love how it turned out! Whether you’re looking to make a resin wooden tray, plate or frame, the instructions are similar. Just a note, this is a 2 day project. I’ll add a video and supply list down below if you don’t want to click as you read through.
The Basics
The unfinished wood tray that I used is from Hobby Lobby, but I can’t find it on their website. I did find this tray on Amazon. You can also use a finished/pre-stained tray if you’d like, but it may cost a little more. I prefer to stain my projects myself and control the color and intensity of the wood.
This is the stain I used. You can really use any kind of stain you prefer (water-based, oil-based, or gel). Being that this is a tray for personal items, an indoor use stain is perfect. You can seal the stained wood with polyurethane if you’d like, but I don’t find it necessary. Be sure to use a polyurethane that matches the kind of stain you chose (water-based or oil-based) or it may not adhere.
I use a two part fast curing resin. It’s crystal clear and non yellowing. You’ll have about 30 minutes of work time once both parts are mixed. For the embellishments, I went with this pack of dried flowers and gold foil flakes. There are tons of embellishment options for you to choose from to make your project unique. You could even color your resin and add glitter.
Prep
Sand down any questionable spots on your wood (I didn’t need to do this with mine).
Clean the unfinished wood with a damp cloth and let it dry.
Use a drop cloth or cardboard box to set your tray on to protect your workspace. This time I used an old baking sheet and parchment paper to protect my table.
Stain
Stir your stain for a consistent application. Do NOT shake.
I use gloves for this part just to be safe. Using a foam brush, cloth, or staining brush, dip the end into your stain and try to brush the wood in long strokes. Using a cloth or paper towel, wipe off the excess stain that hasn’t penetrated the wood. This is where you control the tone of the wood. I chose to keep mine a little lighter by wiping it off after a minute or so. For a deeper tone, leave it on the wood for 5-10 minutes before wiping.
Flip the tray over and use E6000 glue along the bottom seams. This will prevent the resin from leaking out before it’s fully cured. Let the stain and glue dry for 3 hours before moving on.
Working with Resin
- Make sure you’re in a well ventilated space or near an open door or window.
Wear a respirator. You don’t want to breathe these chemicals in.
Cover your table, clothes and carpet. Basically, anything you don’t want ruined. I typically use these reusable silicon mats on my table, under my projects because the resin peels right off after hardening. I also use this plastic sheeting to cover my floors.
Wear gloves. The goal is to keep resin from coming in contact with your skin.
Make sure your workspace is level or I promise you’ll end up with a lopsided project.
Measure equal parts of A and B or the resin won’t cure properly and your project won’t be usable. You could use a digital scale to be as precise as possible.
To reduce air bubbles in your projects, mix your resin slowly. You can pop the air bubbles closest to the surface by using a kitchen torch or 91% isopropyl alcohol. I keep my rubbing alcohol in a travel size spray bottle. It’s not recommended to use the torch when using silicon molds because you don’t want to accidentally warp them.
I use reusable silicon mixing cups and stir sticks when I’m working with resin. Once the leftover resin hardens, you can just peel it off and you’re ready for your next project. You can use disposable cups and popsicle sticks as well.
Mixing & Pouring Resin
For the resin, I poured 75ml of part A and 75ml of part B into a mixing cup and stirred SLOWLY (to minimize air bubbles), making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the cup often. You’ll want to mix for 3 minutes and make sure there aren’t any visible streaks.
At this point, I stirred in the gold foil flakes and used the stir stick to break up any big pieces. Now it’s time to pour the resin into the tray, making sure to avoid getting any on the inside walls. Be sure to use your stir stick to push the resin to the edges and into the corners. To pop any air bubbles on the resin’s surface, quickly torch the top, or fill a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol and spritz the top. Set the tray aside for 30 minutes to let the resin start to set up.
Adding Embellishments
I like to arrange my embellishments on a separate tray to make sure I have an idea of where each piece is going to be placed within the project.
Now we add the dried flowers to the top using tweezers. The flowers won’t be fully covered by the resin until the next step. As the resin starts to cure, the flowers may shift around a little bit. I usually come back 2-3 times within the next few hours to adjust as needed. Let the resin cure for 24 hours.
The final step is to mix another 75ml of part A and 75ml of part B and pour this second layer over the first. Be sure to again spread to the edges and corners. Torch or spray to remove air bubbles and wait another 24 hours to cure.
Let us know how your project goes!