Making Resin Car Coasters
Hello again, resin fans! We have another great resin tutorial for you today. Karen Horovath of MG Creations is making resin car coasters and showing us how it’s done. These little cuties are very pretty and a lot of fun to make!
Coasters for cars have become very popular in the last couple of years. And it’s easy to see why! Not only does it give people a chance to add some beauty and bling to their cars, these coasters also offer a lot of protection for your cup holders!
In the video below, Karen is showing us all the tips and tricks for making resin car coasters with a floral theme. And, as usual, Karen answered your questions. She dives in to how she organizes and stores all of her silicone molds. As you already know, we resin artists have a loooot of molds. Storage tips are always welcome! So watch for the floral car coaster tutorial, and stay for the organizational tips!
Making Resin Car Coasters
There are a zillion ways to make resin car coasters. All of them as fun and beautiful as the last. Karen has a special knack for making resin flower coasters of all kinds. And we are excited that she is showing us how to use her technique on car coasters.
One of the big keys to Karen’s flower coaster success is the pigment paste she uses for consistent results. And the key to a good pigment paste is using small and exact amounts of alcohol ink and Dispersion Colors.
We have E-Z Pour Lids that are designed specifically for Dispersion Colors, Intense, and Extreme Colors. They are made for the 2 oz or 8 oz bottles so you will get the perfect fit every time! To get tiny drops, don’t open your bottle all the way. That will allow you to only use what you need.
For your alcohol inks you can use the Brea Reese Alcohol Ink Nozzles. We have them in fine and extra fine. The nozzles help control the flow and make sure you only get the amount you need. Using these small tools will make a big difference in your results!
How to Make Pigment Paste
It took Karen a lot of trial and error to get her pigment paste just right. She makes a lot of her beautiful flower coasters and wanted to be as consistent as possible with the white of the design. While each flower will be totally unique, she wanted a white that would work well and be the same shade every time.
With a lot of time and tweaking, Karen got the color just right. And she is sharing her secret recipe with us! Karen explains that a traditional paste is made of Part A of your epoxy and mica powder. She used that as her jumping off point and adapted it to get just the right white for her flower coasters.
Karen starts with 5 ml of Artist Resin Part A. Then she adds equal parts (2 tiny drops each) of Snow White Dispersion Color, White Brea Reese Alcohol Ink, and White Opaque casting pigment. Then stir well to combine. Your nice thick paste will keep as long as you need it to. Since it is only Part A, it won’t harden.
Just put it in a resealable container and pull it out when you need it. Since you only use a tiny bit at a time, your paste will last you a long time. Not only will you get consistent results when you use the paste, you will save time by mixing one batch and then using it over and over again. And we can all use to save a little time!
Watch the video tutorial here!
Making Resin Car Coasters
Materials
Instructions
- Start by mixing 30 ml of Medium Viscosity Resin. Pour a tiny bit of combined epoxy into a medicine cup. Add a decent amount of Amery glitter. You want the resin and glitter combo to be thick so it doesn't spread too much in the mold.
- Then pour about 5 ml into another medicine cup and add a tiny bit of your white paste to it. Stir to combine and add more paste if you need to until the mixture is opaque.
- Next, fill your molds about half way with clear combined resin. Push it to the edge so the whole bottom of the coaster is covered. Use the torch to pop any bubbles.
- Now make your flower center by placing a small amount of the glitter resin at the center of your molds.
- Then use your plastic stick to dip into the white resin and draw circles around the center of the flowers. You want your rings to be close together.
- Next, use your stick to drag from the outside of the pigment towards the center of your flower. Start by doing it in 4 spots equal distance apart, wiping your stick off after each pull. Then pull from the center of each of the 4 sections you made. This is your first layer, set them aside to cure for at least 3-5 hours.
- When you are ready for your second layer, combine another 30 ml batch of resin. Then add about 4-6 good scoops of the Pink Galaxy glitter and stir to combine. Finally, fill the rest of your mold with the pink resin mix.
The Finishing Touches
These resin car coasters turned out so well! The flowers design and sparkle just can’t be beat. And, once you have the method down, you will be able to try these in any color and any variations. Karen also showed us how to use the same method to make a phone grip, badge reel, or magnet.
And, of course, you can make regular sized coasters in the same way. As you can see, this is a versatile technique! If you are getting excited about new coaster designs, check out our post 6 DIY Resin Coaster Tutorials. There are some really great ideas there!
A big thank you to her for sharing her skills and knowledge with all of us again. If you loved learning from Karen and want to see more of here work, you can find her on Facebook and Instagram. And you can find more awesome video tutorials like this one on our YouTube channel!
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