DIY Glittery Resin Cacti

Glitter and cacti are two of my favorite crafting trends right now.  When I found an adorable silicone cactus mold, I wondered if I could combine these two trends with one of my favorite crafting supplies: resin!  I used transparent resin dye and clear polyester Castin’ Craft to make some DIY glittery resin cacti.

Supplies:

• silicone cactus mold
• Clear Polyester Casting Resin and catalyst
• Mold Release
• Mixing cup and stir stick
• Green transparent resin dye
• Green glitter

My silicone mold was meant to make popsicles, so I closed the holes for the popsicles sticks with duct tape.  I wanted to be able to remove my finished resin cacti from the mold easily, so I applied two coats of mold release to the mold — allowing it dry in between coats.
Next I followed 6 steps to create the green, glittery resin for my project:

1. Gather your supplies: polyester resin and catalyst, a mixing cup and stir stick, transparent green resin dye, and glitter.
2. Follow the directions for the correct resin to catalyst ratio for your project.  Since my mold was about 1″ deep, I added 4 drops of catalyst per each ounce of resin.  I ended up mixing up about 5 ounces of resin with 20 drops of catalyst.  I mixed for 60 seconds, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the cup as I mixed.
3. Add in a few drops of transparent green resin dye.  The more dye you add to the resin, the more it interferes with the cure time, so only use as much as you need.
4. Stir well until the resin is an even color.
5. Add in green glitter.  I like using a variety of shades and sizes of glitter for more interest.
6. Stir well until the glitter is evenly spread throughout the resin mixture.

Carefully pour the resin into the prepared mold.  Be sure the mold is on a level surface.  Then allow the resin to cure.  The resin’s cure time is affected by several factors including the depth of your mold, the temperature of the air, and what you have embedded in the mold.  When you tap on the back of your project with a stir stick, it will make a click noise when it is fully cured.

Remove the finished resin pieces from the mold.  The glitter is suspended inside the resin making your project sparkle beautifully!

While I loved the look of my finished pieces, I decided they would be even cuter with little faces.  I quickly painted faces onto the resin cacti with craft paint.  This step is completely optional, of course.  These cacti would make adorable magnets, paperweights or decor items!