Are you starting to think about heading back to school? Whether you will be decorating your own dorm room, or you are sending your kids off to grade school, these resin gummy bear thumbtacks are sure to brighten your day.
What you will need:
- EasyCast Clear Casting Epoxy
- Mixing Cups
- Stir Sticks
- Transparent Resin Dye
- Silicone Gummy Bear Mold
- Thumbtacks
Start by filling the mold with water and emptying the water into a measuring cup. This will let you know how much liquid the mold holds. Mix up this same measurement of resin according to the directions inside the package of EasyCast. When I am creating multiple colors of resin, I like to do the two-part mixing process in the large mixing cups. Then I divide the resin among multiple smaller cups.
Add a drop or two of transparent resin dye into each small cup and mix thoroughly. I created a rainbow of colors and then realized there are definitely NOT blue gummy bears. Give the silicone mold a spray with the mold release, and let the mold release dry. Then carefully pour the dyed resin into the cavities of the mold.
Next, create a rig for your thumbtacks. I measured the center-to-center distance between the mold cavities and marked it on a wood stir stick. I then pressed the thumbtacks partially into the stir stick at those marks.
Lay the stir stick across the mold so that the backs of the thumbtacks rest in the resin. This will keep the tacks from sinking into the resin as it cures. Cover the mold and let it cure overnight.
Give the silicone mold a tug in a few directions to loosen the thumbtacks from the mold.
Look at how sweet these little gummy bear thumbtacks are!
They totally look like real gummy bears, but they are completely functional thumbtacks for your bulletin board.
These gummy bear tacks will brighten up any dorm, but they would also make adorable back-to-school gifts for your child’s teacher.
Jessica Hill is the creative mind behind the blog, Mad in Crafts. For nearly 9 years, Jessica has shared crazy good creativity from her Mad House to yours. When she’s not creating, Jessica loves the Detroit Tigers, craft beer, and spending time with her family and rescue dog.
[…] Although these little guys look good enough to eat, DO NOT EAT THEM! I made a set of rainbow-colored thumbtacks that look just like the real thing. I used a small amount of resin and a silicone mold from the craft store to make these thumbtacks. They would make a great back-to-school gift for a teacher or to bring some fun into your dorm room this fall. Get the full tutorial in my newest post for Resin Crafts. […]