DIY Flower Resin Tray

I’ve had this DIY on my ideas list for a while now, and after my last Goodwill haul, this $5 tray was calling out to me and practically begging to be upcycled. I’m currently working on sprucing up our patio in time for Easter. This serving tray will be the perfect addition to the space to help us serve beverages to all our friends and family we’ll be hosting throughout the spring and summer months.

DIY Difficulty: Intermediate  

Duration: 3 Hours (Total time which includes time for the resin to dry is 3 days)

Supplies:

• A Serving Tray (minimum 2” depth)

• Spray Paint (if applicable)

• Clear Silicone

• Caulk Gun

• Pressed Flowers (you can also make your own but note, flowers can take a minimum time of a month to be ready for this DIY)

• Resin Kit

• Lighter or Heat Gun

Instructions:

1. Paint your serving tray if you need/want to paint it. Perhaps it’s made of wood and you like the wood grain aesthetic.

2. Apply silicone to the edges around the bottom of the tray. I applied it to the inside as well as the outside. This will prevent the resin from coming out of the sides or the bottom. Let the silicone fully dry before moving on.

3. The resin kit I have linked above came with its own instructions you can follow. If you’re using a different resin kit, follow those instructions. Otherwise, mix your resin and hardener together, equal parts (1:1 ratio). I used 4oz of each on my first layer. Mix resin for 3 to 4 minutes while scraping the bottom and the sides of the cup to ensure everything is mixed well together.

4. Pour mixture into tray. Make sure your tray is level and gently make sure mixture is even in the bottom of the tray. This will be your first layer. Use the heat gun or lighter to apply a small amount of heat to the surface of the resin in order to remove any air bubbles. Wait 1-2 hours before moving on.

5. Lay our flowers out in an arrangement on a piece of paper so you have an idea of how you would like them in your tray.

6. Transfer your flowers onto the first layer of resin in your tray. You may want to gently press them into the resin as it shouldn’t be completely dry

7. Mix a second mixture of resin, same instructions as in step 3, and pour onto your pressed flowers. Some flowers may move and/or float to the top. Gently press them down underneath the resin. Then wait another 1-2 hours before moving on.

8. Depending on how large or small your tray is, you may stop here or add another layer of resin. My tray is approximately 10 1/2 x 14” and some of my flowers weren’t completely underneath the surface. Therefore, I decided to add a third layer of resin. Follow the same steps as above, and gently press any flowers still floating to the surface underneath the resin.

9. Leave in a cool, ventilated area to dry. After 24 hours, the resin should be hard, but allow 72 hours for the resin to dry completely before use.