Epoxy resin crafting is becoming more popular, from making jewelry to creating stunning cutting boards. Not to mention, it seems like geode-style coaster DIYs are popping up everywhere. If you've been thinking about trying out this tricky craft, Olympus at Daybreak has a few things you should know before you get into crafting with epoxy resin. 

Build-Your-Own Starter Kit

If you're trying to purchase an epoxy resin starter kit, there isn't one that has it all. And if you are buying a few molds and the A and B resin mixes, you'll quickly find you're missing a few items. Here's a quick list of everything you will need.

• Epoxy Resin – Epoxy resin comes in an A and B mixture. Each brand and type has a different mixing ratio and set time. If you're using it to craft jewelry, the smaller bottles are fine, but you will end up going through them rather quickly.

• Accessories – Pick up a pack of dyes when you can. Either mica powder or liquid pigment works fine. Also, grab glitter, metallic foil, and maybe a bag of dried flowers – whatever you are thinking of using to complete your project.

• Scale – A small kitchen scale is essential. When you mix your A and B, they have to be exact or your crafts won't set properly. You can try to eyeball it, but it is easy to make mistakes and ruin your project ... and possibly your molds.

• Mixing Cups – The more you mix, the fewer air bubbles you will have. Some people even suggest transferring the mixture several times into new cups to fully mix and get out air bubbles. A lot of places sell silicone cups that are easy to clean, but you will need more than you think, trust us.

• Gloves – Epoxy resin is toxic. You don't want it to touch your skin. Most starter kits give you one or two pairs, but you'll need to grab more to keep colors and glitter separate when trying to do more complex works.

• Popsicle sticks – You need a lot of mixers, and something disposable and cheap is your best option here.

• Molds/PVC Sheets – Even if you plan to use epoxy resin on your own creations, consider picking up a few molds to test the process first. PVC sheets allow you to create your own shapes.

• Crafting Blow Dryer – Heat helps expel air bubbles. It also allows you to "push" different color resins around in the mold to create designs. A blow torch is a more dangerous alternative here, but both will do the job.

• Crafting Scalpel/Sandpaper – When your work is complete, it likely will need some touch-up work to smooth out or trim imperfections.

• Mask – If you overheat the resin with a blowtorch or during the sanding process, there will be some unsavory particles you do NOT want to inhale. Protect yourself.

It Can Get Spendy Fast

As you can already tell, things add up quickly. Most starter kits will give you small bottles and a couple of the items – enough to last one or two crafting sessions. If you want to do bigger projects like epic cutting boards or whatever you would call the genius that is Jedrek29t's Youtube Channel, things will get even more costly.

You'll Probably Fail a Few Times

No matter how prepared you are or how many how-to's you watch, playing with epoxy resin can go wrong quickly. Expect to fail a few times and be ready to throw out some bad crafts and ruined molds. But keep trying and you'll get the hang of it!

If you're feeling ready to jump into epoxy resin work, check out this list of ideas from Better Home & Garden.

If you're looking for more fun to get into, check out the Olympus at Daybreak blog.