How To Preserve Flowers Using Apex Resin®
Resin Art Tips and Tricks
Preserving Flowers in Resin
Blog by Nahima
Apex Resin® by just4youonlineUK (linked below) is the perfect resin to use for floral preservations, It has a low viscosity (thinner consistency) which means it takes a little longer to cure, minimising micro bubbles and fast curing which can burn your precious florals. Here are some of my tips and tricks that might help you create that perfect block of blooms.
Bubbles
Pesky bubbles are probably a resin artist's worst nightmare, they ruin the final piece and make it look unprofessional and cluttered. To avoid bubbles, stir your resin slowly using a silicone stick, wooden sticks create more bubbles and even microbubbles. Stir very slowly, it might be time consuming but it is worth the end result. If you notice bubbles in your well mixed resin, leave it to sit for 10-20 minutes, this allows the bubbles to rise to the surface and be popped using a heat tool.
Flash curing
Patience is key with floral preservation, ensure you check the depth of your piece and how much you can mix and pour at once with your desired resin. Ensure you pour in small, thin layers; for a 7x7 square block mould, I pour 100 ml layers at a time, pouring too much resin in one layer at a time will cause it to flash cure. This creates bubbles and foaming, which then burns and ruins your precious flowers.
Drying Flowers
You have to ensure your flowers are dried correctly, the best material to use is very small silica crystals which can then be placed inside the flowers prior to them being preserved. A well dried flower will keep its shape and be very delicate to touch. The drying process usually takes 1-2 weeks depending on the type of flower you use. Once fully dried, you are ready to start preserving using Apex Resin! If you try to preserve your flowers without drying correctly, they will rot inside the resin piece over time!
Pouring Resin
When pouring resin, it can be very exciting to start a new project, ensure your resin is well mixed and not streaky; this will help you avoid uncured resin within your final piece. Alongside this, pouring slowly from one corner in a steady stream allows you to avoid any bubbles being trapped inside your mould. Taking care whilst pouring slowly is fundamental in floral preservation as the excitement can take over us, rushing can ruin your final piece.
Top Tips!
The most important advice I can give with floral preservation is practice, practice and practice. Understand which technique works best for you and whether floral preservation is the way to go. Take your time, mistakes happen and it's important to learn from them. The best resin to use is Apex Resin as it is low viscosity, 1:1 mixing ratio which is simple and non complicated. It takes 16-20 hours to touch dry which is perfect as you want your floral project to cure slowly which reduces bubbles and any damage to your flowers.
I hope these few tips and tricks help in your floral preservation journey! Nahima x
Thank you so much Nahima, your resin pours are stunning and we are very proud that our resin is used to create them!
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Dec 07, 2022
