By: April Greenlaw
Welcome back to our craft series!! There are so many possibilities with Ekopel 2K !! In this week's craft edition blog we will be talking about how to make epoxy coasters from Ekopel 2K. You can also do this project with other great epoxy resins. We will go over what you will need, how to do it, and some helpful tips and tricks. Enjoy this fun project and create your own colorful coaster that's YOU!! This is a fun and simple project you could even include the kids! Let's get started!!
First you will need Ekopel 2K or another great epoxy resin. Next you will need a silicone mold which you can get at your local craft store or online. You could also coat an existing coater as well. You will need a stir stick and gloves. Depending on what look you want the coaster to have you could add acrylic paint, glitter, gold foil, etc. Possibilities are endless with what you can add in for cool effects. This is where you can really shine and make it unique! Lastly you will be needing a heat gun or hair dryer. This is to pop all the bubbles after.
Now let's talk about how to make the coaster. You will want to start off by getting all the supplies you will need. Then lay everything out to make yourself have a good flow. This will help the pouring process go a lot smoother, and give you more time to play with the material to make a cool design. Once that is done you can start to mix the material. You really want to follow the directions for your epoxy to a T. Working with epoxies is like a science if one thing is off the whole thing will be off.
Next you will want to start pouring and designing your coaster. There are many ways to do this for many different patterns. You can pour the color in the bottom, then pour ekopel on top, and add in more colors. You can try to tint the ekopel to a pastel color and pour it into different layers. You could add glitter on top, or mix it in. As you can tell here your options are not limited. You can do just about anything you want here. This is where it's your time to get creative and make a really cool piece. People are always creating new trends this way. If you're coating the coaster you would coat the coaster in it. Some people like to dip it in. Then add accent colors with gloves.
Now that you've poured the epoxy and designed it to your liking, you will want to pop bubbles. You will want to do this even if you don't see bubbles. All epoxies can get micro bubbles which aren't visible to the eye. If not popped they will get dirty quickly. So make sure you go over the whole project with a heat gun or hair dryer. Then let sit on a level, dust free zone. After 24-36 hours, pop out of the mold and take a look! You might have to sand any ruff edges. You can do that with 220-320 grit sandpaper, then double the grit to 600, then 1500. Then use any car buffing compound to bring the shine back. And enjoy!!