This resin tray is SO PRETTY!! Whether you’re an experienced resin crafter or a beginner to resin art, making a resin serving tray is so fun and fulfilling!
Creating your own resin tray is a really creative project, and it results in a beautiful and functional piece. Display it in your home or give it as a personalized gift for weddings, housewarmings, or other special occasions. Let’s get pouring!
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How to Make a Resin Tray
Materials:
- Casting resin
- Mica powder
- Gold foil flakes
- Tray handles (or cupboard pulls)
Equipment:
- Silicone measuring cup (large size)
- Popsicle sticks (or silicone stir sticks)
- Disposable plastic cup(s) (to divide resin)
Watch the step-by-step video tutorial:
Instructions:
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Mix the epoxy resin
- Before working with resin, protect your working surface with a drop cloth and/or a silicone mat. Always wear protective nitrile gloves and eye protection.Work in a well-ventilated space and wear a respirator if your resin requires it. Read your resin’s label for safety requirements.
- Mix the amount of resin needed for the size of tray you’d like to make. We mixed 500 ml of resin total.Begin by adding 1 part of Part A to a silicone measuring cup. The amount of Part A should be half the total amount needed. (In our case, 250 ml.)Follow your specific resin’s instructions for ratios, drying times, and curing times.
- Add an equal amount of Part B to the measuring cup, or whatever ratio your brand of resin suggests. (In our case, 250 ml.)
- Mix the resin and hardener together with a popsicle stick or a reusable resin stir stick.Stir slowly, scraping down the sides and bottom of the measuring cup. Continue mixing for 3 to 5 minutes or until the mixture is clear (streak free).
Step 3: Divide and colour your resin
- Pour the resin into separate plastic mixing cups, 1 for each colour you’d like to use. We divided the resin into 4 cups.If you’d like one or two of the colours to cover larger areas, add more resin into these cups.
- Add mica powder or another pigment into the cups. The exact amount needed will depend on how much resin is in each cup, and it’s recommended that the pigment is less than 6% of the volume of your resin.Start with a small amount of mica powder and add more if needed. We used about 1/2 teaspoon of each colour (pink, blue, and white) and then added gold foil flakes to the last cup.
- Use a clean popsicle stick for each cup, mixing the pigment in really well. Stir slowly and gently, to avoid creating air bubbles. Continue mixing until the resin is smooth, with no clumps.
Step 4: Pour the base of the tray
- Begin by pouring some of the clear resin with gold flakes into your mold. We poured a bit off center on an angle from top to bottom, but you can choose wherever you’d like it to sit.
- Next, add coloured resin to each side of the clear section. This colour (pink, for us) should be the one you want most dominant in your tray.
- Add more lines of this colour across the tray. Pour on different angles, creating curves and lines.
- Now pour your next colour into the tray mold. This should be your second dominant colour (white, for us).Add this colour so it outlines the previous one.
- Finally, pour your last colour. This will be your accent colour (blue, for us).Add thin lines of this next to the last colour.
- Continue adding lines of each colour. Start with the dominant colours (pink and white) and then add the accent colour (blue) if there’s room.Repeat until the bottom of the tray is completely covered.
Step 5: Fill the tray mold and create marbling
- To fill the tray mold, begin by adding more of the gold flake mixture on top of the clear section.
- Then layer your colours (in other words, pour pink resin on top of pink, white on top of white) until the mold is full.Finish with the clear resin, so that it will push away any colours that have floated into this space.
- Add more gold flakes to the clear resin, if wanted, or spread them out so they’re evenly placed.
- Now use a popsicle stick to create small swirls in the resin, blending the colours together a bit.Avoid the clear area, keeping it separate.
- Eliminate any surface bubbles by spraying the resin with rubbing alcohol or running a heat gun over the surface.Then let your tray sit, untouched, for 18 hours (or whatever your resin’s recommended demold time is).
Step 6: Add the tray handles
- To demold the tray, grab the side of the mold and stretch it a bit as you pull it back. The tray should come out easily.Now place it right side up (the side that was against the mold) on your working surface.
- Mix another batch of clear resin (about 100 ml total) and carefully pour a thin layer on top of your tray.Start with a small amount and add more, if needed.
- Use a popsicle stick to spread the resin to the edge of the tray, making sure it doesn’t spill over the edge.
- Set the tray handles into the clear resin where you’d like them to sit on the tray. Be sure the two handles are evenly placed.
- Allow the resin to harden for another 18 hours, or longer. We recommend waiting at least 24 hours before handling, to prevent warping.
- Your resin tray is complete!Don’t use your tray until the curing time is complete. Our resin lists 72 hours, but we suggest waiting a week before use to be totally safe.
Helpful Tips:
- Protect your working surface and do resin pours in a well ventilated room. Wear basic PPE whenever working with resin: nitrile gloves, long sleeves, and eye protection. You should also wear a respirator with most resins.
- Choose which side of the tray you like best and use that as the top!
- There are so many ways you can decorate your resin tray! Keep reading below for some fun ideas.
How much resin do I need to make a resin tray?
You definitely need a large amount of resin to make a tray. The exact amount needed will depend on the size of your mold.
The easiest way to figure how much resin you’ll need is to fill the mold with water and measure the amount. Normally we fill our molds and then pour that water into a measuring cup to find the amount.
With a larger mold like this it’s easier to start with a measuring cup full of water and then see how much you have left after filling the mold. Subtract the amount you have left from what you started with to figure out the amount of resin needed.
Our tray mold is about 11-1/2 by 7 inches and is 1/2 inch thick, and it required 500 ml of resin for the main pours and 100 ml for the top coat. This gives you a small amount extra, but it’s always better to pour a little bit more than you think you’ll need.
How else can I attach the handles to my resin tray?
If you want to use the “wrong” side of the resin tray (the side you see on top while the tray is in the mold) as the top, you can leave a couple millimeters of space at the top when filling the tray. Then leave the tray in the mold after it hardens and add your top coat. Place the handles like usual and let this resin harden before demolding.
Or, drill holes into the tray and attach the handles with screws. Wait at least 72 hours and make sure your resin is completely cured before doing this.
How can I avoid the resin top coat spilling onto the side of the tray?
Be careful when you’re pouring your resin. Add just enough to coat the top to the edge without it overflowing the side. This is when a level table is very important, because it will stop the resin from sliding off one side.
You can also take extra steps to prevent the top coat from making a mess on the sides of the tray. Once your base tray is hardened, demold it and paint a thick layer of white glue or Mod Podge on the sides and bottom edge of the tray.
Prop the tray up on something, lifting it above your silicone working surface. Allow the glue to dry completely and then carefully do the top coat pour.
If any resin spills over the edge it will drip off the side, instead of pooling next to the tray. When the resin is dry you can peel off the glue and the excess resin will be removed with it.
How can I fix the resin tray if the top coat has pooled on the side?
If your top coat of resin did pool on the sides of the tray you can use scissors or a craft knife to remove as much of the excess as you can. Then use sandpaper or a metal file to remove the rest and smooth the sides.
How else can I decorate my resin tray?
We used gold foil flakes and mica powder to add colour to our marbled resin tray. We love the shimmer that mica powder adds, along with the colour.
But you can also use acrylic paint to colour resin, or buy special resin dyes, both powder and liquid. You can also add glitter to resin for a fun shine.
Or keep your resin clear and insert add-ins like pressed flowers, beads, or polymer clay charms.
Is a resin tray food safe?
Yes, epoxy resin is food safe after it has fully cured. So you can use your resin tray to hold food safely. However, we don’t recommend cutting anything on the tray, since it can damage the surface.
Showcase your creativity with a beautiful, one-of-a-kind resin tray! Use this DIY resin tray as part of a vanity set or as a serving tray for your favourite drinks or charcuterie. Either way, your resin tray is sure to impress!
And remember that the possibilities with resin are endless, so don’t hesitate to experiment with different colors, designs, and embellishments!
Here’s even more resin craft ideas:
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
Where to buy:
You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Amazon Canada
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