How to Make a Resin Ghost

5 from 2 votes

Use plastic wrap and a simple homemade form to shape colourful, glittery resin into spooky ghost figurines. Draw on a face and place them over a flameless tea light for a one-of-a-kind Halloween decoration!

Active Time30

Curing Time1

Total Time1 30

Yield: resin ghost

Author: Debbie Chapman

Cost: $2

Equipment

Materials

Instructions

Step 1: Find what you need

Gather your supplies and materials.

Step 2: Mix the epoxy resin

Protect your working surface with a drop cloth or silicone mat before working with resin. 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 to make the ghost. We mixed 150 ml total, but had a bit left over.
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, 75 ml.)
Follow your specific resin’s instructions for ratios, drying times, and curing times.
Add an equal amount of Part B (or whatever ratio your brand of resin suggests) to the measuring cup. In our case, we added 75 ml.
Mix the resin and hardener together with a popsicle stick or 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.

Step 3: Divide and colour the resin

Divide the resin into 2 mixing cups, pouring a little bit more into one of them.
Add 2 different shades of mica powder to each cup, in the colour of your choice. Add a lighter shade to the cup with more resin. Stir until well combined.
(Note: We're using 1 ounce cups here because that's all we had. If you use this small size you'll need to mix at least several cups worth of each colour, so we recommend using larger mixing cups.)

Step 4: Add resin to a covered plate

Set a 12 inch paper plate on your working surface. Cover it with plastic food wrap.
Add the lighter colour of resin to the center of the plate, until it covers about 2/3 of the plate.
Then add a ring of the darker colour around the outside, so the two colours are touching. There should still be about an inch of clear space around the outside of the plate.
Add chunky silver glitter to the resin cup with the darker colour. Stir to combine.
Pour the glitter resin around the outside, on top of the darker resin.
Finish by pouring the rest of the light colour into the middle of the plate, so it becomes the dominant colour.

Step 5: Let the resin sit and create a mold

Allow the resin to cure until it's no longer liquidy, but is still soft and moldable. It should be tacky to the touch, but not sticky enough to come off on your gloves.
The exact time needed will really vary, based on the temperature and humidity of your room and the resin you're using. Ours took between 3 and 4 hours to reach this state, but we recommend setting a timer for 2-1/2 hours and then checking it every 20 minutes after.
While the resin hardens, create a form for your ghost. You'll need a Styrofoam ball (or another round object) for the ghost's head and a small jar for the body.
Secure the ball to the top of the jar with painter's tape.

Step 6: Shape the ghost

Here's what our resin looked like when it was ready to mold.
This is the hardest part of the process, finding the exact right time where the resin can be shaped nicely, and not be too drippy or too hard. (Read more information below the tutorial!)
Lift the plastic wrap from the plate and place it over the mold. The center of the resin should go on the ghost's head.
Let the ghost form naturally as the resin falls down onto the mold, and then make small adjustments to the shape by arranging the plastic wrap.
Note: The resin will still droop down a bit and "melt" into the shape of the jar mold and onto the mat. If you want the resin to stay in the current shape, allow to cure longer first.
Now allow the resin to harden overnight, or for the amount of time listed on your resin's instructions.

Step 7: Remove the plastic and add a face

Here's what our ghost looked like the next day. At this point the resin should still be a little bit malleable.
Remove the ghost from the jar mold.
Now peel off as much of the plastic wrap as you can. Use tweezers to pick off stubborn pieces. Some of it may have cured to the resin, which is fine, just do your best.
Choose which side of your ghost you like the best, and draw a face, using black permanent marker or a paint pen.
Your resin ghost is complete!
Have fun making ghosts in different colours. Then place them over a flameless tea light and turn out the lights to watch them flicker and glow!

Notes

Looking for more ghost crafts? Here's a few of our favourites:

Cheesecloth Ghost

Ghost Tea Light Holder

Ghost in a Jar