The festive season is fast approaching, alongside the usual decorations for Halloween and then Christmas, I have already started to think about the gift list for loved ones.
When making crafts as gifts this festive season, my advice would be to start with simple but effective crafts, especially if you plan on making a number of gifts. Trust me, I tried to make a mix of a items with an increasing level of difficulty and ended up messing up the more difficult items and then had to resort to buying several last-minute presents instead.
This year I am starting early and keeping it relatively simple with only a small range of designs utilising different colours and styles for different people’s personalities. The personal touch, paying attention to favourite colors or images, always means a lot to the recipient.
Let’s start with Halloween as this is first up on the festive calendar.
1. Hand painted unearthly resin cabochons.
These spooktacular keyrings and necklaces are so simple to make with bold colours any Halloween or creepy crawly fan will love them. They are also great “entry-level” resin gift that doesn’t require many different materials and tools, so wont cost you too much either.
- Start by adding a colour (orange or dark red) and maybe glitter to your chosen casting resin and then pour into your high gloss mould.
- Once cured, add your chosen hand-painted nail-polish design between the layers or on the outside of the cabochon.
- Finish by attaching your painted cabochon to your closed back bezel to finish off your keyring or necklace pendant. You can fix the cabochon to the bezel with either resin or superglue.
- Check out these hand-painted designs from Little Windows Resin for inspiration.
2. Coffin Trinket Plate
I loved watching the demoulding of this coffin trinket dish. It would not look out of place on a side table, at any time of the year. I particularly like that it’s very feminine and could be used all year round, as well as taking pride of place at your next Halloween party table. Perfect for storing ingredients for casting spells, or just keeping your keys and rings safe.
- Use a quality mould to cast the coffin in resin using your favourite-coloured inks and micas along with embedding images of nocturnal beings.
- You can even insert creepy crawlies like dead spiders, butterflies and even ashes of beloved pets to the resin for an even more personal or customised look.
- This works very well with the darker contrasting colour added last for the base of the coffin, but works equally well with a clear base.
- View the very satisfying video of the demoulding here, courtesy of resin.bymegan
3. One eyeball or two?
Do you ever have the feeling you are being watched when no one else is in the room? You will now!
These resin eye balls are easy to make and will make you double check who or what is watching you. EEK! These creepy eyeballs can be added to rings, keyrings or even attaching to your front door or spooky wreath to freak out any late-night visitors, especially if you add a glow in the dark pigment for extra eeriness.
Take a look at this tutorial from funshowcaseus.
You will need an eyeball mould and acrylic paint and fine brushed to complete this. Let your imagination run wild and create animal eyes, like cats or even dragon’s eyes.
4. Vintage Spider Necklace
If you are anything like me, spiders are not my favourite of all of the creepy crawlies. I think it’s because they can move so fast and those 8 beady eyes that stare back at you. Ughghghhhhh! This vintage looking necklace looks like it’s captured one of those pesky criters. I’d be happy to wear one of these necklaces at anytime of year. How about you? Do you have arachnophobia?
This easy to follow tutorial from Resincraftsblog talks you through how to make it.
5. Leaf Pendant
Although not strictly Halloween themed, I think these leaf pendants are very autumnal, and with a little orange coloured dye could really make these stand out and look more halloweeny! On your next walk collect a variety of the autumnal leaves to immortalise in these closed back bezels.
6. Skeleton Bookmark
This is a must have gift for any budding physiologist, bookworm or avid Halloween fan. This simple and easy to make bookmark doesn’t require any bones to be broken, just a mould, paper and a skeleton charm. Repeat after me, “The hip bone is connected to the Knee bone, the knee bone is connected to the….” 😊 Thanks to Resin Obsession for this quick and easy make.
7. Glow In The Dark Pendants
These Nightmare Before Christmas Jack Skellington pendants are made even ore creepy by the fact they glow in the dark. Stand out at your next halloween party, even in a dark corner. The only specialist item you require is the glow in the dark resin for the backs. Once again, thank little-windows.com for this easy-to-follow tutorial.
8. Halloween Resin Candy Dish
Pouring your heart out used clear resin to make this amazing candy dish with different ways. It turned out really cute. This candy dish that not only holds your favorite treats but also serves as a bewitching centerpiece for your Halloween bash.
Now is also the time to get organised for Christmas gifts. There are so many gift ideas, where do I start. What would make the best gifts that will actually get used and not just for Christmas.
1. Resin Bangles
Inspired by the Bakelite bangles of the 1920’s onwards, resin bangles come in various shapes and colours. Take a look this range of resin ¾ cuff bangles that I recently worked on as a set of gifts for teachers. There are may different ways to decorate resin to create a totally personalised bangle for each of your loved ones and friends. These bangles can be relatively easy to make as well as bold and effective. Here are just a few ideas of how to decorate.
- Dried flowers and leaves.
- Alcohol inks as solid colours, dropped or pushed into clear resin for either a single bold colour addition or a rainbow of colours.
- Cake sprinkles or candy
- Glitter
- Gold and silver leaf
- Photographs or images
- buttons
- Washi tape
- Textiles
Make sure that any items like buttons, dried flowers or textiles are covered in resin before inserting into the resin in the mould, this will help avoid trapping bubbles in the resin piece. Top up resin to the final level slowly to avoid adding bubbles.
Once cured some items may require a light sanding on the edges to smooth off sharp edges.
Image copyright of Makes By Ginger.
2. 3 tier cake stand
Who doesn’t love cake? The gift of a cake stand would be appriciated anytime of year, but probably more so around christmas if decorated to fit a style. Cake stands can of course be used all year round to display fruit, sweets and of course, most importatly cake. They can be custmomised to match kitechen or dinning décor or even decorated for the festive season.
I love this festively decorated cake stand with the reds and greens of the flowers and leaves, and the berries and pine cones which add a 3D element. There are many cake stand moulds and kits available. For extra dimension can shape the edges upwards by removing the still maleable (but not fully cured) resin and resting over a shallow saucer or bowl to also give a softly curved edge. Finish off with some sparkles or gold edges for that extra special touch.
Make sure to use food safe resin and do not use cutting implements on the stand to avoid ingesting resin dust or pieces. Get a slice of this cake stand from nietahashim.
3. Festive cheer coasters
Add even more festive cheer to your holiday season with these beautiful customised Christmas themed coasters.
These coasters are simple to make but stand out in even the most opulently decorated table.
Use bold reds, greens and golds for a traditional Christmas colour with glitter for that extra special look. Top with vinyl stickers personalised with names, festive words or sayings. Top with a final domed layer of resin to seal in the vinyl stickers.
I have fallen in love with these sophisticated coasters from kamandlam. I hope these inspire you to spread some extra Christmas cheer this year.
4. Photo christmas Ornament Bauble
Personalise this ornament for that extra special touch. All you require is a clear bauble and some christmassy glitter, which of course is a christmas craft staple. The hardest part of this will be choosing the best photo of your loved one, oh, and maybe cleaning up the spilt gliter until next Easter. Check these out!
5. Snowflake necklace
These snowflake pendants are so on point for christmas and so easy to replicate. The foil snowflakes and tiny pearls really envoke the Christmas spirit. The addition of the blue colour really adds to this.
6. Cheese boards
A perfect and practical Christmas present and if you also bring the cheese you can enjoy your gift too.
There are many patterns, themes and colours I’ve seen these in many shapes and sizes. Maybe try to fit the colours to match the décor of your recipient’s kitchen, it is then certain to take pride of place and get used often. This board from YaNeyaArt uses a timeless marble effect for it’s finishing touch.
7. Jewelry box
What better place to store resin jewellery is a resin jewellery box. Customise to your favourite colours. Use a premade mould from MoldsCorporation to pour you resin and add your embellishments.
