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How to Make a Free Form Silicone Mold for Resin

Hey y'all,

Today I’m sharing a quick and easy project that has been requested several *ahem* hundred times. My method for making a freeform silicone mold for resin!

This is a quick, budget friendly way to make a mold of just about any shape with 100% silicone caulk and a mat! I’ve used this technique to make several molds and it works time and time again… leaving me beautiful molds that can be re-used for the price of a tube of caulk.

Which is great since silicone molds can get quite pricey! A single large silicone tray mold can be any where from 40 to 50 dollars… whereas I made 3 molds for about $14. Now tell me that’s not a bargain.

Epic!

Let’s get started.

Supplies:

  • 100% Silicone Caulk
  • Caulk Gun
  • Silicone Mat or Acetate Sheet
  • Baking Pan/Cardboard box
  • Disposable Gloves
  • Paper Towels
  • Scissors

Step 1: Prep your Supplies

Ready to get started? Since I never know anyone’s skill level (and I made a huge mess just the other day by forgetting to pierce the foil inside a caulk tube) I’m going to go over all. the. steps.

Start by laying out a baking pan and covering it with your silicone mat. The baking pan will make your mold easy to move around once it’s filled with resin and the silicone mat gives us a solid base that resin won’t stick to.

I want these specific molds to be re-useable so I went with a silicone mat… contrary to what I was told *ahem… youtube* silicone sticks to silicone so you will not be able to remove the silicone mold from your silicone mat. They will be bonded for life once this project is done!

That’s fine for my purposes but if you don’t want to spend the money for a silicone mat for one mold (say this is a one and done project for you) then an acetate sheet will work as your base but be a bit more cost effective for a throw away mold.

Once you’ve got your mat and pan set grab your tube of caulk and load it into your gun.

If you have a brand new tube of caulk (make sure it’s 100% silicone… it doesn’t matter on the brand (I’ve used a few different ones) but it has to be 100% silicone or it won’t work!) then you’ll need to get it ready before you load your caulk gun.

Go ahead and cut off the tip of the caulk tube… then use something sharp to pierce the foil inside the tube. My caulk gun has a handy little pokey device (yes, that is the technical name) on the side that you can use to pierce the foil… if you don’t have one of these a skewer will work!

Once your caulk tube is pierced you can load it into your caulk gun and you’re ready to rock.

At this point it’s important to address the elephant in the room… the strange paper towel circles on my silicone mat.

I’m making a 3 tiered tray with these little molds so I cut out 3 templates to trace with my caulk gun. This is a great way to get a specific size or shape if you can’t draw well (heck print something out, cut the silhouette and trace that!) but you don’t have to have a template to make a mold (paper towel or otherwise).

This technique can be used to make a mold of whatever shape you’re able to draw. A circle, an oval… a horse! As long as you can draw it you can make it. I used the same technique to completely freehand an oval mold for this geode inspired tray. My oval is a little more wonky but that’s what I was going for… an organic shape.

Beautiful darling.

Step 2: Lay Down 1 Layer of Silicone

Now that we’re all set up it’s time to get down to business. Take your caulk gun and gently squeeze the handle until you see caulk start to squeeze out of the tube.

Now you can trace your shape (or draw your shape… whatever floats your boat). Make sure to go slow and stead so that your mold is as smooth as possible and don’t leave any gaps.

Any gaps or holes in the silicone are potential escape routes for resin and that means a major mess.

Step 3: Clean Up Layer 1

Once you’ve put down your first layer of resin look over the inside of the shape… are there any weird areas? Smooth them over with your finger or a bit of paper towel.

Just remember that any area with silicone will repel resin so if you wipe up a a bit make sure it’s all the way gone… even leaving behind a residue will give you trouble spots in your bottom layer of resin.

Once you’ve got the entire inside ring of your mold clean and smooth leave it be for about 5 minutes… this will give the silicone time to firm up before we add the next layer.

Step 4: Repeat Steps 2 & 3

Now you’ve got it! Unless you want to cast a very shallow layer of resin we need to beef this baby up.

Especially if you’re making a tray… you want your tray to be strong enough to carry things on so you need it to be thick! Which means multiple layers of silicone.

Go ahead and trace a second layer of silicone directly on top of the first layer. Then smooth out the inside leaving no problem areas. Keep repeating this process until you’re happy with the depth of your silicone. I tend to go 3-4 layers high depending on the project.

Any higher than 4 layers and you’ll start to have a leaning tower of pisa situation… so be careful!

Bonus Tip: I like to use these little free form molds for geode like trays so I’m happy to leave my silicone rough and bumpy. If you want the edges of your silicone pieces to be smooth take a gloved finger, a little water and a little dawn dish soap and smooth out the silicone as you add layers. Beautiful darling!

Step 5: Fill any Holes, Reinforce your Walls

Last but not least we need to fill in any holes in the outside layer. Once we have all 4 layers complete pick up your tray and look around the entire mold. If you see any holes or areas where resin could escape then take your silicone and fill the hole from the outside of the mold.

Once you plug the hole you can smooth out the inside if you need to!

Make sure you go all the way around and there’s no potential problem areas!

If you have any parts of your walls that are falling over simply add a bit of silicone to the outside of the wall and anchor it to the silicone mat. Beefing up the walls will give the inside ring of silicone something to hold onto and they should straighten up.

Since I’m going to use these molds over and over (re-useable budget friendly molds baby!) I like to add a beefed up, extra thick, second layer of silicone all the way around the outside of my mold. You can skip this step if your mold looks good and you’re only planning to use it once!

Step 5: Let the Silicone Cure

Now let your silicone cure! Set it in a clean dry room and leave it for the amount of time the tube says… typically anywhere from 40 minutes to 4 hours.

I’ll be honest… I’ve cast resin into a silicone mold after about 40 minutes and it works but if any parts of the mold aren’t 100% cured the wet silicone melds to the wet resin and becomes part of the piece. Which is not great.

I like to let my molds sit over night just to be 100% sure they’re dry and ready to rock.

See how pretty this set of molds for my 3-tier tray turned out?

Step 6: Use your Molds

Now just look at the end results!

The resin pieces up above are straight out of the molds we just made! You can see how the sizes worked perfectly (just like our paper towel templates!) and the edges are a bit rough like our silicone walls.

I do take my dremel and smooth these out a bit (just to knock any sharp pieces off) but over all I love the rough uneven look for these trays!

Want another example? Check out these amazing blush and rose gold trays we made with the free form oval mold I showed you up above. Aren’t they amazing!?

Looking for more resin projects? I’ve got you covered!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
You made it through the entire post? That means you're one of my new favorite people! I'd love to be friends and see what else you would like to read about! Leave me a comment and then sign up for your very own FREE paint planner.... so that you can keep track of every single paint color with ease!
Welcome back! I'd love to be friends and see what else you would like to read about! Leave me a comment and then sign up for your very own FREE paint planner.... so that you can keep track of every single paint color with ease!

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Resin 5

Comments

  1. Lily Alvarez says

    May 18, 2020 at 10:58 am

    I love your work, Can you please tell me where you purchased the hardware for the 3 tiered cake stand. I would love to make it and the matching tray. It is absolutely stunning.

    Thanks,
    Lily

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      May 18, 2020 at 1:37 pm

      Thank you lily! You’re so sweet! I’m actually working on a post for the 3-tier tray as we speak but in the meantime you can find the hardware for the 3-tier tray right here! https://rstyle.me/+3h0w2lBYn8X9PjLS3z4hTQ There are lots of options so pick one you like! None of them are rose gold like mine… but that’s because I painted mine with the copper paint I use for my trays. Hope that helps!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Amazing DIY Blush and Rose Gold Resin Tray - Happily Ever After, Etc. says:
    May 14, 2020 at 10:31 pm

    […] handmade with a tube of 100% silicone on a silicone mat. (Not sure how to make your own mold? You can make your own mold for a couple dollars by following this tutorial! Now ready to make your own mold? You can purchase a similar mold […]

    Reply
  2. How to Make a 3-Tier Tray Out of Resin - Happily Ever After, Etc. says:
    May 21, 2020 at 9:52 am

    […] little molds are completely handmade with a tube of 100% silicone on a silicone mat and you can make your own mold by following this fancy schmancy mold making tutorial. (It’s actually a super easy process… not sure why I said […]

    Reply
  3. How to Layer Resin - Happily Ever After, Etc. says:
    May 21, 2020 at 10:25 am

    […] gold and blush inspired geode tray looks fancy but it’s really just 3 layers of resin in a DIY silicone mold. I’ll walk you through making one of your own in this step by step tutorial! Use your own […]

    Reply

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sidebar betsy I'm Betsy, Home Decor Enthusiast, Yorkie Mama, Crafter, Blogger, Picky Eater, Chief Mess Maker, Antique Hoarder and Graphic Designer. You can generally find me working on (attacking with a paintbrush) the 3 bed, 2 bath home we are currently renting! Our home might not be perfect but it is ours & if you hang out long enough you'll see that what we lack in know-how we make up for in passion!
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I'm Betsy, Home Decor Enthusiast, Yorkie Mama, Picky Eater, Chief Mess Maker, & Graphic Designer...

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The number one question people ask when they watch The number one question people ask when they watch my new home tour on YouTube? Why is there so much clutter... um excuse me I like stuff! The second question? How did you frost the doors? Don’t worry... I wrote out the whole process, check out the step by step tutorial on the blog!
With Christmas fast approaching I’m having secon With Christmas fast approaching I’m having second thoughts... about taking down my holiday decorations! I absolutely love all the blush and rose gold this year and think I might have to add more pink to my every day decor. Until then maybe it will just stay Christmas at the Smith house! Tutorials for both the “Merry Christmas” resin sign and the “Dear Santa” Cricut sign are in my profile! #pinkchristmas #pinkchristmastree #pinkchristmasdecor
Well y’all Christmas is coming up quick... which Well y’all Christmas is coming up quick... which means I need to get a move on with all that wrapping! I got a jump start this morning after whipping up a few little resin light bulbs! Check out the full tutorial over on the blog if you’d like to wrap your presents with a few resin goodies this year... and tell me in the comments below. Are you finished wrapping or (like me) are you still getting started? #pinkchristmas #pinkchristmasdecor #resinchristmas #giftwrappingideas
Ready for another fun and easy resin project? Thes Ready for another fun and easy resin project? These little Christmas trees are the perfect beginner level project so if you’ve never done resin before don’t let it intimidate you!! Grab your heat gun and jump in... I’ll walk you through it! Check out the full blog post for these little guys on the blog (link in profile!)
If you haven’t joined Michelle at @weekendcraft If you haven’t joined Michelle at @weekendcraft SVG membership then WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! I am obsessed with all the cute svg’s and y’all she is doing a live craft night every month to walk you through making one of her designs... and the first craft night is tomorrow! She’ll be making this “Merry everything and Happy always” SVG and it’s so cute! You don’t want to miss it! See you there! 

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Well y’all I’m getting this close to unpacked Well y’all I’m getting this close to unpacked in my new house!! And since I’m a blogger Christmas is going up! So here’s the question... do you want a 1 month house update or do you want to wait for the Christmas tour? #lulamaefarmhouse #rosegoldchristmastree #newhouse
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#ad how amazing did these little fall coasters tur #ad how amazing did these little fall coasters turn out?! Plus I absolutely love the matching tray! The best part? This is such a quick and easy resin project... a silicone mold, a little resin and your trusty heat gun and I promise you can make this baby!! Link in profile for the tutorial!! #fallresin #resinforbeginners #cheetahprint
Okay... is it bad if you just want to make coaster Okay... is it bad if you just want to make coasters in the same mold with the same technique but different colors?? They turn out soo differently! Just a sneak peek of my fall coasters and the blush ones I made last year!
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A little peek into the fun summery Tablescape I pu A little peek into the fun summery Tablescape I put together for a little garden party! Want to check out the full table? Wondering where to find all the pieces... click the link in my profile for all the details!
#ad Did you know you can put infusible ink onto al #ad Did you know you can put infusible ink onto aluminum? It's sooooo simple... honestly it's one of the easiest projects I've ever done. Even if you've never used your Cricut before you. can. do. this. I'll show you how every step of the way! Follow along with the full tutorial video over on YouTube! The best part? These little aluminum signs look amazing as part of a larger project! Check out how I added mine to a larger resin wave project on the last slide! @officialcricut #cricutcreated https://lnk2.io/wvMllZf
Okay so It’s no secret that I’ve been obsessed Okay so It’s no secret that I’ve been obsessed with resin for a while now but this week I’ve been playing around with resin waves! Including this tiny resin sea shell! Check out the link in my profile for the full tutorial!
After a lot of struggle, loss and frustration I am After a lot of struggle, loss and frustration I am finally dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s on my next chapter. Yesterday I went and signed the million and one papers to close on my new house! I cannot wait to share the moving (and decorating) process with all of you... next step: keys! #firsttimehomebuyer #newhouse
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