Pressed flower resin coasters are one of those projects that looks extraordinarily difficult but is actually very achievable for a complete beginner with the right materials and a little patience. The finished coasters — flowers and leaves suspended in clear, glass-like resin — look like something from an expensive design shop. This guide covers pressing flowers, mixing epoxy resin safely, arranging your botanicals in moulds, and achieving a perfectly clear, bubble-free finish.
Safety First: Working with Epoxy Resin
Epoxy resin is a two-component system (resin + hardener) that cures through a chemical reaction. Before you begin, understand these non-negotiable safety requirements:
- Nitrile gloves: Wear them throughout the entire process. Uncured resin is a skin sensitiser — repeated contact can cause allergic reactions that worsen with each exposure.
- Eye protection: Splashes are possible when mixing.
- Ventilation: Work with windows open or in a well-ventilated space. Some resins emit VOCs during the cure phase. Do not work in enclosed spaces.
- Respirator (recommended): A simple dust mask does not protect against resin vapours. If you are doing this regularly, invest in a proper respirator with organic vapour cartridges.
- Dedicated tools: Any tools or containers used with resin cannot be used for food preparation afterward.
Pressing Your Flowers
You need completely flat, completely dry flowers. Any residual moisture causes white cloudiness in the resin where the flower sits. Properly pressed flowers can take 2 to 4 weeks using a traditional press — but silica gel speeds the process to 3 to 5 days.
Best flowers for resin coasters:
- Pansies — flat-faced, rich colours, press perfectly.
- Viola flowers — small and delicate, ideal for detail work.
- Queen Anne’s lace — the delicate umbrella-shaped flower head presses flat beautifully.
- Fern fronds — graphic, structural, excellent for backgrounds.
- Anemones — bold, graphic petals with a striking dark centre.
- Larkspur — long spikes that work well arranged vertically.
Traditional pressing: Place flowers between sheets of blotting paper or absorbent tissue inside a flower press or heavy book. Add weight on top. Check after 2 weeks — if the blotting paper feels damp, replace it and re-press.
Silica gel pressing: Place flowers face-down in a layer of silica gel crystals in a sealed box. Cover with another layer of crystals. Seal and leave 3 to 5 days. The crystals can be dried in the oven and reused.
Materials for the Coasters
- Epoxy resin (casting resin, not coating resin — casting resin is lower viscosity and designed for deeper pours)
- Silicone coaster moulds (square or round, typically 9-10cm)
- Mixing cups (graduated, disposable)
- Silicone stirring sticks or disposable wooden sticks
- Heat gun or butane torch (for popping surface bubbles)
- Pressed and dried flowers
- Tweezers
- Isopropyl alcohol (for cleaning spills)
- Dust cover (a cardboard box that fits over the mould)
The Two-Pour Method
This technique produces coasters where the flowers appear to float in the middle of the resin rather than sitting on top or sinking to the bottom. It requires two separate pours with a cure period between them.
Pour 1 — The base layer:
- Mix your resin according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Most epoxy resins are mixed 1:1 by volume (resin:hardener) but check your specific product. Measure precisely — off ratios result in soft, sticky resin that never fully cures.
- Stir slowly and thoroughly for the full time specified (typically 3 to 5 minutes). Scrape the sides and bottom of the cup. Undissolved hardener creates soft, sticky patches.
- Pour a shallow base layer (3 to 5mm) into each mould. Tip the mould gently to spread the resin to all corners.
- Pass a heat gun or torch quickly over the surface (5 to 10cm above) to pop any bubbles. Do not hold the heat in one place — keep moving.
- Cover with a dust cover and allow to cure until the resin is gel-like but not hard — typically 8 to 12 hours at room temperature (18°C to 22°C). It should have the consistency of firm jelly: holds its shape but has not yet hardened.
Arranging the flowers:
- Using tweezers, arrange your pressed flowers face-down on the gel base layer. They will partially sink into the gel, holding their position.
- Plan your arrangement before touching the gel — once a flower is placed it can be adjusted but not easily removed without tearing.
- Work quickly. The resin continues to harden and the window of perfect gel consistency is 2 to 4 hours.
Pour 2 — The top layer:
- Mix a fresh batch of resin. Pour over the flowers to fill the mould to the top.
- Bubble-pop with heat gun as before.
- Cover and allow to fully cure — typically 24 to 72 hours depending on the resin system and room temperature. Warmer rooms speed the cure; cold rooms slow it significantly.
Demoulding and Finishing
Silicone moulds flex easily — press the back of the mould, flex the sides, and the coaster will pop out cleanly. If it does not release after 48 hours, give it another 24 hours. Forcing a coaster out before it is fully cured will leave fingerprints or dents in the surface.
Sand any sharp edges on the sides of the coaster with 400-grit wet sandpaper, then finish with 800-grit for a smooth edge. For extra protection, apply a thin coat of resin to the coaster surface and cure as before — this is called a “flood coat” and produces a glass-like final finish.
Add self-adhesive felt pads to the bottom of each coaster to protect your table surfaces.
Resin coasters make a beautiful handmade gift alongside a matching mug or tea set. Find more gift ideas in our Gifts and Seasonal section, or browse our full Home Decor category for more projects to personalise your living space.
