DIY Resin Craft | How to Make Mini Resin Planters

These mini DIY resin planters are adorable and add such a pretty pop of colour to any space! With only a few supplies you can make your own totally customizable containers and trays for succulents or anything else you can think of! Such a fun and versatile DIY resin craft idea!

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DIY RESIN CRAFT: MINI RESIN PLANTERS and TRAYS

Resin projects are really popular right now! From trinket trays and jewelry to hair accessories and art, resin crafts are everywhere! I decided to do a twist on a wonderful Paper and Stitch project: DIY Plaster Mini Planters, but instead of plaster, I decided to make them out of resin and put my own colourful spin on it!

The other amazing thing about this project is you can customize your planters and make them any colour you want. You can make them translucent, or opaque, add glitter or just keep them as is. There are a ton of ways to add a bit of personality to your project.

This step-by-step tutorial is perfect for beginners and will be a cinch for anyone already familiar with the process. You’ll be shocked at how easy these perfect planters are to make and how many new things you can create once you get the hang of it!

Check out my video on How to Make Mini Resin Planters

Supplies you’ll need:

The full printable list of instructions is available at the end of this post, but here’s a list of affiliate links that will take you to products on amazon that are similar to the supplies I used!

Getting Started:

For this project, and any time you are pouring resin into a mold, you’ll want to use a casting resin formula. There are different types for different purposes so make sure you have the right stuff!

Protect the surface you’re working on by laying down a few layers of paper towel or covering it with something resin won’t soak through. It’s also a good idea to wear some rubber or plastic gloves to protect your hands.

Mixing your Resin:

The first step is mixing your resin. You should have one bottle of resin and one bottle of hardener. Take a look at the mold you’re going to fill and decide how much resin you think you’ll need. This is a little trial and error but do your best. Better to overestimate.

For reference: the amount you see in the photo below was enough to fill my planter and tray molds.

Pour the resin into a clear plastic cup. Take a second cup and place it beside the first. Pour the exact same amount of hardener into that cup. Looking at the two cups side by side, the amounts in each one should be exactly the same. Resin gets mixed in a ratio of 1:1. 1 part resin to 1 part hardener.

Take your cup of resin and pour it into the cup with the hardener. Scrape the edges with a popsicle stick and make sure to get as much out as you can.

Follow the directions on your bottle of resin for how long to mix the two. I used Art Resin and the general rule of thumb is to slowly stir the two together for about 3 minutes. The slower you stir the less bubbles you’ll create. I used a popsicle stick to stir my resin parts together.

If you’re only filling one mold, disregard this next step!

If you’re making a planter AND a tray, you’ll need to portion out your resin mixture. Just remember to grab a second cup and pour out enough resin to fill your second mold. Now you’ll have two cups of fully mixed resin ready to be coloured!

Adding Colour:

Adding colour can be a wonderful way to customize your project. I bought a collection of resin dyes and found them really easy to use. I was able to mix them any way I wanted and could easily create any colour from the ones available.

Since I had two molds to fill, I wanted to mix two different shades of purple. I also wanted the end result to be more opaque, so in each case I started with about 5 drops of white dye. This really gives the colour a more milky effect and it’s not translucent when it dries.

In addition to the white, I added about 8 drops of lavender to one cup and 8 drops of violet to the other. After a little trial and error, I wound up using about 30 drops of each colour to create the shades I wanted. Start slow and add drops as you go. It’s easy to add more but much harder to correct the colour once you’ve added to many.

Use another popsicle stick to mix dyes into the resin. Be sure to mix slow, and make sure everything is combined.

When you’re happy with the intensity/shade of your colours you are ready to pour them into your molds!

Pouring the Resin:

Make sure your mold is upside down so the “well” or the empty space where the resin gets poured is upright. Slowly pour a little resin a time. Let the first pour settle, then pour a little more etc. In other words, you don’t want to over-fill and over-flow your mold. (I totally did it my first time – it’s not the worst thing but the clean up is a bit of a pain.)

Carefully fill both molds until the resin is flush with the tops.

After that, you’re going to leave them to cure for about 24 hours. Leave them in a safe place where they are out of reach from pets and children.

Finishing Up:

After the 24 hours wait is up you can safely un-mold the planter and tray. They might be a little tough to get started. The tray will come out pretty easily, but you’ll have to almost roll the sides of the planter down to get it out.

Just re-shape the mold after you’ve removed the planter. It should bounce right back into its original form.

There you have it! Your resin project is complete! In addition to planters and trays, there are a ton of other molds you can experiment with. This was a really basic resin craft idea, but the more you play around, the more comfortable you’ll get.

I tried a few other shapes and some new colour combinations. Figuring out which colours to mix was my favourite part.

The next best part is adding greenery! I had a few succulents that needed a home. They look so cute!

These would make really sweet party favours or even a thoughtful little gift. Add a plant and wrap them in cellophane – wouldn’t you love getting a tiny succulent with a handmade planter?

This project is so perfect for beginners! I really love how they turned out:)

DIY Resin Craft: Tips and Tricks

Here are a few helpful things to consider when working with resin!

Make sure your mold is clean and free from dirt and debris before pouring.
Mix your resin and hardener in equal parts or a 1:1 ratio.
Use resin dye or alcohol ink to add colour to your mixture. Alcohol ink will dry fairly translucent as compared to the resin dye which can be made more opaque by adding a few drops of white and mixing in another colour.
Resin dyes (at least the ones I used) can be easily layered and adding a few drops at a time will deepen the colour. Add a 5-8 drops, mix, then add a few more if needed. Continue until the desired shade is achieved.
When mixing resin, always stir slowly to avoid making bubbles.
If bubbling occurs after pouring, using alcohol in a spray bottle or a heat gun will help eliminate them.
While the resin is curing, be sure to leave it in a safe place away from pets or children.
Always use gloves and protect your work space before starting any resin project!

How to Make Mini Resin Planters

Such a cool and simple resin craft idea!

Plastic Gloves
Paper Towel
Popsicle Sticks
Clear Plastic Cups

resin kit (resin + hardener)
silicone molds (mini planter + tray)
resin dye ((any colour))
mini succulents ((any kind))

Wear gloves and protect your workspace.
Grab 2 clear plastic cups. Decide how much resin will be needed to fill the molds. Pour the desired amount of resin into the first cup. Measuring visually, pour the same amount of hardener into the second cup so they each have equal amounts. Mix in a 1:1 ratio.
Take the first cup and empty it into the cup with the hardener. Using a popsicle stick, slowly mix the two together for 3 minutes until fully combined (or as directed on the bottles.) Stir slow to avoid bubbling.
If 2 molds are being filled, pour about half of the combined mixture into a second cup. Now you can mix two different colours, one for the planter and one for the tray.
Add colour. Start with 5-8 drops, mix them into the resin, then add a few more until the desired shade is achieved. This could be anywhere from 10-30 drops. Include 4-5 drops of white for a more opaque finish.
Once mixed, slowly pour the coloured resin into each of the molds. Pour slowly, a little at a time so as to not over-fill. The resin should be flush with the top of the mold and not spilling over.
Leave your molds to cure for 24 hours. Make sure they're in a safe place where they can't be touched by pets or children.
After 24 hours remove the planter and tray from the molds.
Add a small succulent or plant as the finishing touch! Your mini resin planters are complete!

This DIY resin craft was really fun to make and is great for beginners! These cute mini planters with contrasting trays are the perfect home for small succulents and plants. They add such a bright pop of colour to any room and can be used over and over again! Such a cool and simple resin craft idea!