Making resin pins involves creating a small, flat design, coating or casting it in clear resin, and attaching a pin back to the finished piece. The process is straightforward enough for beginners, and a basic set of supplies costs under $50. You can make pins from original artwork, printed designs, shrink plastic, or small embedded objects, all finished with a glossy, domed resin surface that looks professional.
What You Need to Get Started
Resin pins require a short list of materials, most of which are available at craft stores or online. Here’s what to gather before your first project:
- Two-part epoxy resin or UV resin. Two-part epoxy is mixed from a resin and hardener, then cures over several hours at room temperature. UV resin cures in minutes under a UV lamp, making it faster for small pieces like pins. Either works well.
- Pin bases. These are the flat metal blanks with a pin post already attached to the back. They come in round, oval, and square shapes, typically 1 to 1.5 inches across. You can also skip the blank and glue a pin back onto a finished resin piece.
- Design inserts. Printed images, hand-drawn artwork, stickers, or decorative paper cut to fit your pin base.
- Sealant. Mod Podge or a similar clear sealant to coat paper designs before they touch resin. Without it, resin soaks into paper and turns it translucent or warped.
- Mixing supplies. Small plastic cups, craft sticks or silicone stirrers, and a disposable surface like wax paper.
- A butane torch or heat gun. For popping air bubbles after pouring.
- Pin backs. Butterfly clutch (metal) or rubber backs, depending on your preference.
- Adhesive. E6000 or a clear two-part epoxy glue for attaching pin hardware to cured resin.
If you’re using UV resin, you’ll also need a UV curing lamp. A 36-watt lamp with multiple LEDs cures resin evenly across the surface. Smaller lamps or UV flashlights can leave uneven spots or a tacky finish.
Preparing Your Design
The design is what makes your pin unique, and getting it right before you pour resin saves a lot of frustration. If you’re using a pin base with a recessed bezel (the shallow rim around the edge), cut your image to fit snugly inside it. Trace the base on your paper, cut just inside the line, and test the fit before committing.
Any paper-based design needs to be sealed first. Apply a thin, even coat of Mod Podge to both sides of the paper and let it dry completely. This creates a barrier that prevents the resin from soaking in and ruining your image. Two coats on each side gives you better protection. Let each coat dry for 15 to 20 minutes before applying the next.
For a different approach, shrink plastic is a popular option that produces sturdy, vibrant pins. Draw or print your design on a sheet of clear shrink plastic, color it with permanent markers or colored pencils, then cut out the shape. If you want to thread a jump ring through later, punch a hole before shrinking. Heat the plastic in an oven following the package directions, or use a heat gun. The piece shrinks to roughly one-third its original size, which intensifies the colors and thickens the plastic into a rigid charm. From there, you coat it in resin for a glossy, domed finish.
Mixing and Pouring the Resin
For two-part epoxy resin, measure equal amounts of resin and hardener (or follow the ratio on your specific brand) into a small cup. Stir slowly and thoroughly for at least two minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the cup. Rushing this step is the most common cause of resin that stays sticky or cures unevenly. After mixing, let the resin sit in the cup for about five to eight minutes. This resting period allows gas bubbles created during stirring to rise and escape before you pour.
Use a toothpick, chopstick, or the tip of a squeeze bottle to apply resin onto your pin. For bezeled pin bases, place your sealed design into the bezel first, then drip resin on top until it fills the recessed area. For flat pieces like shrink plastic cutouts, place them on wax paper and carefully add a small drop of resin to the surface, spreading it to the edges with a stick.
Creating a Domed Finish
That rounded, glossy look on professional pins comes from surface tension. Resin is thick enough to hold a dome shape as long as it has a border to cling to. The rim of a pin bezel or the edge of a shrink plastic piece acts as that border, keeping the resin from sliding off.
Build the dome gradually. Add resin one small drip at a time, letting it spread naturally. You control the height of the dome by controlling how much resin you add. Stop before the resin reaches the very top of the edge, because one drop too many sends it spilling over. Work on a perfectly flat, stable surface. If your table is even slightly tilted, the resin pools to one side. And don’t bump the surface while pieces are curing, because once resin starts flowing over an edge, the rest follows.
Removing Air Bubbles
Bubbles are the most common cosmetic problem in resin work. A quick pass with a small butane torch is the most effective fix. Hold the torch a few inches above the resin surface so the flame just barely touches it, and keep it moving in a steady back-and-forth motion. Bubbles pop almost instantly on contact. One or two passes over the entire surface is enough. The flame also burns away any dust that landed on the wet resin.
A heat gun works too, though it blows air across the surface, which can push dust and debris into the resin. Hair dryers don’t produce enough heat to pop bubbles reliably. Poking bubbles with a toothpick is tedious but works for one or two stubborn ones near the edges.
Curing Time and Conditions
Two-part epoxy resin typically needs 8 to 24 hours to fully cure, depending on the brand. UV resin cures in 2 to 5 minutes under a proper UV lamp, which makes it appealing for small batch projects. Either way, the environment matters. Work in a room that’s around 70 to 75°F (21 to 24°C). Cold temperatures slow curing dramatically and can leave the surface tacky. Very high humidity introduces moisture that can cloud the resin or weaken the cure. A dry room with moderate temperature gives you the clearest, hardest results.
Cover your curing pieces with a box or plastic bin to keep dust from settling on the surface while the resin is still wet. Even a single hair or speck of lint becomes permanently embedded once the resin hardens.
Attaching the Pin Back
Once your resin piece is fully cured and hard, flip it over and glue on the pin hardware. E6000 adhesive is widely used for bonding metal to resin because it creates a strong, flexible bond that holds up over time. Apply a small dab to the flat pad of the pin back, press it firmly onto the back of the resin piece, and let it set for at least 24 hours before wearing. A clear two-part epoxy glue also works well and sets faster, in about 5 to 10 minutes. Avoid standard super glue, as it tends to lose grip on smooth resin surfaces and pin backs can pop off.
Position the pin back slightly above center on the piece. This keeps the pin from tilting forward when worn, so the design faces outward instead of drooping.
Choosing the Right Pin Backs
Butterfly clutch backs are the classic metal style. They’re easy to take on and off, which is nice if you swap pins between jackets or bags frequently. They hold their shape well over time but have a slightly loose fit on the post, so pins can wobble. The metal edges can also snag on hair or delicate fabrics.
Rubber pin backs grip the post tightly and sit flush against the surface. They’re gentler on skin and clothing, and they come in different colors and novelty shapes if you want a custom look. The downside is that rubber stretches with repeated use, loosening the grip over months of regular wear. For heavier resin pins, rubber backs tend to hold more securely on thinner fabrics like T-shirts, while butterfly backs work better on thicker materials like denim or canvas.
Preventing Yellowing Over Time
Clear resin can yellow with sun exposure, which is a real concern for pins worn outdoors. Choosing a resin with built-in UV stabilizers makes a significant difference. ArtResin and Stone Coat Art Coat are both rated as having excellent UV resistance. Brands like Pro Marine and Epoxy King offer good resistance, but less long-term protection in direct sunlight. For extra durability, you can apply a UV-blocking clear coat spray over the finished pin.
Safety While Working With Resin
Uncured resin releases fumes that irritate your lungs and skin. Always work in a well-ventilated space, ideally near an open window or with a fan pulling air away from you. A respirator rated for organic vapors (look for OV-rated cartridges, such as the 3M 60923) provides real protection if you’re working indoors or doing multiple pieces in a session. Nitrile gloves keep resin off your hands, which matters because skin contact can cause sensitization over time, making you increasingly allergic to resin with repeated exposure. Safety glasses or a face shield protect against splashes, especially when mixing.