Craft Resin: Best Epoxy for Small Craft Projects
Craft resin is the epoxy most people meet first: the clear, glossy material used for coasters, keyrings, jewellery, trays, bookmarks and small art pieces. But “craft resin” on a label covers several quite different products, and buying the wrong one is the main reason beginners end up with bubbles, sticky pieces, cracked moulds or yellowed work. This buying guide explains the two main kinds of craft epoxy resin, doming and casting, what to look for on the label, how much you actually need, and which extras are worth buying.
For project ideas and a wider overview of supplies, see our resin crafts guide. This page focuses on choosing the resin itself.
What is craft resin?
Most craft resin is a two-part epoxy: a resin and a hardener mixed at a fixed ratio, usually 1:1 by volume, which react to form a hard, clear plastic. Compared with industrial epoxies, resin for crafts is formulated to be easy to measure, low in odour, clear when cured and forgiving for small pours. A smaller group of craft products are UV resins, which cure under ultraviolet light instead of with a hardener; our guide to UV resin covers those in detail.
If you want the bigger picture on resin chemistry and the main families, our epoxy resin guide explains how craft products fit alongside coating, casting and deep pour systems.
Doming resin vs casting resin
This is the single most important choice when buying craft epoxy resin.
| Doming / coating craft resin | Casting craft resin | |
|---|---|---|
| Consistency | Thicker, honey-like | Thinner, more watery |
| Typical pour depth | Thin layers, often up to about 3–6 mm | Deeper pours, often 1–5 cm per layer depending on product |
| Cure speed | Faster, typically touch-dry overnight | Slower, often 24–72 hours to demould |
| Best for | Coating art, domes on badges and jewellery, tray tops, resin art pours | Coasters, paperweights, keyrings, filled moulds, embedding objects |
| Bubbles | Rise more slowly; use heat to release | Release more easily due to low viscosity |
| Risk if misused | Overheats and cracks in thick moulds | Runs off edges and stays thin when used as a coating |
If you mainly fill moulds, choose a casting resin. If you mainly coat surfaces, dome pendants or make pour paintings, choose a doming or art resin. Many crafters keep one of each. Using a coating resin in a deep mould is a common cause of heat cracks and warped silicone, as explained in our resin casting guide.
What to look for when buying craft resin
Rather than relying on “best” lists, read the label and data sheet for these points:
- Mix ratio. 1:1 by volume is easiest for small batches. Ratios by weight need accurate digital scales.
- Maximum pour depth. The most important number for casting. Never exceed it in a single layer.
- Working time. 30–45 minutes suits most small projects. Longer working times help with layered art, but take longer to cure.
- Demould and full cure times. Check both; demould time is when you can remove the piece, full cure is when it reaches maximum hardness.
- UV stabilisers. All epoxies yellow slowly in sunlight. Resins with UV stabilisers stay clearer for longer, which matters for clear epoxy for crafts and white pieces. See our guide to clear epoxy resin.
- Low odour and low VOC. Helpful if you work indoors, though ventilation is still needed.
- Safety data sheet. A reputable seller will provide one. If you cannot find it, choose another product.
- Batch size. Resin and hardener have a shelf life, typically around 6–12 months once opened. Do not buy more than you will use.
Craft resin kits: are they worth it?
An epoxy resin kit for crafts usually includes resin, hardener, measuring cups, stirring sticks and sometimes gloves, moulds and pigments. For a first project, a kit removes guesswork, and our review of resin art kits explains what is typically included. Once you know what you like making, buying resin, moulds and pigments separately is usually better value and gives you more control.
How much craft resin do you need?
Measure the volume of your mould or surface rather than guessing. For a mould, fill it with water, pour the water into a measuring jug and note the volume; dry the mould completely before using it with resin. For a flat coating, multiply length by width by depth.
Worked example: a set of four round coasters, each 10 cm across and 1 cm deep. Each holds roughly 3.14 × 5 × 5 × 1 = about 79 ml. Four coasters need about 315 ml of mixed resin, so a 500 ml kit (250 ml resin plus 250 ml hardener) covers them with some spare for mixing loss.
Essential extras
- Silicone moulds in shiny finish for glossy pieces; see our guide to silicone molds for resin.
- Pigments: mica powders, liquid pigments and alcohol inks, used sparingly. Our mica powder guide covers loading rates.
- Graduated mixing cups, silicone stirrers and a small heat gun or torch for bubbles.
- Nitrile gloves, a silicone mat or protected surface and a dust cover for curing pieces.
Safety for crafters
Craft resin is often marketed as non-toxic once cured, but liquid epoxy is a known skin sensitiser. Repeated contact can cause allergic dermatitis that makes you react to resin for life. Always wear nitrile gloves, avoid touching your face, work in a ventilated room and keep children and pets away from mixing and curing. Sanding cured resin creates fine dust, so wear a suitable mask. The HSE’s guidance on preventing skin problems explains the avoid, protect and check approach, which works just as well at a kitchen table as in a workshop.
If a piece will touch food or drink, read our guide to food safe epoxy first; “non-toxic” on a craft label is not the same thing as food contact compliance.
Common craft resin problems
- Sticky or bendy pieces: inaccurate measuring, poor mixing or a cold room.
- Cloudy resin: moisture, cold or over-mixing too fast.
- Heat cracks or yellow centres: a coating resin poured too deep.
- Dull surfaces: matte or worn moulds; switch to shiny silicone.
Watch it being made
Watch our first light-up resin table being made in the workshop, with dragons and creatures appearing in the resin art, and the colours, pours and finishing shown step by step.
Resin Art Dragons and creatures in resin art table My First Light-Up Resin Table. More builds on the Go Bespoke YouTube channel.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best resin for crafts?
It depends on the project. Choose a casting resin for moulds and deeper pieces, and a doming or art resin for coatings, pendants and pour paintings. Look for a 1:1 ratio, UV stabilisers and a clear maximum pour depth.
Is craft resin the same as epoxy resin?
Most craft resin is epoxy resin formulated for small projects. Some craft products are UV resin instead, which cures under a UV lamp rather than with a hardener.
Can I use craft epoxy resin for a table?
Small coating resins can coat a small tray or side table top, but for tables and thick pours you need a table top or deep pour epoxy designed for larger areas and depths.
How long does craft resin take to cure?
Typically touch-dry in 12–24 hours and ready to demould in 24–72 hours, with full cure after several days. Cold rooms slow this down considerably.
Is clear epoxy for crafts safe to use at home?
Yes, with gloves, ventilation and care. Avoid skin contact with liquid resin and keep it away from children and pets until fully cured.
Want to see craft resin and bigger pours in action? Subscribe to the Go Bespoke YouTube channel for step-by-step builds, or read our guide to epoxy resin for beginners before your first pour.