Epoxy resin is the perfect way to protect photos! In this video, I show you how to take your favorite Instagram pics and display them simply and beautifully... no glass or frames necessary.
Instagram is by far my favorite social media outlet—it's all pics and very little text, so you get the gist of what someone is posting über efficiently!
What You'll need:
- A wooden panel ( preferably one with raised edges to hold in the resin)
- Your chosen print, sized to fit your panel
- ArtResin epoxy resin
- Something to mix the resin in
- A pair of nitrile gloves, a stir stick and spreader
- Paint (optional, to paint the sides of the panel... any kind of paint will do; I used spray paint)
- A level to ensure your piece is perfectly horizontal
- An Artist's Studio Torch to remove bubbles
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So a couple weeks back I had posted a #tbt image of Dave and I on our wedding day. We got married on a dock in bare feet one lovely day in August 2010. Needless to say, I love this photo for so many reasons!
Step 1: Mount Your Print To A Panel
So I printed this image at Walmart in an 8 x 8" size. The panel I planned to use was also 8 x 8" (so the print would fit perfectly), and I had spray painted the edges of it black beforehand. Using just a normal glue stick, I glued the print to the panel and pressed it firmly in place.
Step 2: Measure & Mix
Then I made sure the whole piece was level, and I mixed up a batch of ArtResin. Mixing ArtResin is simple: wearing gloves, just pour equal parts from either bottle into a mixing cup. Stir it thoroughly (for 3 solid minutes).
Step 3: Pour & Spread
Step 4: Torch Out Bubbles
Now once you've got everything covered, you'll notice there will probably be some bubbles in the resin. ArtResin has a de-gassing (aka bubble release) agent in it to promote bubble popping, so many of the bubbles will pop on their own. The ones that don't pop on their own can easily be eliminated by quickly running an Artist's Torch over them. It's honestly so satisfying to see them disappear so easily!
[see those big bubbles? ...ok now look on the right ...they're gone! The little black marks you see is the inky-looking Instagram border]
Step 5: Cover & Cure
And that's it! So at this point I just covered the whole piece with half of a cardboard box to make sure no dust would settle into the resin before it dried completely. I left it overnight, and in the morning I had a gorgeous shiny finish on my favorite Insta image :)
💡 TIP: For this project, I used a wooden panel that had a 3 mm wooden lip all around the edge. This style of panel is excellent for using resin in because it contains the resin without having it fall over the sides. You can use any style of panel you want; usually I use a regular panel with no lip, and I just let the resin fall over the sides and spread it out the same as I would on top. If you use a panel where the resin will fall over the sides, be sure to lift up your piece off the table so the ArtResin doesn't adhere your panel to the table!
Have fun... print lots of pics and do a bunch at once! This is a fast and easy craft.
Check out our Tips to Prevent Bubbles in Resin.
ArtResin: Made For Artists, By Artists.
