These sturdy coasters are great for indoor or outdoor use. This concrete got a real glow-up with the added resin and pressed leaves. I love fountains and koi ponds and I was inspired to make my own mini pond. I wanted to create something small and pretty with concrete. The combination of plants and concrete is one of my favorite things! I’m a novice concrete user and expert crafter so I decided to combine my skill sets to create something dainty that I would love to use in my own home.
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- QUIKRETE Concrete Countertop Mix
- Silicone Mold
- Cork
- Acrylic Fortifier
- Water
- UV Resin – Clear & White
- Alcohol Ink
- Pressed leaves
- Popsicle Sticks
- Mixing Cup
Here’s my referral link for 10% off Sophie & Toffee (where I buy my UV Resin)
Mixing the Concrete
I used Quikrete Concrete Countertop Mix. It took about 6 ounces of mix per coaster. Add in a splash of acrylic fortifier and then slowly add in water, while stirring, until it reaches the desired consistency.
One of the great things about this countertop mix is it flows nicely without a lot of water and it shrinks less. So scoop some out and work the concrete down to fill in the edges first. It will level itself out .
Pack it into the mold and tap to remove the bubbles.
Let this cure approximately 72 hours before demolding to allow countertop concrete to do its thing and create a beautiful smooth finish on top. The bottom may need to be sanded.
Creating the Resin Art
Protect the edges with masking tape while working with the resin.
I squeezed clear resin into a little cup and stirred in 2 drops of alcohol ink to get this beautiful blue that will be the base of my water. Popsicle sticks and toothpicks work great to move the resin around on the coaster so it reaches the edges.
I added in these little beads to simulate the look of bubbles in the water. Since this is UV resin, I set it outside in the sunshine and it cured within minutes.
Then I created the look of water by using a very thin layer of white resin and then adding in drops of clear to create these cells. Let it cure.
Next I embedded the leaves into a top layer of clear resin. Let it cure. The more this layer gets moved around, the more dispersed the white will become.
Now you’ll see my final coaster came out a little different. I’m unsure what caused the dark spots that appeared on the leaves, but I added some green colored resin on top of them to cut down on the darkness.
Glue thin cork to the bottom of the coaster and cut to size.
More Coaster Ideas
Julie
Saturday 16th of October 2021
These are lovely, what an unusual idea. Perfect for a housewarming gift.