There is something genuinely magical about watching liquid resin settle into a perfect, glossy disc that looks like a cross-section of a watermelon or a fat slice of orange. I tried my first resin pour on a rainy Saturday in February, convinced I’d end up with a sticky disaster. What I actually ended up with was a set of four coasters so cheerful they made my kitchen table look like a fruit stall. If you’re curious about resin art coasters for beginners in the UK, this guide will walk you through everything, from picking up the right supplies at a UK stockist to getting those dreamy, jewel-bright fruit colours without losing your mind (or your ventilation).
What you actually need to get started
Epoxy resin is a two-part system: a resin and a hardener that you mix together in a set ratio, usually 1:1 or 2:1 depending on the brand. Once mixed, you have a working window of roughly 20 to 45 minutes before it starts to thicken, so confidence and a bit of prep go a long way.
For coasters, you want a resin with a low viscosity (runny enough to self-level) and a hard, scratch-resistant cure. Three brands worth looking at in the UK are Naked Fusion Art Resin, which is popular with craft makers and available through various UK online retailers; Gedeo Crystal Resin from Pebeo, sold at Hobbycraft stores across the country; and Resin8, a UK-made brand that’s food-safe once fully cured and great for functional pieces like coasters. I’ve used Gedeo myself and found the clarity genuinely impressive for a high-street price point.
You’ll also need:
- Circular silicone moulds (coaster size is typically 9 to 10 cm in diameter, widely available on Amazon UK or Hobbycraft)
- Measuring cups and wooden or silicone stirring sticks
- Nitrile gloves and safety goggles
- A heat gun or kitchen blowtorch for popping surface bubbles
- Alcohol inks or resin pigment powders for colour
Silicone moulds are the key to getting that clean, domed coaster shape. Your resin will peel away from silicone perfectly once cured, usually after 24 hours, with a full cure taking 48 to 72 hours depending on room temperature.
Ventilation and safety, please do not skip this bit
Uncured epoxy resin gives off fumes that can cause skin sensitisation and respiratory irritation with repeated exposure. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) specifically flags epoxy resins as a sensitiser, meaning repeated exposure can lead to an allergy that gets worse over time. Work in a well-ventilated room with a window open and a fan pointing outward. A half-face respirator with organic vapour cartridges is the sensible choice if you plan to make resin a regular hobby. Nitrile gloves are non-negotiable. Keep children and pets out of the room while you’re pouring and for a couple of hours after.
Once fully cured, epoxy resin is inert and safe to use under a hot mug, just make sure you’ve followed the manufacturer’s instructions for cure time completely.
Choosing your fruit-slice colour palette
This is honestly the most fun part. The goal is to recreate those gorgeous cross-section colours you’d see if you sliced a piece of fruit and held it up to the light. Here’s how I break it down for three iconic fruit palettes:
Watermelon pink
Start with a base layer of opaque coral pink using a resin pigment paste (Colour Mill’s oil-based pigments work beautifully in resin and are available from UK cake and craft suppliers). Add a thin ring of white near the edge to mimic the rind. Drop tiny black seed shapes using a cocktail stick dipped in black alcohol ink. The layering is done in two pours, base, let it gel slightly for about 30 to 40 minutes, then add the white and seeds on top.
Kiwi green
This one is the showstopper. A circular white centre, surrounded by a ring of lime green, then a darker forest green at the outer edge. Ranger’s Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks in “Meadow” and “Peeled Paint” get you remarkably close to that real kiwi cross-section. Use a cocktail stick in wet resin to drag fine lines from the centre outward, like the seeds radiating in a real kiwi. It takes five minutes of gentle dragging and looks genuinely spectacular.
Citrus orange
Semi-transparent pigment is your friend here. Use a translucent amber-orange alcohol ink (Ranger’s “Wild Honey” or “Butterscotch”) so light passes through the finished piece. Divide the circle into segments using a cocktail stick, dragging white from the centre to create the pith lines. The transparency makes this one glow like stained glass when the sun hits it.
Alcohol inks for resin are widely available from Hobbycraft, Cass Art, and various UK Etsy sellers who make their own pigment mixes specifically for epoxy. If you enjoy mixing your own colours and pigments for craft work, you might find inspiration in some of the colour-mixing thinking behind designing a fruity colour palette, the same logic about warm citrus tones and cool leafy greens applies here.
The basic pour method, step by step
Mix your resin according to the manufacturer’s ratio. Stir slowly for a full three minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the cup. Rushing the mix causes cloudiness. Divide into separate smaller cups for each colour. Add pigment or alcohol ink, stir gently.
For a single-pour design, pour your base colour into the mould first, then drop or drag contrasting colours in while everything is still liquid. For layered designs (like the watermelon), pour your base, let it reach a gel stage (not fully solid, but not runny either), then add the next layer. Use your heat gun or blowtorch about 15 cm above the surface in a sweeping motion to pop bubbles. Cover the mould loosely with a cardboard box to keep dust off during curing.
Once cured, demould by flexing the silicone gently. Sand any rough edges with 400-grit wet and dry sandpaper, working up to 2000-grit for a polished edge. A final coat of resin or a buffing with car polish brings back the gloss on the edges.
Making them giftable and sellable
A set of four coasters in a fruit-slice theme makes an excellent gift. Tie them with raffia, tuck them in a kraft box, and add a handwritten card describing the design. If you’re thinking about selling at craft fairs or on Etsy UK, coasters are perennially popular and small enough to post at standard letter or small parcel rates via Royal Mail.
Resin art pairs brilliantly with other handmade product ideas. If you enjoy making things with a colourful, fruity aesthetic, you might also want to try making fruit-themed sticker sets to sell on Etsy UK alongside your coasters, or explore marbling paper at home with shaving foam for wrapping your products in something equally bold and handmade.
Resin has a slight learning curve but no gatekeeping. Your first set won’t be perfect and that’s completely fine. Mine had a few air bubbles trapped near the edges. By the third pour I had something I was genuinely proud to give away. Start small, start fruity, and enjoy the process.