This post was sponsored by UpStart Art Resin. All opinions are my own.
We’re always looking for new ideas to add to our Family Game Nights around here. And these Dried Flower Tic-Tac-Toe Resin Game Boards and Colorful Dominoes are not only a great addition to Fam Fun Night, but they also look totally adorable on your end table or coffee table!
As with any craft project, having all your supplies ready before you start is key to a successful finished product. And, for this project, protecting your workspace as well as your skin is a must.
*It’s best to work with epoxy in a well ventilated area.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- UpStart Epoxy Art Resin and Hardener
- UpStart Epoxy Mica Powders
- 2 Plastic or Silicone Measuring Cups
- Silicone Tic-Tac-Toe Board Mold &/or Dominoes Mold
- Popsicle Sticks
- Gloves
- Face Mask
- Disposable Cups
- Dried Flowers
Here’s how to make it:
Step 1: Set out your clean and dry silicone mold onto a covered work surface. Make sure your gloves are on and your face covering is in place!
Step 2: For the Tic-Tac-Toe Board: Using dried flowers and a pair of tweezers, place one flower, upside down, on each tic-tac-toe square. Remember, the bottom is actually the top of the finished game board!
* My flowers were left over from a DIY flower press I made last year. But you can also purchase an assortment of dried flowers for crafts inexpensively online.
Step 3: Measure out equal parts resin and hardener into silicone measuring cups. For the X’s and O’s, I mixed a 1:1 ratio of 100 ml resin and hardener for each letter. After stirring the epoxy mix in a disposable cup for 3 minutes with a popsicle stick (making sure to scrape the sides often), add a small amount of mica powder and mix thoroughly again. Pour colored mix into the molds. For the dominoes and the letters, pouring slowly is important as they fill quickly. A clean popsicle stick can be used to scrape any extra mix from the top of the mold. Lastly, use a heat gun held close to the top of the epoxy to pop any surface bubbles.
* It’s better to add a small amount of color to your epoxy and add more to achieve desired color than to add too much at the start.
* I chose to do the X’s and O’s in 2 different colors. If you’d like each letter to be a color mix, simply pour the first mixed and colored resin into both the X and the O molds filling them half way. Let sit for about 3 hours and then add your different top color using the same method as above.
Step 4: For both game boards, I needed approximately 400 ml of epoxy mix each (both the resin and hardener measuring cups filled twice each). I did not add mica powder to the Tic-Tac-Toe mix as I wanted the flowers to really pop inside a clear board. As before, once the resin and hardener are combined in a disposable cup, mix, mix, mix for 3 minutes. Slowly pour the mix into the mold until full and use a heat gun to pop surface bubbles.
* If you don’t have a heat gun, a toothpick can be used to individually pop the surface bubbles.
* I did find that I needed to press the flowers back into place with a popsicle stick a few times in the first hour or so as they were insistent upon moving around in the epoxy.
Step 5: Allow the mold to set a full 24 hours before removing. To remove the finished product, slowly peel the silicone away from the project.
Step 6: Play!
* In order to make enough of the X’s and O’s (4 each), I had to make 2 separate batches. Even though it took 2 days to complete the project, I think my girls would agree that it was totally worth the wait!
I love all the bright colors in the set. Gives me major Spring Vibes!
