Sealing Fern Art in Resin

Capture the beauty of nature with this DIY fern art idea using pressed ferns preserved with resin inside a simple, natural wooden plaque.

Pressed Fern Art Idea

There is something about the look of ferns that I’ve always loved and enjoyed. Whether the ferns are hanging basket on someone’s front porch or they’re growing naturally in a dense forest. To capture the beauty of fresh ferns we came up with this simple art idea using smooth, clear resin.

The resin really adds a richness to the finish with it’s ultra shiny and crystal clear surface. We’ve down similar projects with pressed leaves, flowers and even wood by pouring resin over top in several of our other crafts. Some examples that come to mind are our driftwood serving tray; these pressed flower pendants and this pressed leaf paper weight.

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Materials Needed

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• Pressed fern fronds
• Unfinished Wood Plaque by ArtMinds
• Ultra Seal Multi-Purpose Sealer / Glue (or any clear drying craft glue)
• Paint brush
• EnviroTex Lite Pour On
• plastic mixing cups, wooden craft sticks, gloves, straw

How to Seal Fern Art in Resin

For best results be sure to read the instructions provided in the EnviroTex Lite Pour On packaging.  Ensure your resin and hardener are at room temperature or warmer before mixing.

Brush a generous coat of clear drying sealer to the inside surfaces of the wood plaque. Make sure to thoroughly cover the join lines to keep the resin from leaking out. 

While the glue or sealer is still wet, gently place the pressed fern fronds onto the surface, arranging them as you’d like on top. Press down the fern fronds onto the glue. Let dry completely (ideally overnight).

Mix exactly equal amounts of Resin and Hardener into one measuring cup. The size of your piece will determine how much resin you need. In my case,  I poured 1.5 oz of the resin and 1.5 oz of the hardener.

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Stir continuously for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the container.

Pour the mixture into a second cup and stir for an additional minute, scraping the sides of the container and stir stick.

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Slowly pour the resin mixture over the ferns.

Tilt the plaque to get the resin over the entire surface. The resin will settle and level itself out over time.

Finishing

Cover to keep dust from settling in. Ensure your tray is placed on a level surface. After about 15 minutes, remove any bubbles that have risen to the surface by gently blowing over the piece through a straw. Repeat this step if necessary after another 15 minutes and up to about an hour to ensure no bubbles have formed. Use a clean straw each time to avoid moisture from your breath collecting inside the straw and transferring onto the piece. Use a clean toothpick to release any larger bubbles.

Cover and allow to cure overnight (will fully cure over 72 hours). 

This project originally appeared on Resin Crafts Blog.

The finished fern art is propped on my daughter’s bedside table for the time being but I plan to add hanging hardware to the backside. Either way, I’m really happy with the look of it, it’s simple, natural and minimalist.

More resin art projects to make at home

If you’d like to try out some other resin projects at home, consider any of these creative DIY ideas.

• Calming Seashore Resin Art
• Personalized Mermaid Wall Decor
• Photo Coasters with Resin
• Resin Tray with Driftwood

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