This Hocus Pocus Resin Shaker Charm is sure to put a spell on you!
I've been obsessed with making resin shaker keychains lately, and I personally think this latest one is GLORIOUS! If you aren't familiar with shakers, they are a charms made of resin that are filled with small beads, clay slices, and shaped sequins that move around inside when "shaken". This Hocus Pocus Resin Shaker Charm was made with UV resin, and captures the magic of my favorite movie for spooky season! This is a great beginner project, and a fantastic gift idea for any Hocus Pocus fan!
To make your own Hocus Pocus Resin Shaker Charm, you will need these supplies:
- Cauldron Shaker Mold
- Alumi-UV Resin
- Glitter - black holographic
- UV Light
- Measuring Cups
- Stirring Sticks
- Disposable Gloves
- Sanderson Sisters Polymer Clay Slices
- Shaker Fillers - sequins, microbeads, etc.
- Toothpick
- Transparency Film
- Permanent Marker
- Hand Drill Tool
- Unscented Baby Oil or Glycerin
- Oiler Bottle
- Jewelry Eye Screw
- Key Ring with Chain
*Save 10% on resin supplies when you shop Polytek with code AFM
SAFETY FIRST: Before getting started, wear disposable gloves, protect your workspace, and be sure to work in a well-ventilated area!
Pour about 15ml of Alumi-UV resin into a small mixing cup. Because this resin cures via UV rays, be sure to work away from direct sunlight! Slowly stir the resin together with a stir stick for two minutes. If the resin looks cloudy or has any streaks running through it, you need to keep stirring it until it becomes clear.
Add a generous amount of holographic black glitter into the mixing cup. Stir the resin mixture well for a minute or two until the glitter is evenly incorporated.
Make sure that the cauldron mold is clean. UV resin works best when poured in layers, so fill the mold about 1/4 of the way with the glitter Alumi-UV resin* mixture.
Cure each layer by putting it under UV light for at least 2 minutes. Since the mold is transparent, you can turn it over and cure the front side of the resin piece with the light as well. The first resin layer should cure completely during this time, but DO NOT remove the resin from the mold afterward. Repeat the filling and curing process until the mold is completely filled.
Be sure to keep the mixing cup filled with excess resin away from the UV light to prevent it from curing.
*Of course, this project could be made with 2-part epoxy resin. Check out one of my previous shaker keychains for that tutorial.
Remove the resin from the mold. My charm came out with a couple of surface bubbles on the front, so I applied a little bit of resin over them and cured with the UV light. Use some sandpaper or a nail file to smooth the surface.
Cut a small square of transparency film and place it on top of the charm. Carefully trace the outside of the opening with a permanent marker. Cut the transparency film along the tracing. Remove the marker lines with a little bit of alcohol and a lint-free cloth.
Fillers are what make shaker charms so much fun! There are SO many options out there, like chunky glitter, microbeads, and so much more. Get creative and have fun with it! I used a mix of microbeads, sequin/confetti shapes, and polymer clay stars and bats, and of course, some Sanderson Sisters polymer clay slices!
Use a toothpick to apply a thin line of Alumi-UV resin around the top edge of the cauldron. Place the transparency film cutout over top and press it down well.
Place the charm under the light for a couple of minutes. Make sure that the edges of the transparency are completely sealed. If there are any gaps, the charm will leak! If any areas need help sticking back down, use the toothpick to re-apply resin and then cure it again.
Lay the charm flat on its back. Carefully cover the top of the charm with UV resin and use a toothpick or a stir stick to drag the resin to the edges. Be careful to not spill any resin over the edges. This will give your charm a smooth, "domed" top that also completely seals the edges of the transparency film. Use a lighter or spritz the surface with alcohol to remove any bubbles.
Place the charm under the light for a couple of minutes until the dome layer is completely cured.
You can keep the charm as-is and give it a shake, but I prefer to give the shaker charm a "waterfall" effect, which makes the fillers slowly float back down to the bottom. To do this, you need to fill the charm with baby oil or glycerin.
Luckily, this mold already creates an opening at the bottom of the charm, so you don't need to use a hand drill tool to create one.
Fill an oiler bottle with baby oil or glycerin. Put the needle through the opening and slowly squeeze the bottle to fill the charm with the oil. Take your time - sometimes the oil will go back up through the opening and spill out everywhere!
Once full, clean up any oil residue from the opening with a paper towel. Fill the opening with resin, and cure with the UV light.
For a little extra spookiness, I mixed up some neon green glitter with UV resin to add to the top of the cauldron. Use a toothpick to apply the resin to the cauldron, covering up the "drip" area on the shaker charm. If you want, you can put resin along the top of the cauldron as well. Use the light to cure the resin completely.
Use the hand drill to make a small hole in the top of the cauldron charm. Remove the drill, and then twist an eye screw into the hole. For a permanent hold, apply some super glue to the screw before putting it in.
Use pliers to hook a jump ring through the eye screw, and then attach the key ring chain to the jump ring. Close the jump ring to connect the key ring to the charm.
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