What You Should Know About The Resin Trend That's Taking Over TikTok

It seems like there's a new trend every five minutes on TikTok, and they can often seem random or sort of odd. From roller-skating to rating and ranking random things, to singing sea shanties, TikTok has been a beacon for "whatever makes you happy" creativity and collaboration during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Creative process videos in particular have been popular across many social media platforms, especially when they focus on the "oddly satisfying" tactile aspects of the work, or invite the viewer into a relaxed state of mind while playing with materials to create fun pieces. 

Along with soap cutting, slime making, and paint pouring, resin art has captivated viewers and inspired fellow artists. The art style has even made its return to fashion and costume jewelry, thanks to the popular social platform.

Part of the appeal of resin art is that it feels complicated and technical while actually being quite simple. Artist resin is mixed with colors and is either poured into molds or over boards, on tables – any surface really – to create a translucent work of art. Many artists also add mixed media elements to their resin artwork such as glitter, dried flowers, watch pieces or beads, even food or toys. Once the resin dries, any object encased in it will be preserved providing nearly endless possibilities for what can be used in resin art.

According to Resin Obsession, the first step is to decide what you want to make with resin since different projects call for different types. If you want to work with resin on a flat surface – either to coat something or to play with it like paint – you'll want doming resin. For making something three-dimensional, like a molded piece, you'll need casting resin.

In either case you'll want to be sure to protect surfaces that you don't want the resin to touch, and stock up on plenty of plastic cups for measuring, mixing, and balancing. It's important to remember safety measures like gloves to protect your skin (via Instructables).

Once the resin is mixed and ready to go, you won't have long to work before it sets, so it's good to have a plan in mind. Then again, part of the fun can be watching the way the colors mix and play once they're poured so don't stress too much about it. You can always try again!

If you're looking for inspiration for a first project, why not try out some colorful rings? They're bright, cheerful, inexpensive to make, and most importantly, they look great when you're holding your phone to make that next video for TikTok!