Project Chandelier Crystals: A Tutorial Using Amazing Mold Rubber And Transparent Casting Resin by Lynne Suprock

Project Chandelier Crystals
by Lynne Suprock

Gosh, I love chandeliers with lots of crystals....and I do have a few of those here at the homestead.  They were once plain, old, light fixtures that were rescued from local discard piles.  

Spider webs removed, and white spray paint in hand, anyone can bring new life to thrown away light fixtures.  Additionally, adding a bit of crystal bling to any refurbished luminere, creates.....
m-o-o-d.

Okay.  Here are pictures of one of my pieces, seriously in need of more bling, of course.  ;-)

Let's get started on.... Project Crystals.

What you will need:

crystals

transparent casting resin

amazing mold rubber

small gauge wire

skewer

razor knife

plastic container

stir stick

small medicine or measuring cup

Choose a few nice glass crystals that you want to replicate.

Place some 24 gauge wire through each and suspend over a recycled plastic on a wooden stick or skewer.

                                                

If you have any unwanted mold rubber pieces around, cut them up and throw them into the container first.  Then fill the remaining space with Amazing Mold Rubber.  

Check out the online tutorial on how to mix the mold rubber at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIXo6Pvytrc

Once the mold rubber hardens, remove the crystals.  If yours are too long or too wide at the bottom, make a slit with a razor knife, vertically along the piece.  Use an elastic band to secure the mold rubber back together, before pouring the transparent casting resin.

Since the opening for the pour will be small diameter, bubbles will not easily surface and release.  I decided to let the resin sit for 10 or 12 minutes to allow the bubbles to break before pouring into the crystal molds.

lots of bubbles

less bubbles after sitting

The resin will only be poured to the top of the mold rubber.  This will mean slightly shorter crystals than the originals which had been above the mold rubber, suspended with wires, in the previous step.

In 24 hours this is what the crystals looked like.  They were shiny for sure, like the originals.  However, they were not glass clear.  The ones I made with the transparent casting resin were also shorter. You could still see some of the bubbles in the resin.  I was still pretty AMAZED  ;-)

Here is my Chandelier before the extra bling and after.

Try making crystals to add to your jewelry or mixed media designs.  I cannot wait till you all give this a try!!