It’s Okay to Take a Creative Break
Even the most dedicated artists need time away. Whether life got busy or your creative energy dipped, stepping away is part of the process. But when you’re ready to return, the key is to start with simple, confidence-building projects that reconnect you with the joy of making.
This guide covers 5 low-pressure resin projects to get your hands moving again—each one easy to execute, low on materials, and high on satisfaction.
1. Resin Coasters: The Ultimate Warm-Up Project
Coasters are small, practical, and easy to finish in one session. You can experiment with color layering, metallic flakes, dried flowers, or whatever you have sitting in your art supply stash.
Helpful tips: Use high quality silicone molds to keep the edges clean and release them with zero sticking or tearing. Want a pro finish? Add a doming top coat once cured. Metallic paint pens can also add a beautiful finishing touch on the edges! Pour slowly to avoid bubbles and always stir with a silicone stick instead of a popsicle stick—less chance of introducing air or foreign matter into your resin.
2. Mini Resin Art with Leftover Supplies
Got a little resin left in a cup? Instead of tossing it, use small molds to make magnets, pins, or jewelry blanks. These bite-sized projects are perfect for testing new techniques like swirls, glitter layering, or color combos—no pressure, no waste.
Helpful tip: Save these “mini pours” as test pieces for future art or mix-matched into collages and multimedia art creations.
3. Floral Keepsakes: Simple and Sentimental
Pressed flowers or dried petals from old bouquets make for easy, beautiful designs. You don’t need intricate composition—just one or two blooms in a small mold does the trick.
Helpful tips: Pair your pressed flowers with clear resin and a small round silicone mat to keep your work surface clean and level. Make sure you dry your flowers using silica beads but don't leave them in the beads too long or they'll get brittle. Cover them completely so there are no exposed areas which could cause decay.
4. Paint Skins from Leftover Acrylic Pours
If you’ve ever poured a fluid art piece on your LoliVefe silicone mat, you’ve probably gotten gorgeous dried paint skins that peel off with ease. Don’t toss them—turn them into wearable art like pendants, keychains, or earrings.
How to do it:
- Cut dried paint skins into small shapes using scissors or punches
- Glue them to cabochons or encase in resin (Diamond glue is great for this)
- Add hardware for a custom piece (perfect gift or craft fair product)
Helpful tips: The thicker the paint on your mat, the easier it is to peel off. Find an area on the paint peel that you like, then glue your cabochons directly to those spots, then peel the paint off the mat and cut around the glass once the glue has dried.
5. Resin Doodles with Alcohol Ink
This is a perfect come back craft if you want something more abstract and expressive. Add alcohol ink into clear resin and swirl for stunning freeform designs.
Helpful tips: Pour your resin and drop your alcohol ink in after about 10 min of letting the resin sit. Then take a toothpick and without touching the bottom of the mold, swirl the ink in the resin. The longer it sits, the more chance you'll get great dimension in the swirls and the alcohol ink won't sink to the bottom. Use a silicone craft mat underneath to catch any spills or resin overflow.
Tools That Help You Ease Back In
Starting again doesn’t mean starting from scratch. LoliVefe’s mats, measuring cups, stir sticks, and molds are designed to make setup and cleanup fast—so you can focus on making.
Pick the project that speaks to you and start small. And give yourself some grace. Not every project will go according to plan or deliver on your creative vision, and that’s true whether you are a professional or just starting out. Don’t sweat it if your come back project doesn’t turn out perfectly. Just try again, when you’re ready.