Alcohol Ink Geode Coasters

Jewel-bright alcohol inks swirled into clear epoxy resin in silicone coaster molds — gallery-quality results with almost no experience required.

Step-by-Step Instructions

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   Step 1

   Set up your workspace before opening any resin. Cover your surface with a silicone mat or plastic sheet — cured resin is extremely difficult to remove from surfaces. Wear nitrile gloves throughout the entire process, as liquid resin is a skin sensitiser with repeated exposure. Set your silicone molds on a flat, level surface — any tilt will cause the resin to cure unevenly and produce a coaster that rocks on a table. Have all your inks, gold leaf, and heat gun within easy reach so you are not searching for things once the mixing starts.

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   Step 2

   Measure equal parts resin and hardener by volume (not weight) into a clean, dry mixing cup — ArtResin is a 1:1 ratio by volume. Pour slowly to minimise bubbles entering the mix. Stir slowly and deliberately for a full three minutes, scraping the sides and especially the bottom of the cup as you stir. Three minutes of thorough mixing is non-negotiable — undermixed resin will have soft or tacky spots that never fully cure. After mixing, allow the cup to sit for two minutes before pouring so any bubbles introduced during stirring can rise and pop.

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   Step 3

   Pour a layer of the mixed clear resin into each silicone coaster mold, filling about one-third to half full. At this stage the resin is completely clear and fluid — you have a working time of roughly 30–45 minutes before it starts to become thick and unworkable.

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   Step 4

   Drop two or three colours of alcohol ink onto the surface of the resin in each mold. Start with a darker base tone — deep teal, navy, or forest green work beautifully for geode effects — then add one or two jewel-bright accent colours. Use a cocktail stick to gently swirl and drag the colours into organic concentric shapes, pulling them inward to suggest the layered rings of a geode cross-section. Less manipulation gives a looser, more natural result — over-stirring makes all the colours muddy.

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   Step 5

   Sprinkle a small pinch of gold leaf flakes onto the wet surface of each coaster and allow them to sink and drift naturally through the resin. The flakes will settle at different depths, creating beautiful three-dimensional metallic veining.

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   Step 6

   Pass the heat gun briefly over the surface of each coaster — two to three seconds at a distance of about 15 cm. This pops any surface bubbles and causes the alcohol inks to bloom outward in dramatic organic patterns. Do not hold the heat gun too close or too long, as too much heat can scorch the surface or cause the resin to boil. Once you are satisfied with the design, cover each mold with a clean plastic dome or propped cardboard to keep dust off the surface. Leave to cure at room temperature for a full 24 hours — do not move the molds during this time.