Recently, I wrote about creating an epic resin bowl. Resin was a brand new thing to me, so it was a journey, of sorts. I read about a bowl made of Sea Glass and glue, but I was having trouble with the glue thing…I just didn’t see it as the best substance for a bowl. My mind went Sea Glass>Bowl>Green >Peridot!>Resin! Hence the resin bowl with Peridot idea was born.
The Search For A Resin Bowl Mold
I was set. I was happy. I was motivated. I was going to search the internet and buy a mold for a resin bowl and I was going to create! I searched and searched more. I expanded my search. I actually got into my car and scoured the craft stores (I am a dedicated online shopper). Nothing, nada, zip. A few times I got excited and thought I hit the jackpot, but when I read the fine print the mold would have produced a bowl that might hold a thimble. Not what I had in mind.
Another Step?!
In my quest for the perfect mold, I had seen reference to making a mold from scratch using silicone rubber. Since working with resin was already new to me I was desperate not to add another new step to this process. There was no other choice, I was going to have to do it. I was making my own silicone mold.
Yep! I was Doing It.
Once I accepted my fate I set out to find two bowls that were identical in shape and design, but different sizes. The silicone impressions of the two bowls would form the mold for the resin bowl. I needed bowls that would nest…one smaller bowl that would fit perfectly inside one larger bowl. I shopped around a bit before I ended up using two of my nesting mixing bowls from my kitchen.
What’s the Deal With the Two Bowls?
The idea of using two bowls for the mold is easy once you understand the function. The side of the silicone that is touching the surface of the bowl you are using will come out as the “smooth side”. You want the smooth side of each mold to be the side that comes into contact with the resin when you pour it. The space created between the two silicone molds will determine the thickness of your final resin bowl.
Which Sides of the Bowls Should I Paint With Silicone?
As far as which sides of the bowls to use as your silicone forms, I experimented a bit. My suggestion is to always paint the inside of the large bowl. Then make a judgment call on the small bowl based on the thickness of the nesting bowls you chose for your mold forms. In general: If your bowls are substantial then use the outside of your small bowl. If your bowls are fairly thin or average then use the inside of your small bowl.
Does It Really Matter Which Sides of the Bowls I Paint?
In these photos, you can see how my experiments turned out. First photo – I used fairly thin bowls and I siliconed the inside of the large bowl and the outside of the small bowl. Not enough space for the resin. Second photo – the bowls I used were thicker and I used the outside of the large bowl and inside of the small bowl. It produced much too wide a gap.
Too Thin 
Too Thick
Tips:
- Always paint the inside of the larger bowl. It will make it much easier to get the mold back inside the larger bowl before pouring your resin.
- Flip the large mold inside out before placing it back in the large bowl. This will ensure the smooth surface will face up and touch your resin.
- Whichever side of the small bowl you decide to paint, make sure you flip the silicone mold if needed, so the “smooth side” will contact your resin as well.
Supplies For The Project:
In addition to the nesting bowls, these are the supplies I used:
- Castin’Craft Silicone Rubber (Do not get Silicone Putty)
- Mixing cups, clear with measure marks
- Wooden stir sticks for crafts
- Measuring spoons used only for crafts
- Disposable gloves
- Disposable foam brushes
- Freezer paper
The Silicone comes with two jars containing Part A and Part B. In the Castin’Craft brand that I use the Part A contents are white and the Part B contents are blue. To combine them I used my measuring spoons reserved for crafting.
Tips
- Don’t try to mix a quantity of less than 1/2 TBSP of each Part. There needs to be enough product so A and B can chemically react and mix together properly.
- Estimating quantities of silicone when you are making a mold of a surface is not exact. As a guide, for the first coat I mixed 1 TBSP of both Parts A and B for bowls that were 3″ H x 5″W and 2-1/2″H x 4″W.
Measure Equal Parts of A and B
To start I laid down a sheet of freezer paper and put on gloves. I used a wooden mixing stick and dipped it into part A and kind of scooped it into the measuring spoon until I had a full spoon. I scraped that out into a mixing cup, wiped the spoon and the mixing stick with a paper towel and repeated that for Part B. It is important to make sure you measure the exact same amount for each part.
Mix The Two Parts Together
I mixed the two components together with my wooden stick until there were no more streaks left and the blue was completely combined with the white. Take care to make sure you run your stick around the bottom rim of the cup to reach any product that might be stuck in the crevice.
Streaks of Blue and White 
Fully Combined
When the mixture was combined, I used one of my foam brush to paint a very thin layer of silicone onto the inside of both the large bowl and the small bowl. The first layer needs to be thin because it will help to avoid air bubbles from forming on the surface of your mold.
(photo from a different bowl project)
After the first layer dries completely, paint an additional 2-3 layers, letting each layer dry in between. When the final layer is completed, let the whole thing cure for 24 hours.
When the 24 hours is complete you can gently de-mold the silicone from the bowls and you are ready to start your resin project!
A Quick Recap of Steps to Take:
- Mix Parts A and B together to form the silicone.
- Paint a thin layer of silicone on the inside of two bowls that nest together, one larger, one smaller.
- After the silicone layer dries, paint an additional 2-3 times letting each layer dry before applying the next.
- After the final layer is applied let the silicone cure for 24 hours.
- Gently, gently peel the molds off of the bowls, taking care to not stretch or tear the silicone.
- Flip the large mold inside out so the smoothest surface is on the inside of the mold
- Place the large mold back into the large bowl and tape down the edges
- You are ready to make a resin bowl!
It turned out that working with silicone is easy and fun! I would not hesitate to give this a try and open up your world to making any sort of mold you want. You can use this stuff to making Silicone bakeware too!
As always I hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new. Please subscribe to Sugar & Saw if you would like to learn more and contact me if you would like to see a particular topic covered on Sugar & Saw!
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