In this DIY Resin Bowl: Shape Resin Around a Wooden Stump tutorial, I’ll guide you through moulding colourful epoxy resin into a unique bowl that hugs a wooden base. Our International Bloggers Club challenged us to work with resin, and although my first bowl’s colour didn’t excite me, the technique inspired this project. Choose your pigments and create a bespoke bowl that suits your style.

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DIY Resin Bowl: Shape Resin Around a Wooden Stump

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Materials Needed

• Epoxy resin kit (2:1 mix ratio)
• Colour pigments or mica powders (e.g. bronze, silver, gold)
• Disposable mixing cups and stir sticks
• Hair dryer or crème brûlée torch
• Plastic wrap
• Damp sand (for mould)
• Wooden stump or similarly shaped wood off‑cut
• Silicone sealer (to build a dam)
• Disposable gloves and protective eyewear

Prepare Your Wooden Stump

You’ll need an object with a unique shape, like the wooden stump shown below. I wasn’t completely happy with the result because I didn’t leave enough of the stump exposed on either side of the resin. For a more striking result, be sure to reveal more of your chosen object when you recreate this project.

Build a Sand Mould

I used the sandpit desk I built for my niece to form my resin mould. First, I dampened the sand for easier sculpting, then positioned the wooden stump and packed sand firmly around its base. Finally, I carved out a bowl shape by hand, adding a slight lip in the sand for extra detail.

Construct a Silicone Dam

Cover a board with plastic wrap and secure the edges. Trace a circular wall with silicone sealer inside the wrap, matching your sand bowl’s diameter. Allow the silicone to cure until it forms a firm dam. I forgot to take a photo, but the image further down will show you.

Mix and Colour the Resin

Always follow the manufacturer’s mixing ratio, as each resin differs. I start by stirring a large batch thoroughly in a big cup, then divide it into smaller cups.

In each cup, I blend in my chosen mica powder—bronze, silver and gold.

Pour and Blend the Resin

I pour the coloured resin in alternating concentric rings against the silicone wall, then wave a hairdryer over the surface to pop bubbles and coax the pigments to swirl and merge.

When I first poured the resin, the colours formed an amazing design, and I was ecstatic.

Unfortunately, they eventually bled into each other, probably because the base wasn’t perfectly level. After a few minutes, tiny bubbles often rise to the surface. To eliminate them, gently sweep a crème brûlée torch flame across the resin until the bubbles pop.

I rescued the finish by gently swirling the surface with a stir stick, which created a marbled effect. Before the resin began to gel, I also dropped in a few decorative beads for extra sparkle. I let it cure for about eight hours—long enough that it was firm to the touch but still slightly flexible. At this stage, you can apply light pressure to mould it around your form without cracking.

Demould and Final Shape

Slide the resin (still on its wrap) off the board. Position it over your sand‑moulded stump, then press gently to form the bowl shape.

Leave to cure for 24 hours before removing the wrap and unpacking. Polish the resin lip with fine sandpaper for a smooth finish if desired.

Finishing and Uses

Once cured, you’ll have a one‑of‑a‑kind resin bowl fused to natural wood. Use it as a decorative fruit dish, jewellery tray or sculptural centrepiece.

More resin project ideas

Discover how to craft customised resin doorknobs—embedding unique items into the resin so they perfectly match your décor.

Craft beaded garden stakes with embedded resin accents to give your planters a unique, decorative flair.

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