I’ve been saving a stack of old wood slices for years, waiting for the right project. Today I’m turning one into an African Sunset Wooden Suncatcher that pairs a warm resin “sky” with a vinyl silhouette of the bush. The colours shift with the light, so the view looks different from every angle—just like the real thing. Although I live in Australia, I grew up in South Africa, and those long drives through game parks inspired this piece.

Even though I live in Australia, I was born in South Africa. There’s an old saying: you can take the girl out of the bush, but you can’t take the bush out of the girl. I have so many fond memories of visiting local game parks and spending hours watching the most amazing animals, and those experiences inspired this project.

Before we dive into this tutorial, be sure to subscribe to my bimonthly newsletter to be the first to see my latest projects.  You can also follow me on Pinterest and Facebook, where I also include my unique mixed-media art projects

It’s time for another International Bloggers Club (IBC) challenge. This month’s theme is “Resin,” and we’re creating projects that use resin in any way, shape or form. You’ll find more about the IBC at the end of this post.

Wooden Suncatcher with African Sunset (Resin Pour + Vinyl Silhouette)

**This post may contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission on links used at no extra cost to you. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.**

Materials and tools

• Wood slice with a natural cavity (dry, flat, and stable)
• Electric planer (optional), angle grinder with sanding disc (optional), orbital sander (120 and 240 grit)
• Hammer and chisel
• Thin plastic film (window film off-cut works)
• Aluminium HVAC foil tape (leak-resistant) or resin tape
• Two-part epoxy resin (≈ 500–900 ml for this size; follow the brand’s mix ratio)
• Quality resin pigments or alcohol inks (sunset colours)
• Mixing cups, stir sticks
• Blow Torch for bubbles (I use a crème brûlée torch)
• Clear polyurethane (optional but recommended for sealing wood first)
• Cricut (or similar cutter), permanent outdoor vinyl (e.g. Oracal 651), transfer tape, scraper

Prep the wood slice

Remove any loose bark or chunks around the cavity with a hammer and chisel. Plane away chainsaw ridges if you have a planer. Smooth the face with a grinder and sanding disc, then sand with an orbital sander, 120 grit, followed by 240 grit. Check flatness with a level so resin won’t creep to one side.

Smooth the face with a grinder and sanding disc, then sand with an orbital sander, 120 grit, followed by 240 grit. Check flatness with a level so resin won’t creep to one side.

Seal to prevent bubbles

Brush on two thin coats of clear polyurethane over the face and inner edges of the cavity. Let it dry fully. This fills micro-pores and reduces endless bubble release during your resin seal coat. See the end of this post for more info.

Seal the hole

 Two issues I had with the last resin suncatcher were that the tape left a sticky residue on the resin, and regular duct tape didn’t work—the resin leaked straight through. To prevent residue sticking to the resin, I added a layer of thin plastic film, using an offcut of window film from a jewellery box project. I taped the film using masking tape just to hold it in place. I also added a layer of black hot glue to seal the inside, but it proved to be a big mistake and was hard to remove later.

Tape the back (no sticky residue)

Cover the film with two layers of aluminium HVAC foil tape, overlapping the seams. Press hard to seal edges. The film stops gluey residue; the foil tape stops leaks.

Mix and tint the resin

Measure and mix the resin according to the manufacturer’s ratio. Mix for 4–5 minutes, scraping sides and base. Decant portions and tint in sunset shades: yellow, orange, coral, magenta, purple, and a touch of deep blue if you like. Use quality pigments for true colour.

Pour the “sunset”

With the slice level, pour tinted resin in horizontal bands across the cavity. Feather edges with a stir stick for soft blends, not mud. Pass a quick flame over the surface to pop bubbles. Don’t overheat. Leave to cure per your brand (often 12–24 hours). You’re not filling the cavity solid—keep translucency so light can shine through. Aim to have your resin about 1 cm deep.

Unfortunately, I still had some leakage because the surface wasn’t perfectly flat, so the weight of the resin let a little ooze out. It’s a good idea to make sure your wood slice is level. The upside: no sticky residue, so that was a win.

Design the bush silhouette

All the images on the wooden suncatcher are vinyl decals I cut with my Cricut vinyl cutter. I created the African scene in Cricut Design Space—you don’t need to be a graphic designer to use it. All the images were free downloads from the internet that I imported as individual elements first.

Cricut Design Space is so easy to use—you can move and resize images in seconds. Keep rearranging them until you’re happy with the design. When you’re ready, click Select All, then Group to keep everything together. Because there are multiple images, click Weld to create one solid cut. If you don’t weld, the machine will cut each image separately.

Create the sun (on the back)

Cut a yellow vinyl circle and place it on the back of the slice behind the resin window. This becomes a glowing sun when viewed from the front.

Sanding the surface

I had to remove the black hot glue because it spoiled the look. If it had been a neat, clean circle, it might have worked, but mine was a mess.

I used a screwdriver to dig it out, then switched to an orbital sander with 120-grit paper to take down the resin that had seeped out, finishing with 240-grit for a smooth surface.

Set the decal under a clear resin coat

Apply the welded silhouette to the front using transfer tape. Burnish and remove the tape.

This is how the design looked before I added the resin.

Adding the resin seal coat

Ensure the slab is level. Mix a small batch of clear resin.

This is why you should seal the wood before adding resin. I poured a coat of resin to seal the decal, and it started bubbling straight away as it filled the tiny pores in the timber.

If I did this project again, I’d seal the surface first with two thin coats of clear polyurethane. That fills many of the micro-holes and helps prevent bubbles in the resin coat. I used a torch to pop the bubbles, but they kept forming after the safe flaming window. Once the resin starts to thicken, stop flaming or you’ll scorch it or shift the surface. After 24 hours, I lightly sanded and added another thin coat of resin with a foam sponge.

Taking photos of this project was a nightmare—the resin acted like a mirror. Every time I managed a good shot, reflections of the grass spoiled it.

You can also display this indoors—just add an LED light strip around the inside of the cavity.

This is the view from the back of the suncatcher, so you can only use it one way.

More resin project ideas

See how I moulded a resin bowl around a wooden stump to create a unique storage idea.

.Create your own drawer and cabinet pulls to suit your home décor by embedding small objects in resin.

More about IBC

If you follow my blog, you will know I am part of the IBC (International Bloggers Club), which is a group of talented bloggers from around the world. We have members from Spain, South Africa, Australia, the United States, and Canada. Each month, we come together and create a project on a common theme.

If you missed last month’s “Christmas ” theme, here is the link to my Unique Steampunk Christmas tree. The contributions from my fellow bloggers for this month’s challenge are listed below. Please feel free to jump over and give them some love.

Projects

1. A Crafty Mix|Spring heart wreath
2. Interior Frugalista|Resin Coasters DIY for beginners
3. Raggedy bits |Thrifted wooden valentines paint pour heart
4. Meegan Makes|How to make simple resin tags

If you’re interested in any of the items used in this project, we’d appreciate it if you used our affiliate links. Clicking these links earns us a small commission at no extra cost to you, helping us create more inspiring and exciting projects to share. We’d also love to hear your thoughts—feel free to leave a comment or share this post!