I love finding ways to turn old and weathered timber into something beautiful, and this DIY wooden suncatcher with coloured epoxy resin is one of my favourite recycled garden décor projects. What started as a battered piece of wood under my sister’s carport turned into a glowing suncatcher that catches the light most magically. Instead of turning the wood into a sign, which is the usual go-to for reclaimed timber, I wanted something more unique. The idea of drilling holes and filling them with resin came to me, and the result was a one-of-a-kind garden sculpture.

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Wooden Suncatcher with Coloured Epoxy Resin

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Materials Needed

• Reclaimed piece of wood
• Orbital sander with sanding discs (80 to 120 grit)
• Hammer and chisel
• Drill with spade bits and hole saws
• Aluminium foil tape (or resin-proof tape)
• Cling film (Saran Wrap)
• Epoxy resin and pigment powders or liquid
• Small mixing cups and sticks
• Blow Torch (to remove bubbles)
• Wood stain (cedar or your choice)
• Exterior or marine varnish
• Sturdy metal post or rebar with U-bracket (for the stand)

Preparing the Wood

The first step is to bring your piece of wood back to life. At first glance, this timber looked badly weathered, but from years of working with recycled materials, I’ve learnt that most of the damage is often only surface deep. After removing the loose pieces by hand, the solid wood underneath was ready to be worked with.

Sanding the Wood

Start by chiselling out any deep grooves or damaged areas in the timber. This clears away weak spots and prepares the surface for sanding. Next, use 80-grit sandpaper to strip back the rough outer layer. Work steadily until the surface feels more even. Once the bulk of the roughness is gone, switch to 120-grit sandpaper to smooth the wood further.

Because this project is for the garden, there’s no need to sand beyond 120 grit. A slightly textured finish helps the stain and sealer grip the wood more effectively.

 A cedar wood stain gave it warmth and a protective base colour.

Creating and Transferring the Design

My inspiration came from crop circle patterns. To transfer the design, I printed it out and used carbon paper to trace it onto the wood. For circles, hole saws and spade bits worked perfectly.

I began with the smaller design, and that’s when I realised it wasn’t the best choice. Using a drill and drill bit to make the tiny holes was far too time-consuming because the wood was so thick.

The second problem was that the holes were too close together, and they ended up blending into one another, which spoiled the look. Larger shapes allow more light to shine through, so I recommend sticking to bolder, wider circles. I didn’t want to waste the wood, so I kept going and switched the design to larger holes.

Drilling the Holes

I began with a battery-powered drill but quickly swapped to a corded one to avoid waiting for batteries to recharge. Hole saws and spade bits gave the cleanest cuts. For the deeper sections of the wood, I had to drill the holes in stages. I drilled as deep as the hole saw would go, then used a hammer and chisel to chip out the wood before drilling again to go deeper.

Since I was making up the design as I went along, once I had one half of the pattern drilled, I used it as a template for the other side. To transfer it, I placed paper over the drilled holes and made impressions with the saw blades and a hammer. This little trick saved a lot of time compared to retracing everything with carbon paper.

Even at this stage, the wooden suncatcher already looked impressive, but I knew adding resin would take it to another level.

If you choose to stop at this stage, be sure to add two to three coats of exterior or marine varnish to protect the suncatcher from the weather.

Taping the holes for resin

The article I read recommended using silver duct tape to seal the holes. To help it stick better, it suggested heating the tape and pressing it down firmly to close any gaps. I followed those instructions, but within minutes, the resin was running out of the tape and spilling all over the table. I believe part of the problem was the groove visible in the wood.

There are resin-proof tapes available, but I couldn’t get one locally, and the nearest town is 100 km away. I went through my husband’s toolbox and found some aluminium foil tape, which worked perfectly. This mistake also highlighted that I had taped the wrong side of the wood. You want the resin to sit flush with the front—if it sits at the back, you won’t be able to see it.

To update this section, I’ve since learnt a better way to tape the holes. Before adding the tape, place a layer of Saran Wrap over the holes. This gives a smooth finish and also prevents the resin from reacting with the tape’s adhesive.

Pouring the resin

I mixed about 300 ml of epoxy resin and split it into smaller containers before tinting each with colour pigment. Glow-in-the-dark powders would also look amazing for a nighttime effect.

Adding the resin to the suncatcher

For this project, the less resin you use, the better the effect. Aim for a layer about 1 cm deep. I had mixed too much resin and didn’t want to waste it, so I filled some of the holes. That turned out to be a mistake—the deeper the resin, the less light shines through, as you can see in the middle and bottom holes.

Once the resin is poured, bubbles will start to form on the surface. To remove them, simply swipe a blow torch flame lightly across the resin. I didn’t have a blow torch on hand, so I used a small crème brûlée torch from the kitchen, and it worked just as well.

The resin needs to sit for 24 hours to cure fully. The image below shows a close-up of the back, where the resin level turned out perfectly. After the 24 hours are up, you can remove the tape.

Sealing and Finishing

After 24 hours, I peeled off the tape. When I removed the tape, I found the surface of the resin was sticky, as if some of the tape adhesive had stayed behind. I used a cloth and plenty of elbow grease to clean off the residue. This is another reason why it’s a good idea to add a layer of Saran Wrap before taping. Any resin that leaked onto the wood was sanded away, and then the wood was re-stained. A couple of coats of exterior varnish sealed and protected the piece against the weather. To mount the suncatcher, I attached it to a metal post with a U-bracket.

Four years later, I refreshed it with a new coat of stain and varnish, and it’s still going strong.

Now that my neighbour’s large tree has been removed, it catches even more sunlight, creating stunning colour reflections in the garden.

Tips for Making a Wooden Resin Suncatcher

Designing and Drilling

• Keep designs bold and simple. Large circles let more light through and are quicker to drill.
• Avoid small, close-together holes. They can merge into each other and spoil the look.
• Use templates wisely. Drill one half of the design, then trace or transfer it to the other side to save time.

Working With Resin

• Less resin works best. A shallow 1 cm pour gives a brighter effect than deeper fills.
• Don’t overfill. Deeper resin blocks the light and dulls the colours.
• Pop bubbles quickly. Use a blow torch, or even a crème brûlée torch, to sweep across the resin surface.

Taping the Back

• Skip the duct tape. It doesn’t seal well, and resin will leak through.
• Use aluminium foil tape with cling film. This gives a smooth finish and stops resin from reacting with adhesive.
• Tape the front, not the back. Resin should cure flush with the surface you want visible.

More garden decor projects

Here’s another garden décor idea using a similar method—a suncatcher with an African Sunset theme, created from a wood slice with a vinyl decal applied over the resin.

A simple way to brighten up any garden planter is with beaded garden stakes. Made from beads and glass knobs, they catch the light beautifully and sparkle in the sun.

This garden planter was built from recycled pallet wood and designed as a multi-tiered planter.

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