Awareness Ribbon Resin Shaker Keychains

Raise awareness for your favorite cause with a handmade Awareness Ribbon Resin Shaker Keychain!

April is Autism Awareness Month, so I wanted to share something creative I made to celebrate. My daughter is autistic, so this is a pretty special month. Awareness months and causes are usually represented with a colored ribbon. Autism is typically represented with a puzzle piece, so I made a resin shaker keychain in the shape of an awareness ribbon and filled it with multi-colored puzzle piece confetti! This is a pretty simple project, and can be customized with any color to represent other causes. I hope you feel inspired to give this project a try, and I would love to hear which awareness ribbons you would like to make.

New to resin? Be sure to check out Resin 101: Getting Started with Resin!

To make your own Awareness Ribbon Resin Shaker Keychains, you will need these supplies:

• Awareness Ribbon Shaker Mold
• Amazing Clear Cast Epoxy
• Measuring Cups
• Stirring Sticks
• Disposable Gloves
• White Resin Pigment
• Glitter
• Awareness Ribbon Confetti or Puzzle Piece Confetti
• Microbeads
• Transparency Film
• Permanent Marker
• Hand Drill Tool
• Unscented Baby Oil or Glycerin
• Oiler Bottle
• Super Glue or UV Resin
• Jewelry Eye Screw
• Key Ring with Chain

*Save 10% on resin supplies when you shop Polytek with code AFM

SAFETY FIRST: Before getting started, wear disposable gloves, protect your workspace, and be sure to work in a well-ventilated area!

Prepare about 10ml of Amazing Clear Cast according to package directions. Pour in equal parts resin and hardener to a mixing cup. Slowly stir the resin together with a stir stick for two minutes or until combined. If the resin looks cloudy or has any streaks running through it, you need to keep stirring it until it becomes clear.

Add a generous amount of glitter in the color of your choice. Stir together until evenly incorporated. Use the stir stick to help you carefully fill the edges of the mold, but be careful not to fill above the border.

Pop any bubbles that rise to the top using a lighter or by blowing through a straw. Leave the resin to cure in an undisturbed area for at least 6 hours. **DO NOT REMOVE THE RESIN FROM THE MOLD!**

Mix up 10ml of resin the same way, except this time use a drop of white opaque pigment and white glitter. Pour the resin over the top of the cured resin borders and fill up the mold the rest of the way. Be careful to not cover up the little triangle in the center of the ribbon.

Use a straw, heat gun, or spritz with 91% alcohol to remove any surface bubbles. Leave the resin to cure in an undisturbed area for 24 hours.

Now, for my favorite part of the resin process - demolding! Removing a piece from the mold is so exciting!! Carefully remove the cured ribbon from the mold. Trim away any excess resin with scissors or a craft knife. Sand down edges, if necessary, and bring back the shine with clear spray sealant.

If the resin still feels flexible, it may just need more time to cure. Let the piece sit in a warm, flat area to cure for a few hours (or days) to completely harden.

I usually add this last, but I decided to add the eye screw first this time to see if it would be easier (it was). Use the hand drill to make a small hole at the top of the ribbon. Remove the drill, and then twist an eye screw into the hole. For a more permanent hold, put some super glue on the screw before putting it in. If the screw is too long and is showing through the shaker, you can remove it and trim the end, or cover it with a little bit of white UV resin.

Fillers are what make shaker charms so much fun! Find awareness ribbon confetti in the color of your ribbon or use puzzle piece confetti for autism awareness. There are SO many options out there to add along with the confetti, like chunky glitter, microbeads. Get creative and have fun with it!

Cut a small piece of transparency film and place it on top of the ribbon charm. Carefully trace the outside of the opening and the center with a permanent marker. Cut the transparency film along the tracing, and use a craft knife to cut the center hole. Remove the marker lines with a little bit of alcohol and a lint-free cloth.

Use a toothpick to apply a thin line of UV resin around the opening of the penguin. Place the transparency film cutout over top and press it down well.

Place the charm under the light for a couple of minutes. Make sure that the edges of the transparency are completely sealed. If there are any gaps, the charm will leak! If any areas need help sticking back down, use the toothpick to re-apply resin and then cure it again.

*This can also be done with super glue! Just use the adhesive instead of the resin and omit the curing under a light.

Lay the charm flat on its back. Carefully cover the top of the charm with UV resin and use a toothpick or a stir stick to drag the resin to the edges (be careful to not spill any resin over the edges). This will give your charm a smooth, "domed" top that also completely seals the edges of the transparency film. Use a lighter or spritz the surface with alcohol to remove any bubbles.

Place the charm under the light for a couple of minutes until the dome layer is completely cured.

*Don't have UV resin? Use about 5ml of Amazing Clear Cast instead, and let it cure overnight.

You can keep the charm as-is and give it a shake, but I prefer to give the shaker charm a "waterfall" effect, which makes the fillers slowly float back down to the bottom. To do this, you need to fill the charm with baby oil or glycerin.

First, you need to make an opening to fill the charm. Use a hand drill tool to carefully drill a hole. You can actually drill the hole anywhere on the charm - I made a hole in the side this time.

Fill an oiler bottle with baby oil or glycerin. Put the needle through the opening and slowly squeeze the bottle to fill the charm with the oil. Take your time - sometimes the oil will go back up through the opening and spill out everywhere!

Once full, clean up any oil residue from the opening with a paper towel. Fill the opening with UV resin, and cure with the UV light.

Give the charm a good shake and watch the confetti and other fillers slowly float down to the bottom! This is also the perfect time to check for any leaks. If you find any, wipe them clean and seal them back up with some UV resin.

Use pliers to hook a jump ring through the eye screw, and then attach the key ring chain to the jump ring. Close the jump ring to connect the key ring to the charm.

I LOVE how this Autism Awareness Ribbon keychain turned out. I made it for my daughter, and she was so excited to attach it to her bag. It's such a great piece to raise awareness about autism, and it's been a cool conversation starter.

This breast cancer awareness ribbon keychain was made with my survivor of a mom in mind. I am so happy with how it turned out, and love all of the shades of pink!

Last, but not least, this purple ribbon was made for a friend with epilepsy. Along with the ribbon confetti, I also added purple hearts and chunky glitters. 

I love how these Awareness Ribbon Resin Shaker Keychains turned out and I definitely recommend giving this project a try. They are such a great way to raise awareness, and also make great gifts. I would love to hear what you think of these keychains and who you would share them with! Share your resin creations on Instagram, Facebook, or leave a comment/photo on the project pin on Pinterest! #AFMCrafts

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