For the project I used hot glue and resin to create this little tree of life.

This is a simple project and can still be done even if you don’t have resin. Simply paint the background and apply a high gloss varnish to seal and protect.

Materials used in this project:

  • Wooden Placemat
  • Hot Glue and Glue Gun
  • Pencil (to create the initial design)
  • Spray Paint (optional, regular acrylic paint will do)
  • Resin – (I used U Resin Standard UV)
  • Colours to tint resin – I used glitter and pigment, although you can use any colours you already have
    White Glitter
    Copper pigment 

Getting started you will need to first draw out your design. I am using a 2b pencil to quickly create my sketch.

Once you are happy with your sketch, you can begin to apply the hot glue. Make sure you create the glue in long strands, starting from the top to the bottom. TIP – leave gaps between each strand and allow to cool down before going over the top. It stops the glue melting into each other and creates good texture.

Apply more layers over the top until you have the desired look, again remember to allow layers to cool before adding more.

Once your hot glue has cooled down, you can use a heat gun to gently melt away any stray bits of glue, sometimes know as angel hairs. Don’t heat for too long, or you will begin to melt the glue again.

Now to paint your tree, I used black spray paint that is a 2 in 1 paint and sealer. This works well for hot glue as it suitable for plastic. If you don’t have spray paint, I suggest you cover the tree with gesso and then paint it black with acrylic paint.

Next to paint the background, you won’t need to do this if you have already covered your piece with gesso. I am using white acrylic paint and giving it two coats, gesso would be fine too.

Leave it to dry overnight! 

Now to add the resin, I have added a white glitter pigment to the resin and have applied a very thin layer.

Spread the resin over the whole surface, making sure to cover the tree also. I used my hand to do this to make sure I covered everything.

Now for the final layer of resin. This has been applied while the bottom layer is still wet, so that the colours can be blended slightly. Using a stick, I pull the outer colour into the center.

Leave it to cure overnight!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and it has inspired you to create your own version.

A video tutorial is available to watch in our Video Tutorial section, here you can watch more of our video tutorials. There are plenty of ideas to spark your creativity.