How to Make Resin Pendants and Necklaces
How to Make Resin Pendants and Necklaces
Pendants are the piece where you can actually push what resin does. More surface area means more room for color, inclusions, layering. A pendant can be a statement; earrings rarely are. And the hardware is simpler — one bail, one chain, done.
The flip side: pendants are bigger, which means longer cure times, more visible flaws, and more resin per piece. Here's what actually matters when you're making pendants, from pour through chain.
Choosing a pendant mold
Pendant molds come in endless shapes, but a few things separate a good one from a frustrating one:
Depth. A pendant needs substance — a flat, thin piece chips at edges and looks cheap. Look for molds with at least 4–6 mm (about 1/4 inch) of depth. Enough to hold a bail insert securely and survive daily wear.
A flat, level base. If the mold sits unevenly, your resin will pool to one side and cure thicker on that end. Not always visible from the front, but it affects how the piece hangs.
Cavity size. Larger pendants (40–60 mm) show off inclusions and color better and are easier to work with on your first few pours. Tiny detailed shapes are beautiful but less forgiving of bubbles and mixing issues.
Glossy vs. matte surface. A glossy mold interior transfers that shine to the pendant face — no polishing needed. Matte molds give a soft frosted finish that's lovely but different. The full comparison is here.
Pour method for pendants
Standard process: measure, mix slowly for 2 minutes, add color, pour. The nuance with pendants is controlling inclusions and layers.
Solid color pour: Fill the mold in one pass, torch, cover, wait. The simplest approach and the one to start with.
Inclusion pour: If you're adding dried flowers, foils, or other objects, pour about half the depth first. Let it cure to a gel stage — not liquid, not hard, somewhere in between — which usually takes 2–6 hours depending on your resin and temperature. Arrange your inclusion on the gel surface, then pour the second layer over it. This sandwiches the inclusion with clear or tinted resin above and below. Objects placed in fully liquid resin tend to float or sink depending on their density; the gel layer holds them in place.
Layered color: Same principle — pour one color, let it partial-cure, pour a second on top. You can get clean color separation this way, or let the edges bleed slightly for a more organic look.
Adding a bail
A bail is the loop at the top of a pendant that the chain threads through. There are two approaches:
Embed during pour. Glue-on bail inserts have a flat base with a loop sticking up. Pour about 70–80% of the mold, then press the bail into the resin with the flat base submerged and the loop sticking up above the mold top. Let it cure completely — the bail is now mechanically locked into the resin. This is clean when it works but requires timing; if the resin is too liquid the bail sinks or tilts, too cured and it won't bond properly.
Glue after curing. Some bails have a flat glue surface and are designed to be adhered after the fact. Two-part epoxy or strong gel CA glue on a sanded (roughed up) spot on the pendant back gives a solid bond. I've had glue-on bails hold up for years on pendants people wear daily, so I don't think the structural concern is as big as it sounds — but if you're selling pendants that will get serious daily wear, embedded is more trustworthy.
Drill and add a bail. A small hole at the top, a jump ring through it, a simple loop bail or just a chain ring. Clean, flexible, and my preferred method for thinner pendants where embedding is tricky.
Chains and cord
The chain choice affects how the pendant reads as much as the pendant itself. A few options:
Cable or rolo chain in sterling or gold-fill: Timeless. 18–20 inch (45–50 cm) lengths are standard necklace lengths. 2–3 mm chain width works for most pendants up to medium size.
Leather cord: Warmer, bohemian feel. Works especially well with natural-inclusion pendants (flowers, botanicals). 1.5–2 mm diameter, usually sold in rolls, with lobster clasps crimped on.
Waxed cotton cord: Cheap and adjustable — slide knot closure means one size fits most. Good for casual pieces and for experimenting with cord color against the pendant.
Ball chain: Casual, unisex look. Stainless steel holds up forever.
For selling: sterling silver and gold-fill chains photograph better and feel more premium. If you're making pieces for yourself, cord is fine and half the cost.
Common pendant problems
Pendant hangs crooked. The bail or hole isn't centered on the balance point of the piece. Asymmetric designs have a natural hang point that isn't always the geometric center — hold the pendant from the intended attachment point before you commit to where the bail goes.
Thick piece, bubbles inside. Deeper pours trap more air. Pour in two thin layers instead of one deep pour to give air a shorter path to escape.
Edge chips: Thin edges on geometric pendants can chip if the piece was demolded early or the mold edge wasn't fully sharp. Let it cure the full time, and reinforce thin edges with a light coat of UV resin (cured under a lamp for 60 seconds) if you're concerned.
I had a customer once who came back saying a pendant had snapped clean in half through the bail hole — which was jarring until I realized she'd been snagging it on her sweater daily for months. The resin itself was fine; the hole had been drilled too close to the edge and wasn't reinforced. Now I keep drilled holes at least 3–4 mm from the edge. Small thing, makes a difference.
Browse pendant molds at bmmold.com.
What kind of pendant are you making? Inclusion work or straight color? The technique varies a bit depending on what you're going for.
— Nikolai
Meta title: How to Make Resin Pendants and Necklaces — Step by Step Meta description: How to make resin pendants at home — choosing the right mold, pouring techniques, adding bails, picking chains, and avoiding the most common pendant problems. Suggested URL handle: how-to-make-resin-pendants-necklaces