If you’re thinking about starting to craft your own home décor, it’s likely that Jesmonite and epoxy resin are the two main materials you’ve come across. Both are popular for different reasons and they both provide different effects and finishes. It’s very much down to stylistic preference and many crafters usually prefer one over the other. So we thought we’d give you a little overview.
THE PROCESS
Jesmonite and epoxy resin have a similar mixing process in that both are supplied in two parts which are mixed together. While Jesmonite features a base powder and a liquid, epoxy resin comes in two liquids. Jesmonite’s powder means that it mixes to a thicker consistency than epoxy resin, giving you more control over your mix. Which is great for all you perfectionists out there!
THE FINISH
Some people are glass people and like their homes to look modern and slick with sparkling, shiny features. Others prefer home décor that’s more organic and like to embellish their rooms with stone pieces instead of glass. If you’re a glass person, you might prefer Epoxy Resin as it sets to a translucent, shiny finish. However, if you prefer something that’s more matte and similar to stone in finish, Jesmonite is for you!
THE DECORATIVE EFFECTS
We’re not joking when we say the possibilities are endless when it comes to Jesmonite. You can add pigments, embellish with gold leaf, create different effects with terrazzo and marbling, produce split pieces. Even make your piece look and feel like metal! Pretty cool right? Terrazzo is actually one of the biggest home décor trends of the past few years so we’d 100% recommend giving that a go using our terrazzo how-to guide! Like with Jesmonite, you can add pigments to Epoxy Resin but instead of terrazzo, you can create patterns using techniques such as the ‘puddle pour’ and incorporate nature using dried flowers and leaves. As we mentioned, it’s totally personal preference!
THE CURE TIMES
Cure times are really important to consider if you’re looking to scale up your crafting business. You don’t want to be waiting around for days to de-mould your creations if you have orders coming in thick and fast! One of the benefits of using Jesmonite is its fast cure time of around 20-30 minutes, meaning you can remove it from the mould and tidy up after just one episode of Friends! Epoxy resin takes around 24 hours, so you’ll need to give each piece a full day, before you can take it out of the mould.
THE ECO CREDENTIALS
Jesmonite is well known as an eco-conscious crafting solution. The product is solvent free and contains no VOCs (volatile organic compounds) making it not only kinder to the environment but safer to work with. Finished Jesmonite castings can be broken down and reused within new Jesmonite creations, reducing waste. Made an oval tray that’s snapped? Don’t bin it, reuse it and create a split colour piece! You can also snap off the unused Jesmonite that’s left in your mixing jug once it’s cured and save it to use as terrazzo chips.
As a company, Jesmonite are constantly reviewing how they can better help the environment with the choices they make. They’ve reduced their car mileage per year and have saved 2,386 litres of fuel by holding virtual meetings instead. They have also reduced their air miles, saving 18,144kg of CO2 which is enough energy to boil water for 521,739 cups of tea!
Want to know more about Jesmonite’s commitment to the environment? Hang tight! We have a whole blog on this coming soon!
Top Tip: Our AC100 Starter Kits are a great way to begin your Jesmonite journey. Once you’ve hopped on board, join us over on Instagram or Facebook at @polysiluk for endless inspiration!
