Sometimes I spot a book and just know it is a good fit for me, right away. Such was when I saw the Kawaii Resin and Clay Workshop by Alex Lee.
I love making things with resin, and I love making things with polymer clay, but I hadn’t really tried combining the two. I also love kawaii things.. So clearly this book was going to be useful.
The designs in this book are particularly attractive. They look like lamp glass and could be used in lots of other crafts.
The book measures 10 inches tall by 8.5 inches wide (about 25 cm x 21.5 cm) and has 144 colour pages.
- Kawaii Resin and Clay Workbook
- Author – Alex Lee
- Published by Quarry
- ISBN 9781631599682
First Things First
The first part covers “Basic Tools and Materials” and gives plenty of detail on what you need to create the adorable projects. Alex makes sure to tell you what he uses, with “insider hints” included.
Next we have “Techniques and Methods” which includes safety tips and guidelines if you want to work with your children.
He goes on to clear instruction on how to “Make a Mold” which is one of the cornerstones of his technique. Once you know this part, there are endless potential variations possible. Some of the molds used in the projects are very basic geometric shapes, so you might be able to find a commercial mold that could be used. But being able to make your own opens up so many possibilities.
“Adding Pigments to Resin” and “Curing UV Resin” come next. As all the instructions, these pages are illustrated with detailed, colour photos and written in a friendly, clear manner.
“Glazing with UV Resin” and “Doming with Resin” and then covered. These two techniques are again pivotal in getting the cute results seen in the pictures – and easy to do when you know how!
This section ends with two page spreads on “Working with Two-Part Resin” and “Making a Polymer Clay Face”. Again they are well illustrated with lots of useful tips.
The Kawaii Projects
The rest of the book is divided into 5 sections, each containing projects on a particular theme. Each tutorial clearly outlines any new techniques with lots of clear photos.
The projects could be used as cute little ornaments or incorporated into jewellery, dolls house miniatures and many other projects. They would lend themselves particularly well to charms too, which are trending right now.
Kawaii Nature Tutorials
The projects here are:
- Butterfly – so many variations possible, could easily be adapted to a more “grown up” version
- Weather Clouds – these would make particularly good brooches
- Flower – always popular, and easy to make lots of variations in colour and design
- Pine Tree – perfect for making Christmas decorations or jewelry. I decorated mine with baubles!
- Snowman – again, great for seasonal items, very cute
Kawaii Marine Life Tutorials
These aquatic projects are:
- Octopus – this little cutie is very on trend right now
- Snails – three different shell designs are shown, so lots of variations possible
- Squid – surprisingly cute, considering it is a squid!
- Jellyfish – my favourite creation in this book, they are just SO cute, especially in the pastel colours shown
- Pufferfish – also adorable, he would make a cute pendant or earrings too
Kawaii Animal Tutorials
This includes:
- Pig – I made one as a piggy bank for my dolls
- Chicken and Chick – perfect for Easter projects – you could pop one in a toy egg!
- Panda – very easy to convert into a bear (and other animals such as a cat or dog)
- Penguin – one of the best designs, imho. Very cute
- Mouse – I had a glass mouse, just like this, when I was little
Kawaii Electronics and Objects Tutorials
These more unusual projects are:
- Alarm clock – set the hands to whatever time you like!
- Boombox – the perfect charm for a music fan
- Television – very retro looking, and cuter for this
- Rocket Ship – also rather retro, a great charm for young lads
- UFO – complete with little green alien inside!
Kawaii Food Tutorials
The final batch are:
- Ice Cream Sandwiches – three version included, but you could easily create your own “recipes”
- Breakfast Toast – again three versions are included, these are particularly kawaii
- Burger – a nice big, multiple layered burger – the perfect burger!
- Sushi Rolls – they do indeed look like sushi rolls, except they have faces
- Gingerbread man – a semi-opaque chap with a cute red bow tie, very adorable
All the designs could easily be altered with different colours, sizes and additions to make many other variations.
The finished results really do look like lamp glass, but are of course MUCH easier to make.
Summary
This is a great book for anyone who wants to try something new with their resin or polymer clay crafting. The results are very kawaii indeed and would be great for gifts, items for sale and as accessories for many other projects.
The instructions are very clear and I am sure that a beginner with resin and clay would be able to follow them and get great results. More experienced crafters will be able to take the techniques and create many new projects.
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