How to Make a Gorgeous Resin Rose Bubble Ring with UV Resin

My hands get some pretty rough treatment in the studio and because they are always in front of the camera, I get a regular manicure to keep them looking good. You've probably noticed that my nails are always a different colour!

UV Resin Rose bead set in a silver filigree ring base.

Whilst visiting my nail technician last week, I noticed she had some gorgeous miniature 3D bubble roses on her nails and I realised immediately that this was something that we could do with UV jewellery resin. It's just a matter of building up layers of resin and painting each layer with colour.

Pastel Pink UV resin rose bead with gold bead caviar centre, set in a silver filigree ring.

In the nail world, they paint the rose petals with gel nail polish but I've used alcohol inks which worked just fine.

Two UV Resin rose rings, one light pink and one dark pink, displayed on a white ring cone.

So here's what you'll need to make your own jewellery-sized version of the resin bubble rose.

UV resin
Pinata Alcohol inks. I used Señorita Magenta and White (the white gives the pink some opacity and some depth).
Claro Extender (for when the alcohol inks dry on the palette)
Gold Bead Caviar (aka microbeads)
Tool to build the bead on. I used a ball tool and had difficulties removing it as you'll see below, so I recommend you use a needle tool
UV Nail Lamp - at least 9 watt. I recommend the type with UV tubes as it cures the resin better than the LED ones)
Paintbrush
Paint palette or plastic lid
Rubbing alcohol
JoolTool or metal file to grind the bottom of the bead flat

To turn your bead into a ring, you'll need:

a filigree ring base
5-minute epoxy adhesive
chain nose pliers

How to Make a UV Resin Rose Bead

Start by applying a bead of resin to the tip of the ball tool.

Applying one drop of UV resin to the point of the needle tool.

Place it under the UV lamp to cure. You'll need to rotate the tool constantly so the resin doesn't drip or cure lopsided. This will take several minutes depending on your nail lamp.

Placing the UV resin into the nail lamp to cure.

Apply another layer of resin over the cured resin and dip the ball into the bead caviar. This will become the stamens of the rose. Then place it under the nail lamp again, constantly rotating it until the resin has gelled and the beads have adhered.

Dipping the point of the needle tool into the jar of gold bead caviar to coat the resin.

Apply a coat of resin over the bead caviar and cure it under the nail lamp, rotating it until the resin gels.

Squeeze a drop of white and pink alcohol ink onto the palette and dip your brush into each colour. Paint three of four petals around the resin ball. You want them to cup the caviar a little.

Using the paint brush to paint the alcohol ink petals around the sides of the resin ball.

One layer of light pink petals painted around the base of the resin ball with the gold bead caviar in the centre.

Once the alcohol ink has dried, apply a coat of resin to the whole ball and cure as before. If you apply a thick layer then it will take more time to cure. If your layer is thin, then you'll need to apply a second coat.

Applying a layer of UV resin onto the alcohol ink and spreading it over the painted petals.

Curing the next layer of resin under the UV light.

Paint another layer of petals on the resin, lining them up in between the petals of the first layer and sitting slightly lower.

Using the paint brush to paint a second layer of darker pink petals in between the gaps in the first layer of petals.

Continue adding layers of resin and alcohol ink until your bead is the size that you want.

The final bead showing all the layers of petals, ready to be removed from the needle tool.

The bead should be easy to remove from the needle - just give it a twist and pull it off.

Twisting the bead to release it from the needle tool.

Now you need to flatten the bottom so that it will sit on the ring base. I used the JoolTool with a grinding disk because it removes the excess material so quickly and you can see what you're doing as the ninja disk rotates. I absolutely love this tool! But you could just as easily use a hand file to get the same result.

Using the JoolTool to grind the bottom of the bead flat.

Turn the Resin Rose Bead into a Ring

Use the pliers to open out the prongs on the ring base a little so that the bead sits snugly.

Use the chain nose pliers to open out the claws of the filigree ring base so the bead will fit.

Mix up the 5-minute epoxy and apply some to the base of the bead. See how to mix it properly.

Applying the five minute epoxy to the base of the bead with a wooden stir stick

Press the bead into the ring base and hold it in position for a couple of minutes.

Pressing the bead firmly into the filigree ring base.

And now your Resin Rose Bubble ring is ready to wear!

Avoid this mistake!

For the first bead I made, it seemed like a good idea to form the UV resin around the tip of a ball tool but the round ball tip was now encased inside the resin and impossible to remove!

To get it off, I had to use the grinding attachment on my Her Embosser Tool to remove the base of the bead.

Then I had to switch to the drill to drill out the resin from around the spindle of the ball tool. I was lucky that the metal spindle of the ball tool came out of the wooden handle so that I could drill almost vertically down to the ball tip without the wooden handle getting in the way.