So, the other day I was looking at my big money plant, the one that’s kinda taking over the windowsill, and I thought, wouldn’t it be neat to carry a tiny bit of it around? Like for good luck, you know? That’s how this whole money plant key ring idea popped into my head. Seemed simple enough.
Getting Started
First things first, I had to get my bits and pieces together. Wasn’t much, really:
- A small cutting from my money plant. I picked a nice little leaf, not too big.
- Some clear epoxy resin. I just used a kit I already had lying around from another project I half-finished.
- A small silicone mold. I found one that was sort of a flat circle shape, seemed about right for a key ring.
- The actual key ring loop and chain thingy.
- Stuff for mixing – cups, stir sticks, gloves. Resin is messy stuff, learned that the hard way before.
I snipped off a leaf and let it sit out for a day or so, hoping it would dry just enough not to go weird inside the resin. Not sure if that was the right thing to do, but it felt right.
Making the Thing
Alright, so mixing the resin. You gotta get the ratio right, the A part and the B part. I just followed the instructions on the bottle, stirred it slow like they say, trying not to get too many bubbles in there. Easier said than done, honestly.
Then I poured a thin layer into the bottom of that little circle mold. Just enough to cover the base. I let that sit for maybe 20 minutes? Just until it got a bit tacky, not fully hard.
Next, I carefully placed the money plant leaf onto that sticky layer. Tried to position it nicely in the middle. Fiddly work with gloves on!
After the leaf was in place, I mixed up a tiny bit more resin and poured it over the top, making sure the leaf was completely covered. Filled it right up to the top of the mold. Then came the hardest part: waiting. The package said 24 hours to cure, felt like forever. I just left it on a level spot out of the way.
The Result
The next day, I was pretty keen to see how it turned out. Popping it out of the silicone mold is always the fun bit. It came out pretty clean! There were a couple of tiny bubbles near the edge, but nothing major. The leaf looked cool suspended in there.
The edges were a little sharp, so I gave them a quick sand with some fine sandpaper, just smoothed them off a bit. Then I had to attach the key ring part. I used a small hand drill to make a tiny hole near the top edge – went slow so I didn’t crack the resin. Then just threaded the little screw eye thingy in, attached the chain and the ring, and bam! Money plant key ring.
It’s not perfect, definitely looks handmade, but I kinda like it that way. Feels more personal. Now I’ve got a little piece of my plant with me when I grab my keys. Pretty neat little project, didn’t take too much effort either, mostly just waiting time.
