This driftwood resin hairpins project started with a holiday beach find. We collected a bag of weathered driftwood pieces, let them dry at home, and turned the best pieces into wearable handmade hairpins with colored resin tips.
In this tutorial, I share the full process I used: selecting wood, building tape molds, casting in two rounds, sanding, and sealing with UV resin for a glossy durable finish.
Materials for Driftwood Resin Hairpins
- Driftwood pieces (15-20 cm, solid, not brittle)
- Optional oak blocks for future pendants
- Liquid resin dye (blue, turquoise, purple, black, green)
- letsresin epoxy resin
- Resin tape (DE) / Resin tape (BE)
- Mixing cups and stir sticks
- Foam or polystyrene support to keep pieces upright
- letsresin UV resin + UV lamp
- Mini belt sander
Step 1: Select and Prepare the Driftwood
Choose pieces that are long enough to hold an updo, slim enough to slide through hair, and strong enough not to crack. The weathered texture is exactly what makes this style special.
Step 2: Mix Colors and Remove Bubbles
I mix the colors with liquid resin dye and remove bubbles before pouring. If you want details on this workflow, read my Resiners AirLess Bubble Remover review.
Step 3: Cast in Two Rounds
Wrap resin tape tightly around one end of each piece and pour the top cap first. Let it cure for 24-48 hours. Then flip each hairpin, make a second tape mold on the tip, and pour again. This two-stage process gives cleaner, stronger ends.
Step 4: Shape and Sand
Use a mini belt sander to remove overflow and shape a smooth pointed tip. After sanding, resin looks matte, which is normal before top coating.
Step 5: UV Resin Finish
- Cure each UV layer for at least 90 seconds
- Apply multiple thin coats, not one thick coat
- After final cure, place the piece in water for 240 seconds to reduce sticky residue
Result and Next Project
Every driftwood piece is different, so every hairpin is unique. That is exactly why I love this project. The next article will use the prepared oak pieces to make matching resin pendants.