In a world that feels more and more digital, there's something really special about creating something handmade. It's a chance to make something real — a little more intentional, a little more personal, and completely unique.
In this tutorial, resin artist Haley Crespo of Haley Made (Toronto, ON) shows us how to create custom resin pet tags using glitter, letter beads, and a few simple tools. Each tag is one-of-a-kind — just like the pets they're made for.
“I’m going to make tags for all of my friends’ pets. It’s the perfect little gift, the perfect little craft you can do with your friends at night.”
If you've been curious about resin but aren't sure where to start, this is the perfect beginner project and an easy way to get creative!
Materials You'll Need
• Pet tag silicone molds: Haley used fish & a bone shaped molds
• Glitter: Haley used blue & green sequins & purple iridescent glitter
• Letter Beads: to spell out the pet's name
• Gloves to protect your hands
• A Small Silicone Mixing Cup with ml markings, for 10 ml measurements
• Mixing Stick
• A Bowl or Container for the warm water bath
• ArtResin epoxy resin
• Paper Towel to dry off bottles after water bath
• Hardware for tags or keychains
• Needle nose Pliers (x 2) pairs for attaching jump rings
Watch the full video tutorial:
Step 1: Warm Water Bath
First up is giving the resin and hardener bottles a warm water bath. This step is important, especially when you're pouring into silicone molds.
Warmth thins out the resin so it flows better and bubbles release more easily.
Haley heats water in a kettle, pours it into a bowl and lets it to cool until it feels like a warm bath. Then she places the tightly capped resin and hardener bottles in, making sure they're not submerged, and lets them sit for about 15 minutes.
While the resin warms up, Haley plans her designs out: the colors, glitter choices and lettering.
"It's good to have all of your creative decisions done now because when you pour the resin, you have a limited amount of time."
She uses letter beads to make two tags:
- A bone tag for her cousin's dog Sumo, in a blue and green
- A fish tag for her cat Ollie in purple sparkles
She places the letter beads into the molds first so they're ready for resin.
Step 2: Mix the ArtResin
Once the resin is warmed, Haley takes the bottles out of the bowl and dries them with paper towel before she opens them.
💡 TIP: This step is important: resin and water don't mix and even a little moisture can make the final piece cloudy.
Using a small silicone measuring cup with a spout for control, Haley measures:
- 10 ml resin
- 10 ml hardener
She slowly stirs the mix for about 5 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the cup as she goes.
"You don't want to mix it up too fast or you're going to introduce a lot of air bubbles. Mix it slowly to get both parts integrated."
Step 3: Create the Pet Tags
Now for the fun part ... creating the tags!
Haley pours the resin slowly and carefully. She pours close to the mold, gently squeezing the spout for better control and less bubbles.
First up is Sumo's tag. She places a small amount of the blue and green glitter into her hand so she can place it more intentionally. She sprinkles it evenly into the resin, making sure the whole surface is covered.
Then she uses a craft stick to gently makes circular motions, softly submerging the glitter into the resin and being careful not to move the letter beads underneath.
"The biggest thing I would avoid is touching the letters on the bottom, Make sure they're in place, not moving or getting air bubbles under them."
She takes a look at her work so far, and decides to add extra glitter in areas that need a bit more color, followed by gently submerging them in the resin with the craft stick.
For Ollie's tag, she lightly taps in purple glitter evenly across the resin.
Then she takes a clean craft stick (to avoid mixing glitter between her tags) and repeats the gentle swirling to coat the glitter with resin.
Once she's happy with how everything looks, Haley removes surface bubbles using a BBQ lighter (but you can also use a heat gun, or a very light pass with a torch.)
Finally she covers the molds with a dust cover and lets it cure for 24 hours.
Step 4: Add the Hardware
Once cured, Haley demolds the tags. The molds create a built-in hole for jump rings, making it really easy to add the hardware.
She loops the jump ring through the hole and uses two pairs of pliers to securely close each ring. The tags can be attached to a pet's collar or used as a cute keychain for their owner.
The finished tags are colorful, personal, and completely unique — perfect for pets who deserve something made just for them!
And just like that, you've got a set of custom resin pet tags — playful, personalized and totally one-of-a-kind. It's something you can actually use (or gift to someone who will love it even more!)
💡 TIP: If you liked this project, check out Haley's tutorial How To Make Resin Hair Clips — another fun way to play with color, glitter and everyday creativity.
Big thanks to Haley!
To see more of her work, please visit:
Her website at haleymade.ca
Her Instagram page at @haleymadeshop
ArtResin: The Original Epoxy for Resin Art
