How To Make Resin Pens

There’s something deeply satisfying about holding a pen you made yourself — one that catches the light, tells a story, and writes just as beautifully as it looks. Resin pen making sits at the intersection of art, chemistry, and craftsmanship, and the best part? You don’t need a workshop full of expensive tools to get started.

Whether you’re a total beginner reaching for your first silicone mold or an experienced crafter ready to push into pen blank turning and lathe work, this guide walks you through every method, every material, and every mistake worth avoiding.

What Exactly Is a Resin Pen?

A resin pen is a writing instrument whose body — the barrel — is cast or coated using epoxy resin, polyester resin, or UV resin. The resin is tinted, filled with glitter, mica powder, dried flowers, alcohol inks, or decorative inclusions, then cured hard and polished to a glass-like finish.

The result is a one-of-a-kind, fully functional pen that doubles as a piece of wearable art. They sell well at craft fairs, make unforgettable gifts, and — once you get the hang of it — take less than 30 minutes of active work per batch.

Two Main Methods: Mold vs. Lathe

Before gathering supplies, decide which method fits your skill level and tools.

Most beginners start with the mold method — and it produces results good enough to sell. The lathe method gives you a rounder, smoother, more refined barrel, but it demands more equipment and patience.

Materials You’ll Need

Getting your supplies right from the start saves you from a sticky, bubbly mess later. Think of this list as your mise en place — everything measured, everything ready before the first drop of resin hits the mold.

For the Mold Method

• Epoxy resin + hardener (1:1 or 2:1 mix ratio, depending on brand)
• Silicone pen blank molds (sized for standard pen refills)
• Ballpoint pen refills with caps included
• Resin colorants — mica powder, alcohol ink, resin pigment paste, or glitter
• Decorative inclusions — dried flowers, foils, crushed stone, sequins
• Disposable measuring cups, stir sticks, and nitrile gloves
• A heat gun or lighter for removing surface bubbles
• Tweezers for placing delicate inclusions
• Sandpaper (various grits, from 400 up to 2000) for post-cure finishing
• Optional: pressure pot at 40–50 PSI for crystal-clear, bubble-free results

For the Lathe/Blank Method (Additional Items)

• Pen turning lathe and mandrel
• Pen kit (includes hardware, clip, tip assembly)
• CA glue (cyanoacrylate) for bonding tube to blank
• MicroMesh sanding pads (1500–12000 grit for polishing)
• Wood blocks (optional, for hybrid resin-wood blanks)

Step-by-Step: Making Resin Pens Using Molds

This is the fastest route from zero to finished pen. Follow these steps precisely, and your first batch will come out clean, bright, and functional.

Step 1 — Prepare Your Workspace

Lay a disposable tablecloth or silicone mat over your work surface. Work in a well-ventilated room — open windows, run a fan, and put on your nitrile gloves and eye protection before opening any resin bottle. Set a timer nearby; resin mixing is time-sensitive and unforgiving of distraction.

Step 2 — Set Up Your Pen Molds

Insert the ballpoint refill into the silicone mold with the writing tip facing downward and the open cap end secured in the mold’s top plug. This keeps the refill centered while the resin fills around it. Place your empty molds on a flat, level surface — even a slight tilt causes an uneven barrel wall.

Step 3 — Mix Your Resin

Measure your resin and hardener according to the manufacturer’s ratio — typically 1:1 by volume for most craft epoxy resins. Pour slowly and mix with a steady, gentle stir for a full 2–3 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the cup. Fast, aggressive stirring whips in air bubbles like egg whites — you want smooth incorporation, not foam.

Step 4 — Add Color and Inclusions

Now comes the creative part. Stir in your mica powder, pigment ink, or alcohol ink first to achieve a uniform base color. Then use tweezers to place dried flowers, glitter, or foils directly into the mold before or after the resin pour, depending on where you want them to sit. Layering the pour — filling halfway, letting it partially set, adding inclusions, then topping off — gives you more control over placement.

Step 5 — Pour Into the Mold

Pour a thin, slow stream of resin down the side of the mold to minimize splashing and trapped air. Fill up to the designated fill line, not beyond. If you overfill, the excess creates flash — rough edges that need sanding later.

Step 6 — Remove Bubbles

Run a heat gun or lighter flame briefly across the surface, moving constantly — never holding it in one spot. The heat breaks the surface tension and pops bubbles on contact. For a professional, completely bubble-free result, place the mold in a pressure pot at 40–50 PSI for the duration of the cure.

Step 7 — Cure for 24–48 Hours

Leave the molds undisturbed at room temperature, ideally between 72–85°F (22–29°C). Most epoxy resins reach a demolding hardness in 24 hours, but a full chemical cure takes 48–72 hours. Rushing demolding risks permanent dents and warping.

Step 8 — Demold and Finish

Peel the silicone mold away carefully, flexing it from all sides. If the surface feels slightly tacky, leave the pens in open air for another 48 hours — they will fully harden. Use the pointed end of an awl or deburring tool to clear the tiny hole at the tip of the pen barrel where the ballpoint nib emerges.

Step 9 — Sand and Polish

Work through wet sandpaper from 400 grit up to 2000 grit, smoothing any imperfections. Finish with a soft cloth and resin polish or a coat of UV resin for a glassy, mirror shine. The difference between a gritty, hazy pen and a crystal-clear showpiece is entirely in these final five minutes.

Step-by-Step: Making Resin Pen Blanks on a Lathe

This method produces results that look genuinely professional — the kind of pen that makes someone ask, “Where did you buy that?”

Step 1 — Cast Your Pen Blank

Mix and color your resin, then pour it into a pen blank mold — a rectangular or cylindrical silicone form roughly the size of your pen body. Cure under pressure at 50 PSI for bubble-free clarity.

Step 2 — Bore and Tube the Blank

Once cured, drill or bore the blank to the exact inner diameter matching your pen kit’s brass tube. Rough up the brass tube with sandpaper, apply medium CA glue, and insert it into the blank with a rotating motion to distribute adhesive evenly.

Step 3 — Mount on Lathe and Turn

Secure the blank on a pen mandrel with the correct bushings, then turn it on the lathe to your desired shape — cigar, slim, European, or custom. Move the tool rest methodically from large cuts to finishing cuts.

Step 4 — Apply a CA Glue Finish

With the lathe spinning, apply 3–4 thin coats of CA glue, curing with activator between each coat. This builds up a hard, durable shell that polishes to a showroom shine.

Step 5 — Sand Through the Grits

Sand from 320 grit through to 12000 grit MicroMesh pads, wet-sanding through the upper grits. Each step removes the scratches from the previous one. The pen goes from dull to a deep, glassy luster that rivals any commercial product.

Step 6 — Assemble the Pen Kit

Press the pen components — clip, tip, refill, twist mechanism — into the barrel using a pen press or padded vice, following your kit’s assembly diagram. A gentle, even press prevents cracking the blank at the final stage.

Popular Decorative Styles

Not every resin pen needs to look the same. Here are the most popular styles crafters are making right now:

Safety First — No Exceptions

Resin is a chemical compound, not craft glitter. Liquid epoxy contains sensitizing agents that can cause skin irritation, allergic reactions, and respiratory irritation with repeated unprotected exposure.

• Always wear nitrile gloves — latex gloves are not sufficient
• Work in a space with active ventilation (open window + fan exhausting outward)
• Wear safety glasses when demolding or sanding
• Use an N95 or P100 respirator when sanding cured resin — the dust is a lung irritant
• Keep resin away from children and pets until fully cured
• Dispose of uncured resin waste responsibly — never pour liquid resin down the drain

Common Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

Every resin crafter has ruined a pour. Here’s what typically goes wrong and how to steer around it:

Key Takeaways

• Two viable methods exist: silicone mold casting for beginners and pen blank turning on a lathe for advanced makers — choose based on your tools and skill level.
• Resin ratios matter critically — a mismeasured mix produces sticky, uncured blanks that cannot be salvaged. Always mix by volume with precision.
• A pressure pot is a game-changer — it eliminates bubbles entirely and produces professional, crystal-clear results without hours of fussing.
• Safety is non-negotiable — liquid resin is a skin and respiratory sensitizer; gloves, ventilation, and eye protection are baseline requirements, not optional extras.
• Finishing makes the pen — the sanding and polishing stages are what separate a cloudy, rough cast from a pen that looks like it was pulled off a luxury retail shelf.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of resin is best for making pens?

Epoxy resin with a 1:1 or 2:1 mix ratio is the most popular choice for pen making because it self-levels, cures clear, and accepts colorants beautifully. Polyester resin cures faster and is cheaper but shrinks slightly and has stronger fumes. For dip-coating existing pens, UV resin is ideal since it cures in seconds under a UV lamp without needing a pressure pot.

How long does it take for resin pens to cure completely?

Most epoxy resin pens reach demolding hardness in 24 hours, but full chemical cure takes 48–72 hours at room temperature. Curing at temperatures below 70°F slows the process significantly. Never rush demolding — a pen pulled too early will dent, warp, or remain permanently tacky on the surface.

Can I make resin pens without a lathe?

Yes, absolutely. Silicone pen molds allow you to cast a fully shaped pen barrel around a standard ballpoint refill without any turning equipment. The mold method produces beautiful, functional pens that are completely beginner-friendly and require nothing more than resin, a mold, and basic mixing supplies.

Why are there bubbles in my resin pen, and how do I fix them?

Bubbles form when resin is mixed too quickly, when the mold is filled too fast, or when the ambient temperature is too cold (which slows the resin and traps air). The most effective fix is placing the filled mold inside a pressure pot at 40–50 PSI — the pressure compresses bubbles to invisibility during the cure. A heat gun or lighter passed briefly over the surface pops surface bubbles before the resin sets.

What can I put inside a resin pen to decorate it?

The decorative possibilities are genuinely vast. Popular resin pen inclusions include dried flowers and pressed botanicals, fine and chunky glitter, holographic foil flakes, mica shimmer powder, alcohol ink swirls, crushed gemstones, metallic leaf, and even tiny photographs printed on transparency film. Anything that fits inside the mold and won’t chemically react with resin is fair game — just ensure inclusions are fully dry before embedding, as moisture causes white cloudiness or adhesion failure.

How do I get a smooth, shiny finish on my resin pen?

Start by wet-sanding the cured pen from 400 grit up through 2000 grit to remove mold lines and micro-scratches. Follow with MicroMesh polishing pads (1500 to 12000 grit) for a deep, glass-like shine. Applying a thin topcoat of UV resin or CA glue while the pen spins on a lathe or cup turner builds up an optically clear, hard-wearing final layer.

How much does it cost to start making resin pens at home?

A basic starter setup — silicone mold, resin, hardener, gloves, measuring cups, and pen refills — typically runs between ₹1,500–₹3,500 in India or $25–$60 USD for a kit that makes 3–6 pens. A pressure pot adds ₹4,000–₹8,000 but is worth every rupee if you want consistent, professional results. The lathe-based method requires a larger upfront investment but opens the door to selling pens at a premium price point.