DIY End Table with Leaves and Resin

Many projects (both small and large) incorporate dried or faux leaves, flowers, or other foliage in resin. The project that we’re talking through today will definitely help you live your best cottagecore dreams. Spruce up any living space or book nook by creating your very own resin side table with a seasonal floral design.

Let's start with a list of the supplies you'll need.

What You'll Need:

• ProMarine Supplies Table Top Epoxy Resin
• Circular end table
• Measuring and mixing buckets
• Paint sticks
• Dried or fake leaves/plants
• Gloves
• Safety glasses
• Craft tweezers
• Plastic cups

Step 1: Set Up Your Workspace

Gather all your supplies in your workspace. To help with cleanup and the inevitable epoxy drips, we recommend covering your work surface with plastic sheets.

If your side table is already assembled, we suggest removing the legs. We’ll be applying resin only to the top of the end table, so it helps to remove anything that might get in the way.

Before working with the resin, don’t forget to put on your gloves and safety glasses.

Step 2: Measure, Mix, and Pour

Pour equal parts A and B into the same measuring cup. The amount you’ll need depends on the size of the surface that you’re working with. For our table, we used roughly 30 ounces for the initial coat and still had some left over. For help with calculating how much epoxy you’ll need, check out our resin calculator!

Combine until there are no visible striations in the mixture. Mixing slowly will help minimize the bubbles.

Elevate the table’s surface a little above the plastic sheets so that the resin can flow off its sides easily. A simple method is to place it upon four upside-down plastic cups.

Pour some resin onto the center of the table, but don’t cover the entire surface. Then, use a paint stick to smooth that resin into a thin layer.

You’ll find that some resin will drip from the table's edges, which is when drip management comes into play. You can use a gloved hand or a paint stick to clear these drips as they occur. If you’d rather wait to deal with them until later, you’ll probably need to sand them down. If you choose to sand them, we have a guide that will help!

Allow the resin to cure for around 1.5 hours until it gets tacky. Once it’s tacky, it’s time to decorate.

Step 3: Decorate with Leaves

If you decide to use fresh foliage for your table, don’t forget to dry it beforehand. The drying process is essential for removing excess moisture from the plants. Moisture can cause bubbles to develop in the resin, so drying organic material like plants is a handy technique to prevent bubbles. If you use fake leaves like we did, moisture won’t be an issue.

Place your plants in the resin, pressing down gently using a set of craft tweezers.

Here’s where you can let your imagination run wild. There’s no set design you must follow. Adorn your DIY side table in whatever way speaks to you!

We used an autumn color palette to celebrate the coming season.

Step 4: Coat Your Design

You can wait until the first layer cures for a bit before pouring the topcoat, or you can pour it right away. When the time comes, mix up another 30 ounces or so of resin and move on to pouring the topcoat.

Coat the entire table and allow the resin to self-level.

Step 5: Let It Cure

Manage any additional resin drips as they occur and allow the resin to cure fully. When it’s done curing, you’ll have your own resin leaf side table with a smooth and shiny surface!

Whether you managed the dripping resin as it occurred or decided to wait, there is still a chance you’ll need to do some sanding and polishing. Add additional top coats as needed after sanding to achieve the look you want.

Once the resin has cured, reassemble your table, and then it’s ready for display!

Here’s what our finished table looks like:

You can make a DIY side table like this with any kind of plants or flowers that you can make relatively flat. Take a look at another example we made in the workshop:

What kinds of plants would you like to encapsulate in your resin table? This completely customizable project can liven up any plain surface, helping you achieve your cottagecore dreams.

Tag us on social media for a chance to have your resin tables or other creations shared within our DIY community! Or let us know what kinds of projects you’d like to see tutorials for in the future.

Happy crafting!