10/21/2026
Rainbow Butterfly Trinket Tray — Tutorial
By Sunshine Designz — Spreading sunshine, one design at a time. 💛
This is the tray from my shop: a rainbow-striped oval trinket tray with butterflies sealed under a glassy clear coat. Perfect for keys, rings, earrings, and all the little treasures that end up on your nightstand.
!Finished rainbow butterfly tray
What you'll need
• Oval silicone tray mold
• Bond Craftor epoxy resin (2-part A + B kit) — shop it here
• Bond Craftor mica powder set (24 colors) — shop it here
• Butterfly decals (resin-safe stickers or waterslide decals)
• Rainbow iridescent glitter
• A soft, dry brush for dusting the mica (a small paintbrush or makeup brush works great)
• Mixing cups, wooden stir sticks, gloves, a silicone mat
• Heat gun or kitchen torch, and a toothpick for stubborn bubbles
• A level surface and something to cover the mold while it cures (dust is the enemy!)
— those are my affiliate links, so I earn a small commission if you shop through them, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my little business!
!My Bond Craftor supplies
Safety first
• Wear gloves and work in a ventilated room. A respirator is smart if you're pouring often.
• Never use resin tools or cups for food, and keep uncured resin away from kids and pets.
• Don't pour leftover resin down the drain — let it cure in the cup and toss it.
Step by step
1. Prep your mold
Clean the mold (lint and dust show up forever in resin) and set it on a level surface. Put on your gloves. The inside of the mold is what becomes the top face of your tray, so everything you do here shows up in the finished piece.
2. Dust the rainbow
This is the key step — you do not tint the resin. Instead, dust the dry mica powders directly onto the inside of the mold in stripes, working from one end to the other:
pink → orange/gold → yellow → green → teal/blue → purple.
Use a soft, dry brush and a light hand, tapping off the excess before moving to the next color. The soft blending where the bands meet is part of the look — that's what gives the tray its dreamy rainbow fade. Once a section is dusted, don't touch it; the powder sits loose until the resin locks it in. Dusting puts all the shimmer right on the tray's face, which is why the colors come out so vivid.
3. Pour the clear resin
Mix Bond Craftor epoxy resin A and B at the ratio on your kit (1:1 by volume), stirring slowly for 3–5 minutes and scraping the sides and bottom of the cup. Slow stirring is the secret — fast whipping just makes bubbles. If your resin is cold or thick, warm the bottles in a warm water bath for a few minutes first.
Pour the clear resin slowly into the mold, letting it flow over the dusted mica. Then give the surface a quick, moving pass with a heat gun or torch — never hold it in one spot or you'll scorch the mold — and chase any edge bubbles with a toothpick. Do a second pass about 10–15 minutes later for bubbles that rise as the resin settles.
!Mica dusted in stripes, clear resin poured over
4. Cure and demold
Cover the mold to keep dust off and let it cure. Demold after about 24 hours, and let the tray finish curing so it's fully hard before the next step.
5. Place the butterflies and seal with glitter
Once the tray is cured, lay your butterfly decals face-up on the tray's top face, arranging them across the rainbow stripes. Then mix a small batch of clear resin, stir in rainbow iridescent glitter, and pour a thin, even layer over the whole top. This locks the butterflies in and adds that extra sparkle. Cover it again and let this coat cure fully before handling.
6. Finish the edges
Trim any thin flash (overflow edge) with scissors or a craft knife. If an edge feels rough, wet-sand it gently with fine-grit sandpaper (1000+) and wipe clean.
Care for your tray
• Wipe with a damp cloth. That's it!
• Use it for jewelry, keys, and trinkets — not for serving food directly.
• Keep it out of long, direct sunlight to avoid yellowing over time.
Troubleshooting
• Stripes looking muddy? Use a lighter hand with the brush and tap off the excess between colors. A little soft blending at the edges is normal — it's what makes the rainbow fade look dreamy.
• Patchy or faint color? Dust a second light layer over the thin spots before you pour. Don't blow on the powder to spread it — you'll just scatter it.
• Bubbles everywhere? Warm the resin, stir slower, pour slower, and do that second heat-gun pass.
• Butterfly edges lifting? Make sure the cured tray surface is clean and dust-free before placing them, and pour the glitter coat thick enough to cover every edge.
• Glitter clumping? Stir it into the resin right before you pour, and keep the coat thin and even.
• Still sticky after 24 hours? Usually a measuring or mixing issue — measure carefully and stir the full time.
Made with love
If you make one, I'd love to see it! Tag so I can cheer you on. And if you'd rather skip the mess, this tray is available in my shop; link in bio. 💛
