Slåinte, epoxy pros! The 17th is fast approaching, which means that today, we’ll be taking a look at some common symbolic elements that appear around St. Patrick’s Day and how you can integrate them into your resin crafts. First, let’s briefly dive into some history surrounding the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day.
Who is St. Patrick?
St. Patrick was
a priest and patron saint of Ireland who lived into the fifth century. However, the celebrations surrounding him didn’t begin until 12 centuries later, on March 17th, 1631. Historical developments eventually shaped St. Patrick’s Day into our more modern festivities, which include green as far as the eye can see, shamrocks galore, parades, and an abundance of Irish music.
Let’s discuss the specifics of some of the most common St. Patrick’s Day symbols.
1: The Color Green
Most of us are no strangers to the abundance of green that surfaces around this time of year. But why is green so commonly associated with St. Patrick’s Day in the first place? There are a variety of reasons—some symbolic and some poetic—that serve to unite these concepts. These include honoring Ireland’s beautiful landscapes, the country’s apt nickname (
The Emerald Isle), and the green stripe of Ireland’s flag.
Although green can be seen for miles in every modern St. Patrick’s Day celebration, it wasn’t
until 1798—the year of the Irish Rebellion, that the color green was associated with the holiday. Nowadays, green is incorporated into foods and drinks, outfits, decorations, and more to channel the spirit of Ireland.
If you decide to join in on the festivities by creating some St. Patty’s Day crafts with friends and family, green is a great go-to color! With resin crafting, you can achieve
vibrant coloration through the use of dyes, mica powders, and even homemade concoctions. Stay tuned for images of St. Patrick’s Day-inspired crafts at the end of this article.
2: Shamrocks
The shamrock (
traditionally spelled seamróg in Irish) is a widely recognized symbol of both Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day. Experts have identified this symbolic “summer plant” as Trifolium repens, the white clover. Native to Europe and Asia, these little guys can also be found across the continental United States.
What Does It Represent?
The shamrock is not only a long-standing icon of Irish history, but it also represents more whimsical folkloric elements that have survived antiquity. Most commonly, we associate good luck with the rare appearance of a white clover sporting more than three leaves.
See if you can find any four-leaf white clovers of your own to use in your decor this season. They’re only 1-in-10,000!
How to Use Shamrocks in Resin Crafts
Previously, we’ve discussed the process of
encapsulating flowers in resin, which involves the use of products like silica gel to dry the plants out. Drying out organic matter like plants before encasing them in resin helps to reduce the number of bubbles that crop up, increasing the likelihood of a successful glossy finish.
As with flowers, you can purchase fake shamrocks online or pick your own and integrate them into a variety of crafts. Think bookmarks, jewelry, trays, paperweights, coasters, and more until your home is as vibrant and emerald as the grassy hills of Ireland.
3: The Celtic Knot
What is It?
The Celtic knot is an intricate symbol or motif from Celtic culture that exists in a variety of forms, each representing an area of significance in one’s life, such as friendship, love, or strength. One of the most interesting features of the Celtic Knot is that there is seemingly
no end or beginning to the looping patterns.
These designs have existed for centuries and are presently used in architecture, jewelry and clothing, dishware, ornaments, and beyond. There are
several different styles of Celtic knots, some more common than others. These include the triquetra, the shield knot, the love knot, the Celtic spiral knot, and the sailor’s knot.
How to Use the Celtic Knot in Your Resin Crafts
Celtic knots are pretty intricate, but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to include them in your resin work. There are a number of different molds that you can purchase online to create your own versions of preexisting designs. Silicone molds are great for resin-casting applications, so you can use one to cast your own Celtic knot in any color you want and then use it, for example, as a pendant.
4: Harp + Irish Music
What Is It?
The harp is a beautiful musical instrument that is played by plucking at a series of strings spanning its height. There are numerous kinds of harps, including both Irish and Gaelic varieties. Depending on its shape and size, a harp can be played either standing up or sitting down.
Harps and Irish History
There have been various dips and resurgences in the popularity of the harp over hundreds of years. The
Celtic harp’s origins, specifically, can be traced back a thousand years. The oldest depictions of this instrument were found among stone sculptures dating back to the eighth or ninth century. Despite being one of the oldest instruments in musical history, the harp’s sweet tones ring true across many different genres of music today.
Not only can the elegant and diverse designs of harps serve as inspiration, but music itself also plays an enormous role in our daily lives. If you’re a fan of music in all its forms, consider implementing musical notes or designs that remind you of your favorite instruments in your St. Patty’s Day crafts.
St. Patty’s Day Crafts Examples
Here are some festive examples of resin crafts that could have been inspired by some of the symbols we associate with St. Patrick’s Day!
We’re seeing green for miles with
@fridasmallo.designs resin glistening emerald houseware. Just look at the detail!
Green and gold is the perfect St. Patty’s Day combo in these coasters created by
@foreveryourscandida on Instagram!
Last, but certainly not least, from the St. Patrick’s Day enthusiasts at ProMarine Supplies came this cute shamrock-bead necklace! Created using
ProMarine Supplies Table Top Epoxy Resin, this simple-to-make necklace contains a shamrock bead embedded in a circle of epoxy resin.
Check out the post celebrating this necklace, and our Shamrock Sale,
here.
Talk to Us at ProMarine Supplies
If you’ve created some epoxy resin crafts inspired by St. Patrick’s Day or Ireland, we’d love to see them! Share your projects with us on our various
social media pages for a chance to be featured there.
Today, we’d like to leave you with this poetic Irish blessing:
May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rain falls soft upon your
Field and until we meet again…
… happy crafting, epoxy pros!
