Meaning & Symbolism Behind Sunflowers

According to flowermeanings.com, the English name for the Sunflower is quite literal and taken from its bright sun-like appearance and so is its scientific name (Helianthus) which combines the Greek words for sun and flower. It’s associated with warmth, positivity, power, strength, and happiness.

Sunflower jewelry screams summer and makes a perfect gift for anyone who loves this special flower. They are so bright and cheery, and every time I see one it lifts my mood. This is why I wanted to try to capture this feeling in jewelry and share it with you! If you love sunflowers as much as I do, this is how I make my earrings so you can make something that lifts your mood too.

How its Made: Materials & Process

Materials

  • Dried sunflowers
  • Earring findings and connectors (I use gold-plated stainless steel for these earrings)
  • UV resin
  • Gold Flakes
  • UV resin mold

Drying the Sunflowers

Sunflower growing in a field.

I grow my sunflowers around my yard every summer, and then dry and store them. There are a few flower-drying methods that could work for these earrings. I choose to hang-dry my sunflowers since I find they keep their color well if dried in a dark place. They also add a bit more texture to flower petals which makes them look beautiful in the resin.

  1. Cut the sunflowers at the stem, making sure to include 2-3 green petals too. This is typically about 6 inches of stem (that’s okay if it’s more.) Morning is the best time to do this.
  2. Due to the size of some sunflowers, I hang each individually so I don’t lose any petals. I wrap the step in twine and wrap that around the shelf or nail on my wall, or a hanger in an unused part of my closet.
  3. Leave the sunflowers hanging in a dark, draftless space for about 2 weeks. The petals will look much smaller and shriveled but should still have a deep yellow color. Touch them gently to make sure they are dry. You will know they are completely dry when they are crisp.
  4. Carefully remove the flowers and remove the yellow petals from the flower and also the green petals from the stem. You can store them like this or cut them up to store.

Preparing the Flowers & Fillers

The dried sunflowers I use in my jewelry are cut up into small confetti-like pieces. I use either crafting scissors or an X-ACTO knife to do this. I make sure to have a majority of yellow flower petals with a quarter of all petals being green leaves. I will cut and keep what I need immediately on a paper plate or scrap piece of paper.

Cut up sunflower petals with a pair of craft scissors beside them.

Making the Resin Pendants

I will do 3 layers of resin to make these earrings with little fillers (flowers and gold flakes) evenly dispersed. This looks like: 

UV resin earring pendant mold that is filled with sunflower petals and resin. A silicon stir stick and gas lighter sit beside the mold. They are all on a silicon crafting mat.

Layer 1: Pour UV resin into a pendant mold a third full, add cut-up flower petals and gold flakes, and cure under a UV lamp for 3-4 minutes.

A UV resin earring pendant mold with sunflower petals and resin sit under a UV light.

Layer 2: Pour UV resin into the pendant mold leaving a very small amount of room at the top, add cut-up flower petals and gold flakes, and cure under a UV lamp for 3-4 minutes.

A UV resin earring pendant mold with sunflower petals and resin is held up to the camera.

Layer 3: Pour a very small layer of UV resin over top spreading it out to the edges. This layer is just to make sure nothing is sticking out of the pendant.

TIPS:

  • During the first layer, use a utensil and spread the resin into the crevices of the mold. This ensures resin gets into the corners of the mold and doesn’t leave a corner off the pendant.
  • Push half of the flowers down to the bottom of the resin layer. They can be tricky and will want to float to the top of the resin if they sit for too long in the resin.
  • A lighter can help remove any bubbles in your resin. Simply light the flame over your resin right before it cures. Be careful, leaving your flame over the resin for too long can cause theresin to get thick and not cure right, burn your flowers, and lessen the life of the mold.
  • Once the final layer of resin cures, flip the mold over and cure the pendant under a UV light for 1-2 minutes. This ensures it is completely cured and easy to remove from the mold.

Assembling the Jewelry

Once the sunflower pendants are cured and removed from the molds, prepare gold jewelry findings. Assembling the earrings is pretty simple. Connect the earring pendants to ear wires using two connectors (I use 5mm connectors) per earring and a pair or two of jewelry pliers. Two sets of pliers helps you open the jump rings the right way.

A close up of a women wearing sunflower resin bar earrings which are attached to gold French wires.

Storing Jewelry & Jewelry Care

It’s important to keep your jewelry out of direct sunlight, out of water, and away from harsh chemicals like perfumes and lotions. It’s recommended you store your resin jewelry in a dark, cool place.

For every pair of sunflower earrings I sell in my Etsy shop, I include a jewelry box and polishing cloth. These are to ensure the earrings are stored out of sunlight and can be easily cleaned after wearing. 

This is a frequently asked question I get about my jewelry, and like to include helpful info with every purchase.

Conclusion

Sunflower jewelry is a rewarding way to capture the beauty and positivity of these gorgeous flowers. By carefully drying the sunflowers, preparing the petals, and creating the resin pendants in layers, you can make stunning pieces that brighten any day. I hope this guide gives you a glimpse into the process behind making sunflower earrings and what makes them such a popular jewelry choice.

If you make your own sunflower jewelry, let me know how it goes or shop the collection.