The Story Behind Rachel Makes Resin

When people see the finished wedding preservations I create today, they often don’t realise how it all started.

Five and a half years ago, Rachel Makes Resin didn’t exist. I wasn’t preserving bridal flowers or creating keepsakes for couples across the UK. I was simply trying to find something creative to do during lockdown.

Looking back now, it’s amazing how a small hobby turned into a business I genuinely love.

 

Discovering Resin During Lockdown

In 2020, I was furloughed from my childcare job during lockdown and suddenly had a lot more free time than usual. Like many people, I needed something to focus on - something creative to keep me busy.

At first, I started sewing, but not long after, I discovered resin… and I became completely obsessed.

I spent hours experimenting with colours, moulds, and designs, making coaster after coaster and keyring after keyring. Before long, I had created far more than I could ever keep for myself.

That’s when the idea of opening an Etsy shop first came to mind.

In December 2020, I took the leap and officially launched Rachel Makes Resin.

 

The Early Days of Rachel Makes Resin

The first products I sold were resin keyrings and hair clips, and honestly, I never expected them to become as popular as they did.

2021 became a year of learning and experimenting. I tested new designs, explored different techniques, and slowly started understanding what customers loved most. There were definitely products that flopped along the way too - but that’s all part of building a handmade business.

By the end of the year, I had reached around 200 Etsy sales, which felt like such a huge milestone at the time.

I remember constantly hoping one of my videos would go viral and magically transform everything overnight 😅

But even though the business was still small, those early years gave me something really important - confidence.

Confidence that maybe this hobby could become something bigger.

 

How Flower Preservation Changed Everything

In 2022, I discovered pressed flowers, and that completely changed the direction of my business.

My mum has always loved gardening, which meant I suddenly became very interested in “borrowing” flowers from her garden to experiment with 🌼

I started creating bookmarks, wall hangings, and floral resin pieces using pressed flowers, and although I loved making them, sales were slow.

There were moments where I genuinely questioned whether I should continue.

Then, towards the end of the year, a friend asked me to preserve her flowers and turn them into keepsakes.

That experience stayed with me.

For the first time, I realised that flower preservation wasn’t just about creating something pretty - it was about preserving memories, emotions, and meaningful moments.

I loved the process of carefully drying and preserving flowers that held sentimental value, and from that point onwards, I knew I wanted flower preservation to become a much bigger part of Rachel Makes Resin.

 

Preserving My First Wedding Bouquets

By 2023, I started preserving my first bridal bouquets and turning them into wall hangings and keepsakes.

At the same time, I introduced anniversary date frames - originally intended as wedding gifts rather than keepsakes made with real flowers.

At first, sales were incredibly slow. I think I sold just three frames in the first three months 😅

Then everything suddenly changed.

One TikTok video featuring my date frames unexpectedly went viral, reaching over 250,000 views. Within just two months, I created more than 30 personalised frames for couples across the UK.

That viral moment helped me realise exactly who I wanted to create for.

Couples celebrating one of the most important days of their lives.

From then on, I began focusing more intentionally on wedding flower preservation - which has now become the heart of my business.

 

Balancing Business, Marketing & Life Changes

2024 was probably one of the busiest years I’ve ever had.

I left my childcare role and started working in marketing while also beginning an apprenticeship - all during wedding season.

Trying to balance a growing business, customer orders, coursework, and a completely new career path was challenging to say the least 😵💫

This was also the year I wanted to build my own website, but finding the time (and figuring out how to even start) felt impossible at times.

Even so, I still managed to preserve over 100 wedding bouquets throughout the year.

That alone felt like a huge achievement.

More than anything, 2024 taught me how to balance creativity, work, and personal growth while continuing to build Rachel Makes Resin in a way that felt sustainable long-term.

 

Building the Business I Dreamed Of

By 2025, things started falling into place.

I expanded my keepsake range to include resin blocks and learned how to dry flowers using silica sand - a technique that completely transformed the quality and style of the keepsakes I could create.

It was also a huge personal milestone year for me outside of business too.

I:

Launched my own website

Completed my marketing apprenticeship with a Distinction

Started a new role in marketing

Bought my first home

And perhaps most exciting of all, moving house meant I finally had my own dedicated studio space.

After five years of working from my bedroom, having a proper workspace for preserving flowers honestly felt surreal.

 

A 2 Million-View TikTok & Looking Ahead

Then came 2026.

At the start of the year, I posted another TikTok video - and this time it reached over two million views.

Seeing Rachel Makes Resin grow from a lockdown hobby into a recognised flower preservation business has honestly been such an emotional journey.

What started with resin keyrings and coasters has now become a business focused on preserving some of people’s most treasured memories through wedding flowers.

And the most exciting part is that it still feels like just the beginning.