How to Decorate With Gold Leaf

For a gold finish that will last years, don't use gold spray paint, which fades to a dull brown; finish in gold leaf. Gold leaf application is a process dubbed gilding, and it can be done with sheets of real gold, imitation gold leafing or other thin sheets of metal. Adding gold leafing to the tiniest details throughout a home adds a traditional flair to everyday objects.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Book of gold leaf sheets
• Gold size
• Acrylic paint or colored primer
• Three or four soft paint brushes
• Scissors
• Sandpaper
• Soft cloth
• Tack cloth
• Form-fitting, non-restricting gloves
• Clear lacquer spray
• Masking tape
• Newspaper

1. Prepare the object you will be gilding by placing masking tape over areas you don't want gilded. Prepare the surrounding areas by placing newspaper over your work area to prevent spills and stains on floors, tables or other furniture.

2. Sandpaper the area or object to be gilded. Removing imperfections and rough spots will prevent your gold leaf sheets from unnecessary wrinkling and from ruptures and tears. Use the tack cloth to wipe away dust created by sanding.

3. Paint the area to be gilded with the acrylic paint or the colored primer. You can choose whichever shade you wish; different shades create different undertones. For more information on primer colors and the undertones they produce, visit
   www.gildedplanet.com/bole_colorcenter.asp.

4. Let the acrylic paint or primer dry for the amount of time specified by the product's instructions. After your base coat has dried, begin applying gold size to the area or object to be gilded. Apply the size with a paintbrush and try to make the layer of size even. There are different types of gold size that have different looks when dried, some of which take much longer to dry, but they in turn will offer more time to apply the gold leafing before the size loses its stickiness.

5. Allow the size to dry until it reaches a tacky state. At this tacky state the gold leaf sheets may be applied. You can test the tackiness with your finger, or you can do a test run of gilding on a scrap of wood. The size needs to be tacky enough for the leaf sheets to stick easily and should remind you of putting your finger on a glue stick.

6. Hold a sheet of gold leaf in your gloved hands like a piece of linen and lay it onto the tacked surface. Use a soft paintbrush to smooth the gold leaf sheet onto the surface and remove air bubbles that may have formed between the sheet and the surface. After the gilding is complete, spray the finished décor with clear lacquer spray to preserve the metallic glow.

Tips & Warnings

• Do a test run on a scrap piece of wood; it will help you decide which color of primer to use for your base and will assist in finding the perfect tackiness for applying the sheets of gold leaf.

Resources

• Base Color Learning Center