How to Apply Gold Leaf to Cards
Sold in sheet or flake form at rubber stamping, art supply and craft stores, gold leaf is an ultra-thin foil used as a metallic overlay for craft and home decor projects. If you're creating handmade greeting cards, give the projects an elegant finish with a border or accent coated with lustrous gold. The gilding technique is so simple, you may also want to use the process to adorn objects that range from wood picture frames to dollar store candle holders.
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Things You'll Need
- Newspaper or old tablecloth
- Blank card
- White glue
- Paintbrush, stencil and stencil brush or rubber stamp
- Corn starch or baby powder
- Gold leaf flakes
- Stiff paintbrush
- Glaze or sealer
Instructions
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1
Cover your work table with newspaper or an old tablecloth to keep adhesive residue and gold flecks off of the surface. Place a blank card face up on the tabletop.
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2
Create an accent for your greeting card by applying white glue like "paint" to the center of the card. Use a paintbrush to draw a shape, brush glue over a shape stencil with a stencil brush or apply the glue to a rubber stamp and press the stamp onto the surface of the card.
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3
Design a border for your card by applying a line of white glue around the outer edge, at least 1/2 inch in from the sides. Squirt the glue directly from the bottle or apply it with a paintbrush for greater control. Create straight or wavy lines, decorative flourishes or dots, for example.
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4
Allow the white glue that forms the accent and border to dry until it has hardened and is tacky to the touch.
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5
Dip your thumb and index finger in corn starch or baby powder to absorb oils that will cause the gold flakes to stick to your fingertips.
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6
Open the package of gold leaf flakes slowly to keep the flakes from fluttering out. Grab a pinch of flakes between your thumb and index finger.
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Press the gold leaf flakes onto the card's accent and border so the flakes will adhere to the tacky adhesive. Continue pressing on more flakes until you've covered the adhesive completely--it's okay if the flakes go outside the edges of the design.
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Brush away the excess flakes with a dry, stiff paintbrush. Move the bristles slowly around the edges of the tacky glue to break off the flakes that aren't stuck to the adhesive, leaving a clean, gilded design.
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Leave the design "as is" or coat it with a light layer of decoupage glaze or sealer to keep the gold flakes from chipping off. Allow the card to dry overnight before mailing.
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Tips & Warnings
Save time when you're creating straight line border around your card by skipping the white glue. Instead, affix a line of double-stick tape exactly where you want the gold leaf flake to appear. Press the gold leaf flake onto the tape until you've covered the adhesive completely and use a stiff paintbrush to brush away the excess.
Work with the gold leaf flakes in an area without wind, a fan or air conditioning unit blowing. A slight breeze will cause the lightweight metallic flakes to waft out of the container and float around the room.
