How to Apply Gold Leaf to a Gas Tank

Gold leaf can make any object look like it was made of gold.

If you enjoy making mixed-media art pieces, you can make your artwork look more elegant by covering the sculptures with gold leaf. Adding gold leaf to an object will make it appear as though the entire piece is constructed out of solid gold. For example, you can take an ordinary object, like an empty gas tank, and apply gold leaf to the outside of it to make it look like a solid gold gas tank.

Things You'll Need

• Gasoline tank
• Washcloth
• Spray adhesive
• Gold leaf
• Butter knife
• Watercolor paintbrush

Instructions

1. Empty out and clean the gas tank before using it as a craft object.

2. Wipe off the tank with a washcloth to ensure that it is completely dry.

3. Spray the gas tank with an artist's spray adhesive.

4. Pull the top sheet off of the gold leaf, and press a butter knife against the top of the foil.

5. Gently lift up the gold leaf, and drape it onto the gas tank.

6. Tap a watercolor brush over the gold leaf, which will help the leaf adhere to the sticky tank and will give it a smooth appearance.

7. Repeat this process until the entire gas tank is covered in gold leaf.

References

• Gilded Planet: How To Gold Leaf