This was so easy and oh so beautiful. Let's gather our supplies.
Wear gloves !!!!!!!!!! I can't stress this enough. It's sticky and unless you want gold leaf fingers, wear gloves.
Two small paint brushes, one for adhesive and one for smoothing the finish..
Metal Leaf (Hobby Lobby)
Metal Leaf Adhesive (Hobby Lobby)
Metal Leaf Spray Sealer (Hobby Lobby)
Ornaments of your choice.
You can apply this metal leaf to just about any surface. I used the pictured ornaments, which I bought from Hobby Lobby. They are cardboard and I think $2.49 each, maybe less. You can get plastic balls cheaper, but I wanted a different shape. Use what you like.
First, using a paint brush, gently brush your ornament with this metal leaf adhesive. Don't leave puddles, but spread the adhesive evenly over the surface and let stand for about 10 minutes (instructions on the bottle).
Applying pieces of the metal leaf paper is a little delicate. Don't worry if you accidentally clump a piece. Once it sticks, it's stuck, so just press it down with your finger and move on to the next. I promise, it'll look just fine.. Keep overlapping pieces of sheets over the surface until you have covered your ornament. You'll end up with a pile of gold as you'll see. Sorry, it's not real. Ha!
The first one I did, I was a little frustrated because it is so delicate and the ornament is very sticky, but after that I got my rhythm. Don't get frustrated, just keep going. It'll be perfect, your perfect creation!
As you apply the metal leaf, press into place with your finger. Once you have covered the entire surface, using a soft brush, gently brush over your ornament. Gold excess particles will fall off as the gold only sticks where the adhesive was applied. If you're crazy thrifty like me, you can scrape the gold specks into a small jar and save them for another project. You may even want to funnel them into a clear ornament. Just a thought. Possibilities are endless.
Congratulations! You did it! But, now you need to spray it with the Spray Sealer (very important). Follow the directions on the can. Hope you enjoyed this fun DIY and please share yours with me when you're done. I'd love to see it. Happy Holidays! xo
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