- The Home Channel - https://thehomechannel.co.za -

Gilded Tea Box

Materials that you will need

Steps

  1. First clean and sand the object that you are going to decorate.
  2. Paint black.
  3. Once paint is dry, sand.
  4. Apply Wundasize to all the areas you wish to gild, apply sparingly.
  5. Apply a second coat to ensure even coverage. Allow to dry for about half an hour until tacky to the touch but not wet..
  6. The size dries clear. Check first whether your size is water based or not. Clean your brush accordingly.
  7. Coat your hands in baby powder before applying the leaf. Cut your gold leaf into manageable pieces, or if confident enough, apply whole sheets to your surface. If tears or cracks appear fill them with loose bits of leaf called skewings, or allow the undercoat to show through. Use your brush to help apply and smooth the leaf.
  8. Once the entire surface has been covered to your satisfaction, burnish with the piece of cloth.
  9. Seal with an oil based spray varnish or a polyurethane varnish. At this stage you may want to glue on embellishments such as mosaic pieces or little clay inserts.