I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve shared a fun tutorial with you all or at least a couple of weeks. Now that the powder room renovation is done, we’ve been focusing more on family, friends and living. It’s been so nice to take a little step back and recharge. I want to share an easy and affordable how-to with you guys today! It’s one that I’m really excited about because it’s something that anyone can do and I can’t wait to use again on some other pictures in our home, It’s my tips on how to gold leaf a picture frame! **This post contains affiliate links.**
A couple weeks ago we visited the Scott’s Antique Market as well as the Lakewood 400 Market. I have loved visiting them the past year. They’re only one weekend of every month. We don’t visit every month but when we do, we always have such a great time. They’re exciting because you never know what you’re going to find. We typically take out a shopping budget in cash so that we don’t over spend. That forces us to only purchase those things we really love.
At the last market I came across a painting at one of the outside booths. The outside booths for those of you who are not familiar, are where the steals are. You can find great deals on anything from furniture to decor to architectural pieces. There’s a little bit of everything. The painting is unsigned so the seller sold it to me for only $25. I was ecstatic! Although it would be neat to know the name of the painter, this doesn’t matter much to me. I was drawn to it. I love the rich, warm colors. It reminds me of the fall season, which sounds cliche but is truly my favorite time of the year. I knew it would be a great addition to our dining room. There was only one problem, the frame. The frame seemed to be plastic and was very outdated. It didn’t deter me though. I figured I could easily reframe it.
Later in the week I remembered something I had seen in the craft store, gold leafing supplies. I quickly hopped on the computer and did a little research. I knew it would be the perfect solution for the frame and give the look I was going for.
How To Gold Leaf a Picture Frame
You just need a couple things.
There is also a product called gold leafing paint. I have not personally tried it but I’ve read that others didn’t find it to resemble gold leafing as much as they would have liked.
First, clean your frame. You want to make sure it’s free from any grime or dust. Dry the frame and brush on the gold leafing adhesive. Most adhesives will say to let it sit for 30-60 minutes. Just read your bottles instructions.
Once it’s rested for at least 30 minutes grab your gold leafing sheets. The frame will be sticky, so slowly place your sheets down onto the frame where your want them. This part can be a little trying. The gold leafing is very fragile and tends to rip easily.
Don’t worry about cracks that may form. I simply used the extra that hung off the frame over those cracks and filled them. It might look a little rough at this point but don’t worry. That changes quickly.
Once a couple sheets are placed onto the frame, use a dry craft brush to brush over the leafing. This will form the leafing over the details and brush away any loose pieces.
Get your vacuums ready friends. This stuff gets everywhere! I was picking out gold from my hair all afternoon.
I quickly learned how forgiving gold leafing is. If you have any places that you missed with the adhesive, reapply, wait 30 minutes and add more leafing.
After all the leafing was placed and all the extra was removed, I decided to brush on a thin coat of antiquing wax. I let it sit for only a few seconds and wiped the excess off with a paper towel. This tones down the brightness a good bit and gives it an aged look. I also read you can use stain for this step as well.
Once it’s done you can add sealer for extra measure. I haven’t added mine just yet. I hope to get around to that sometime this week.
I’m just over the moon with the result! It’s not perfect but I love it. It’s given this painting new life without breaking the budget. Goodbye tacky plastic frame!
Isn’t it such a lovely painting? The gold frame is a much better fit compared to the old plastic one. I wish I had taken a full photo of the painting in it’s a original frame for you to see.
The gold leafing gives the painting a traditional feel and looks as though it’s always been that way.
If you’ve ever done any gold leafing I’d love to hear what you think! How did your project turn out? This is really one of the easiest projects I’ve done. I can’t recommend it enough. I’m hoping to get back to the craft store this weekend to pick up a little more leafing and get a couple other picture frames recovered. I think it’s safe to say I’m hooked!
I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. I look forward to seeing you here next week because I’m joining up with several very talented ladies to share our summer entry ways. We’ll be welcoming summer into our homes very soon!
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