Copper Leaf And Metallic Ornaments

Copper Leaf And Metallic Ornaments.  Add an elegant shine to your holiday decor with these simple DIY copper leaf ornaments. This is an excellent opportunity to update old or new ornaments that will compliment your favorite Christmas decorating theme.

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Handcrafted Society

It’s time for our November Handcrafted Society get together. Are you wondering what the Handcrafted Society is all about? Quite simply it’s a group of bloggers who share a love for detail and craftsmanship. To see last November’s HS project you can click here to see my tutorial on How To Make Pinecone Trees.

This month we have nine bloggers sharing glitter and metal leafing projects. Be sure to check out all the links and photos at the end of my post for everyone participating this month.

Copper Leaf And Metallic Ornaments

I’m sharing four examples of copper leaf and metallic finishes, so you can decide which ones work best with your holiday decor. If copper is not your ideal choice of color, this process works with gold or silver leaf as well. Do you have a holiday decorating theme? How about modern, old world, traditional or rustic? Well I’m thinking these ornaments will go with all of them.

The finial ornaments I’m updating are wood, however metal leafing works on glass or plastic as well. Keep in mind that simple shapes are the easiest to cover when working with metal leafing. Keep this in mind for updating your old Christmas ornaments that may need a quick makeover.

Supplies and shopping links

• simple shaped ornaments
• copper leaf sheets
• leaf adhesive size
• craft brushes
• Rub’n Buff Spanish copper wax
• plastic bag
• rose gold metallic craft paint
• ribbon

Instructions For Copper Leafing

When working with copper or metal leafing, be aware the sheets are very light and delicate. I made the mistake one time of turning the ceiling fan on over my work table, and well you can imagine the mess I had to clean up. 😉

To start, apply leaf adhesive size with a craft brush over the area you want to cover with copper leafing. Drying times my differ depending on the material of the ornament you are working on. Be sure to read the manufactures instructions on the leaf adhesive size before starting. You will also want to wash your craft brush often to prevent the bristles from being glued together.

Allow the size to dry until it comes to tack. Then gently remove a copper leaf sheet from the protective paper, and lay over your ornament where the adhesive is applied. Use a clean stiff craft brush to press the leafing to the ornament so it will stick to the surface . Repeat the process of applying adhesive size, and copper leafing until the ornament is covered.

For photography purposes, I worked on my table so I could get clear photos of the leafing process. For the rest of the ornaments I worked over a shallow cardboard box to better contain the scraps of copper leafing which is what I suggest for you.

At this point you can leave your ornament as is or add a coat of rose gold metallic paint with a craft brush. The rose gold metallic paint tones down the copper leafing, and slightly softens the color. It’s up to you and what finish you like the best.

Rustic Metallic Finish

For a rustic aged metallic finish, I’m applying Rub’n Buff in Spanish copper over the copper leafing. You can apply the wax with your finger tip or use a plastic bag to coat the ornament. Be sure to read the manufacturers instructions. A little of Rub’n Buff goes a long way.

Allow the metallic wax to dry then lightly buff the surface with a cotton cloth if you want to brighten the dull finish.

Adding Metallic Paint

If you want to take this process one step further you can apply a coat of the metallic rose gold paint over the Rub’n Buff wax. This will soften the dark wax and give it a smoother looking finish.

If you want to try this process with gold leaf, there are five Rub’n Buff gold wax colors to choose from. Then finish with antique gold metallic paint. I’m not sure if there will be as much of contrast in finishes with silver leaf. However you can try Rub’n Buff in pewter and finish with metallic silver.

My favorite combination is the copper leaf with a coat of rose gold metallic paint. A close second is the metallic paint over the Rub’n Buff. Seeing the different leafing, wax and metallic paint combinations may help you decide on a favorite too. Of course the most simple is the copper leafing which is always a classic.

If you are applying leafing to ball ornaments, Rub’n Buff or metallic paint is a good option for covering the metal cap hanger. For another use for the rose gold metallic paint you can view my wooden mushroom ornaments here.

Be sure to follow Thistle Key Lane on Pinterest, where the boards are up to date with seasonal inspiration you can use right now!

Thank you so much for stopping by today. Keep scrolling to see what my Handcrafted Society friends are sharing today. All you have to do is click on the image or blog name to view their full post.

Cheers!

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