My first project in the world of gilding is a silver leaf bowl DIY, and wow it turned out great! I’m so excited about the gilding process and already thinking about other things in my home that I can embellish.
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Before we get started let me tell you what I love most about gilding. Simply stated, it’s not perfect!
For example, when you look at something that has layers of gold leaf, you’ll see all kinds of wrinkles, cracks and lines. Think of these as endearing character lines and know that the gilding process is not supposed to be flawless.
Gilding is often used to add definition or to highlight details. It should have a hand crafted look, whether it’s a picture frame, antique china piece or furniture molding.
Gilding has been around for thousands of years dating back to the Egyptians, and it’s still popular today as we add our modern spin to it.
Silver Leaf Bowl DIY
In case you missed my previous post Creating Art With Stencils and Chalk Paint, I’m a maker with A Makers’ Studio, which means I’m introducing products to you on the blog as I use them on my projects.
Silver, gold and copper leaf from A Makers’ Studio comes in a book of 25 sheets separated by a protective layer of tissue paper. It’s very delicate and lightweight (I’ll explain more about that, later in the post).
Supplies for gilding
- Silver leaf
- Gilding size
- Artist brush
- Chip brush
How To Guild A Bowl
First I applied a thin layer of gilding size to the interior of the bowl. Size is a milky white color that will dry clear. Think of it as the adhesive for the leaf.
Once the size was applied, I waited about 15 minutes then tested the size lightly with a finger to make sure it was slightly sticky or tacky. In gilding terms the size should come to tack.
Holding the edge of the silver leaf book, I pulled back the protective tissue paper to expose the silver leaf then pressed the sheet onto the interior of the bowl. I did this several more times until the interior of the bowl was covered.
With a chip brush I carefully removed the excess silver leaf by brushing the pieces away that did not adhere to the size.
I’ve always had a healthy attitude when it comes to laughing at my mistakes. In a couple of the photos you will see a few extra pieces of silver leaf that are artistically arranged. There were actually a whole lot more pieces that became airborne and scattered to the four winds over my work table, the floor and the dog, when the air conditioning clicked on.
Just letting you know ahead, not to work under a fan or vent. If you do, expect to have quite a mess to clean up. Live and learn right!!
Be sure to pin this for later, and follow Thistle Key Lane on Pinterest for more fun inspiration!
A Makers’ Studio
The next three images are from A Makers’ Studio web site. I wanted to show you some gorgeous examples of gold and copper leaf as well as the silver. To bad I can’t take credit for these, but I do have more gilding projects lined up for the holidays.
Are you intrigued about gilding? In case you’re wondering it can be applied to glass, ceramic, metal, wood and fabric. It can also be used with the stencils from A Makers’ Studio.
When I think of the possibilities, I especially love the idea of restoring a piece of furniture, and being able to salvage the hardware too by gilding it with copper, gold or silver leaf.
Thank you so much for joining me today. If you have any questions about the silver leaf bowl please leave a comment. I love hearing from you.
Cheers!
©2018 Silver Leaf Bowl first appeared on Thistle Key Lane™