When I was putting together items to hang as part of the nursery gallery wall, I picked up some small 4×6 canvases with an idea to create my own art with some paint and gold leaf. It ended up being a super easy and quick project with pretty results!
The most expensive part of the project was of course the gold leaf paper, but I didn’t use all 25 sheets. So part of the cost of it can roll over into whatever future project I end up using it on. Here’s what else I used:
I wanted my gold leaf cross to be 3D and really stand out from the canvas. So before I painted it, I thickly outlined a cross with white school glue.
Turns out this was totally unnecessary, so you can save yourself the trouble and the drying time! But it would help to outline your cross, or whatever shape, in pencil.
You’ll want to paint the canvas before applying the gold leaf so you don’t have any white showing under the gold leaf once it’s all said and done.
I was going for “abstract” art, so I wanted my paint to be streaky, not solid. I painted one coat, but still wanted a little more coverage. Luckily this acrylic paint dries quickly and I was able to paint the second coat without waiting too long.
Then it was time to add the shimmery cross.
This stuff is made to apply to household objects like a vase or lamp or decorative fruit like on the package. So it has very specific instructions on the special kind of glue to use and how to handle the gold leaf without touching it with your fingers. Ignore those if you want the crinkly look I was going for and use your hands!
Apply glue to a small portion of your cross at a time.
Then tear off small pieces of gold leaf and stick it on the glue. Don’t lay it flat on the glue, but pinch it in the middle like you would tissue paper in a gift bag.
Slowly work your way down and around the cross, using small pieces of gold leaf. Also make sure you’re applying the gold leaf on the outside of your outlined cross so the pencil marks can’t be seen.
Another tip is to keep your fingers dry. Wipe any glue off before tearing off more gold leaf or it will just dissolve on contact.
There were a few spots where I put the gold leaf too far apart and I could see the canvas between. So I put a small drop of glue and basically placed some more of the gold leaf on top of the other pieces to create a nice, full cross.
Once that was done, all it took was 2 small wire nails to hang it on the wall!
The gold leaf compliments the gold on the Sacred Heart icon that hangs next to it well, too!
Total project probably took less than an hour including paint drying time. So if I ever want to make another one, it can definitely be done during one of Mary Helen’s naps! That is if I’m not taking a nap myself!
Thanks for Checking In! ~ Chelsea
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