Alright, so “dripping in gold” – sounds fancy, right? Well, let me tell you, the process wasn’t as glamorous as the name suggests. It all started with this old, boring wooden frame I found in my attic. Seriously, it was gathering dust and looked like it belonged in a museum, not in my living room.
The Prep Work
First things first, I cleaned the heck out of that frame. I mean, layers of dust and who-knows-what-else. I used a damp cloth and some wood cleaner, really scrubbing it until it looked somewhat presentable.
Next, I sanded down the frame. This part was messy! I wore a mask because, you know, dust everywhere. I just wanted a smooth surface for the gold paint to stick to, so I went over it with some medium-grit sandpaper, and then again with fine-grit to make it extra smooth.
The Gold Part
Now for the fun part – the gold! I didn’t want to use regular spray paint, I wanted something with a bit more… oomph. So I picked up some gold leaf sheets and adhesive. I used
- Gold Leaf sheets
- Adhesive
- Soft Brush
- Sealer
Applying the gold leaf was tricky. It’s super delicate, like working with tissue paper made of gold. I carefully applied the adhesive to the frame, let it get tacky, and then gently laid the gold leaf sheets on top. Then i used a soft brush to smooth it out and get rid of any wrinkles or air bubbles. It was a slow process, and I definitely messed up a few times, but hey, that’s part of the DIY life.
Finishing Touches
Once the whole frame was covered in gold (and I was covered in gold flakes), I let it dry completely. It took the adhesive a whole night to become completely dry, and the next day, I brushed off the excess gold leaf with a clean, soft brush. There were a few spots where the gold didn’t stick perfectly, so I went back and touched it up with some extra adhesive and gold leaf.
Finally, I applied a sealer over the whole thing. This is important because it protects the gold leaf and keeps it from flaking off. I chose a clear, glossy sealer to give it a nice, shiny finish. After that, I left it to dry for a few hours.
And that’s it! My old, dusty frame was now “dripping in gold”. It was a bit of a process, and definitely a learning experience, but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s amazing what a little gold (and a lot of elbow grease) can do!
