9 Easy Ways to Add Gold to Your Next Craft Project
Lately, I’ve been working on a new kind of project. One that has me digging into my ancestry and creating charts and maps. I’m finding it so interesting to uncover my family history and learning about all the people, places and stories that are a part of my story, too.
There are still many missing pieces to the puzzle left to find, but I did manage to find enough information to create a genealogy chart that included all of my and my husband’s great-grandparents.
When I was done, I added touches of gold leaf around the edges to make it even more special before popping it in a frame and surprising Jonathan. (More on this project another time.)
As I was gluing the gold leaf to the page, it got me thinking about all the ways I could have added gold to this project. Then I thought about all the many ways to add a “golden” touch to other projects, like those using wood, ceramic and glass.
Which made me realize a gold-inspired roundup featuring some of my favorite gold products might be a useful resource to share!
What kind of materials can you add gold to?
Almost anything! With the right type of gold product, you can add gold to things like paper, wood, glass, stones, ceramic, plastic, fabric, food, skin(!), wax seals, metal and acrylic. Just check the label on your gold product to see what you can use it on! There are so many types of metallics made for crafting that it would be unrealistic for me to tackle them all in one post, especially since some are just outside my wheelhouse. Instead, in this post, I’ll be focusing on the gold products that I have used and continue to use.
Annnd listing them again for those of you who skim blog posts :)
paper
wood
glass
rocks/stones/agates
ceramic
plastic
terracotta
fabric
food
skin
wax
metal
acrylic
What kind of craft projects can you add gold to?
As I’ve mentioned, there are a lot of options for the types of gold available and the materials that you can apply them to. That said, here are some project ideas that you can easily add metallic touches to for a gorgeous finished piece that stands out. Here are some fun ideas:
Weddings: add gold leaf, gold ink or gold wax seals to wedding invitations, place cards and reception signage
Decor: add gold paint or gold leaf to canvas, wooden signs, picture frames and flower vases
Furniture: add gold spray paint or gold leaf to wooden stools and terracotta pots.
Keepsakes: add gold writing, gold paint and gold leaf to baby books, photo albums, family tree charts and scrapbooks.
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Here are 9 easy was to add gold to make your project stand out:
Calligraphy Ink - This is probably the type of gold I use most often. I love this metallic gold ink by Dr. Ph. Martin. It’s so smooth, it shimmers brilliantly in the light and has a beautiful gold tone that is not at all yellow. The most obvious way to use gold ink is to write with it using a calligraphy pen, but you can also use it with a paint brush to add gold accents on your paper projects. I have used gold ink to create a gilded edge look by painting the edges of handmade paper and it looks stunning.
You can also splatter the ink onto your project for a simple, yet stylish look. I have used my trusty metallic gold ink for writing on everything from paper to vellum and from agates and acrylic to even writing on sea shells!
Gold Leaf - When I am working on a very special project, something that will be kept and cherished forever, and need to add gold leaf, I use genuine 24 karat gold leaf. I rarely use this as I can’t see putting real gold on something that ends up in the recycling bin. This would just be for projects like finished artwork and framed pieces. Using genuine gold leaf is tricky to get the hang of initially, but worth it as the results are beautiful. If you’re new to gilding (using gold leaf), I recommend picking up Margaret Morgan’s book The Bible of Illuminated Letters.
You can also get imitation gold leaf which I use quite often and definitely recommend for those less than permanent projects. To me, imitation gold leaf looks a whole lot like the 24 karat genuine gold leaf. So much so, that I intentionally keep them separate so I don’t mix them up! Gold leaf is one of my favorite ways to add a touch of gold to a project because the effect is stunning.
I recently applied it to some stationery and the back flaps of the envelopes and LOVED the way they came out (see below). I also crumbled some gold leaf and added it to a white wax seal while it was still hot and then stamped as usual. It worked perfectly and turned out so darn pretty. You can also add the gold leaf to photo albums, wedding invitations, place cards, decorative storage boxes and more.
Metallic paint pens - The paint pens I’m always recommending to people are the Sharpie oil-based paint pens. They’re *virtually* permanent and come in a range of colors including (you guessed it!) metallic gold. The color is a bit of a darker gold but it has great coverage. I used paint pens all the time when I was just starting out with calligraphy projects. Mainly because they are easy to use and can write on almost any surface. In fact, I’ve used them to write on wooden signs, acrylic ornaments, mason jars, mirrors and even a jacket. So. Many. Uses.
Metallic Gel Pens - Gel pens are really easy to use which makes them a great choice for kids’ projects and hand lettering beginners. I like these Gelly Roll metallic gel pens because they write smoothly on paper and unlike the Dr. Ph. Martin metallic inks (which I LOVE), you do not need to have a grasp on calligraphy or special tools to use them. I like using them in my life planner, it makes creating my to-do lists a little less boring. You can also use the gold gel pens to decorate cards and envelopes or add festive sparkle to holiday gift tags and teacher thank-you gifts.
Metallic Acrylic Paints - If you’ve read any of my other DIY posts involving paint, you have probably heard me talk about FolkArt acrylic paints. It’s a great brand with a range of colors that works really well on a lot of different surfaces, which is great if you like DIY projects! Anyway, if you don’t already have a metallic gold paint on hand, I recommend FolkArt Metallic Antique Gold. You can paint this onto stationery or artwork for a really pretty antique gold sheen. You can also decorate unfinished wood projects, metal signs, vases, candle sticks, stones and acrylic. I have yet to find a (craft) surface I couldn’t use this versatile paint on!
Metallic Watercolors - Metallic watercolors are a great option for adding a little gold to your next painting project. Coliro Pearlcolors Metallic Watercolor Paints are highly pigmented with mica, giving you great coverage and they can be used on light and dark paper. Try using metallic watercolors to paint a picture of the moon or solar system on black paper and prepare to be dazzled! You can also use these watercolors to load your calligraphy nib and use it in lieu of ink to write with. Use watercolor paints on thick papers like handmade paper or watercolor paper for best results, though some lighter papers can also hold a light amount of watercolor. The Coliro paints are a fun way to add a hint of golden glimmer to artwork, cards, envelopes, journals, bookmarks, and so many other paper projects!
Metalic Spray Paint - There are a lot of gold spray paints options and most are available at your local hardware store. You can use a spray paint with a primer in it, like Krylon COLORmaxx in metallic gold, to save you a step. Spray paints are a great option for adding golden accents to wooden furniture, flower pots, upcycling projects, metal and even plastic. You can use spray paint to easily refresh home decor like picture frames, or hardware like your door knobs and cabinet pulls.
Gold Wax Seals - if you’re not familiar with making wax seals, you can read this article on How to Use Wax Seals. I use wax seals often when making wedding invitations for couples. Uniqooo makes a gorgeous antique gold sealing wax that I use all the time! But wax seals can be used for SO much more than sealing envelopes! You can use them on your product packaging, gift wrap and journaling/scrapbooking. You might also like this article for more ideas, 7 Creative Ways to Use Your Wedding Wax Seal.
Gold ink stamp pads - I don’t use ink pads all that often as I find they don’t have quite the same coverage as paints and foils. But when I want to use stamps for a project, there are a lot of good brands for ink pads. And when I need to use metallic gold, I like Tsukineko Delicata Ink Pad. It’s shimmery and has a nice, bright golden color. Not something I would use for wedding invitations, but a great option for journaling or scrapbooking. I have a small collection of journaling stamps that make setting up my planner layouts and to-do lists feel less like work and more like play.
Thank you for taking to stop by my blog and I cannot wait to see how you incorporate gold into your projects!
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