Thursday, October 1, 2009

~ How to Gild a Pumpkin ~

Follow these five steps to create beautiful gilded pumpkins

Step 1 For real or faux pumpkins, be sure surface is clean and dry. Wearing gloves, apply base coat with a paintbrush to seal the surface. Let dry for 30 to 60 minutes.

Step 2 Position stickers on pumpkin, then apply "sticky size" over entire surface, including stickers. Leave until it's clear and tacky, 10 to 20 minutes. Step 3 Apply gold and silver leaf. Broken pieces of metal leaf, called Schaibin, lie easily on the pumpkin for a beautiful finish. With a soft cloth, smooth leaf onto surface to fill in gaps. Keep excess leaf for the next project. Step 4 Carefully pull off stickers using tweezers
Step 5 Apply toner with a paintbrush. Using a soft cloth, wipe away the toner to achieve the desired color. Leave the toner darker around the stem or in crevices for a more dramatic effect.
THE END RESULT!