How to Apply Gold Leaf to Paper

Co-authored by Patricia Penker and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: May 20, 2022 References

Gold leaf is a type of real gold that has been hammered into a thin sheet. It has been used throughout the ages in paintings and mixed media artwork. Putting gold leaf on paper makes beautiful designs stand out on their own, or adds depth to paintings and drawings. If you’d like to try applying gold leaf to paper, carefully apply your adhesive, use a paint brush to lay down your gold leaf, and touch your gold as little as possible to create brilliant artwork.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Applying with a Paint Brush

1
Sketch out which sections of your paper you will be applying your gold. It is easiest to apply gold leaf when you know exactly where you want it. If you are adding it to a drawing or painting, block out the areas that you will be applying your gold leaf and leave those sections blank.^{[1]
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- You can apply gold leaf on top of paintings or drawings if you’d like to.
- If you don't have a lot of experience with gold leafing, practice on a piece of scrap wood before starting your actual project.
2
Apply a pea-sized amount of adhesive to the paper using a paint brush. Gold leaf adhesive comes in many different brands, but it should generally be white and dry clear. Use a paintbrush to pick up pea-sized amounts of adhesive and brush it onto the sections that you will be placing your gold leaf. If you have a lot of gold leaf areas, do 2 inches (5.1 cm) sections at a time so your adhesive doesn’t dry before you get to it.^{[2]
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- You can find gold leaf adhesive at most craft supply stores.
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3
Pull your gold leaf on top of your adhesive using tweezers. Touch your gold leaf as little as possible, since it is super fragile and can tear easily. Grab the sheet of gold leaf with tweezers and gently set it on top of the area you have put adhesive on.^{[3]
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- If you have a lot of areas you want to put small chunks of gold leaf on, you can use your tweezers to tear small pieces off of your sheet and apply them on your adhesive one by one.
Tip: Set the gold leaf sheet as close to your paper as possible so you don’t have to drag it very far.
4
Pat the gold leaf into place with a clean paint brush. Gently pat down on top of your gold leaf to get it to stick to your adhesive. If the gold leaf crinkles up, use your paint brush to smooth it out. Make sure the gold leaf is completely stuck to the paper.^{[4]
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- Wait until the adhesive is tacky before you start applying your sheets.^{[5]
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5
Brush off the excess gold leaf with your paint brush. Gently swipe at your golf leaf until the excess is not stuck to the paper anymore. Use gentle, quick strokes to make sure you don’t dent the gold leaf that is stuck to the adhesive. Brush away your excess gold leaf until your paper looks smooth.^{[6]
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- If you have a lot of excess gold leaf, you can pick it up with your paint brush and store it in between 2 sheets of cardboard or paper.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using a Stamp

1
Use a paint brush to brush adhesive onto your stamp. Choose any stamp you’d like and brush gold leaf adhesive onto it with a paint brush. Apply a thin layer that covers the entire stamp, making sure to get every detail and line on the stamp.^{[7]
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- If you have a foam brush, you can use that instead of a paint brush. The foam will absorb more of the adhesive and disperse it more evenly.
- Using a stamp to apply gold leaf will give your gold the design of whatever stamp you choose to use.
2
Press your stamp down onto your paper. Set your paper onto a flat, even surface. Press your stamp down onto your piece of paper, applying even pressure all over. Hold the stamp onto the paper for about 3 seconds to make sure all of the adhesive gets transferred to the paper. Gently lift the stamp off of the paper in an upwards motion.^{[8]
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- Lifting the stamp in an upward motion will make sure you don’t smear or smudge your adhesive.
3
Apply a gold leaf sheet on top of the adhesive. Use tweezers or a paint brush to gently pull your gold leaf onto your adhesive area. Avoid touching the gold leaf as much as possible. If you are using a gold sheet with a backing, you can use your hands to touch the back of the sheet and pull it on top of your paper.^{[9]
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- If you have small pieces of gold leaf, you can set them onto your stamp one by one.
4
Press gently on the top of the gold sheet to stick it to the adhesive. Use a paint brush or a clean foam brush to push gently onto the gold sheet. Make sure it sticks to all of the adhesive you have laid down. Look for the design showing through your gold leaf to know when it is ready.^{[10]
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- If you are using a gold sheet, you can be more vigorous with your pressing. Gold sheets are more sturdy than traditional gold leaf.
5
Rub the excess gold leaf off of your paper with a paint brush. Gently swipe at your excess gold leaf to get the extra off of your design. Make sure your paper is smooth and your gold leaf is as flat as possible.^{[11]
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Tip: If your design has holes in it, use a gold colored permanent marker to carefully fill them in.
6
Dunk your stamp in water to wash off the adhesive. Remove the adhesive from your stamp right away so that it doesn’t get ruined. Dunk your stamp in warm water and gently scrub the area that had adhesive on it to remove any of the leftover glue.^{[12]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can gold leaf be made weatherproof?

Rraymondleclerc3

Community Answer

Yes, actually it can. If you are applying this to something like a sign or table, or even an object that is handled a bit more often, the procedure more or less will be as follows: 1) Apply the gold leaf. 2) Once the glue is completely dry and cured, add the sealant––epoxy resin, a clear laquer or even clear shellac will need to be applied over the object as a whole and evenly. 3) Once completely dry, make sure it's smooth and sand and apply another coat if need be.