Following on from Annie’s live on Facebook here are some handy hints and ideas around gilding projects.

A quick recap:- Shopping list for your gilding project: Chalk Paint™ colour of your choice, Gilding Size, Sheets of Metal Leaf either loose or transfer depending on your work, a soft brush for settling the leaf in situ and wax to finish and finally a bit of talc to stop your fingers getting sticky!

Here is How> Using a brush carefully apply a coat of size over the painted surface and allow to dry (at least 10 minutes or until it no longer feels sticky) Handy hint: to test the size- use your knuckle or side of finger as to use your finger tip will leave an impression of your fingerprint in the size which will show through at a later stage.

Once the size is ready now you can apply the metal leaf by gently laying it over the sized area. Don’t forget to brush your fingers with talc to stop the leaf sticking to them. Take a soft brush and gently tap over the surface to embed the leaf. You can brush away the surplus bits of leaf to create a smooth even surface.

Having covered your sized areas with leaf you will now need to apply a coat of wax or lacquer to seal the surface and prevent it from tarnishing. Dark wax will give a wonderful lustre to the look.

and there you have it - all done. It can be as simple as that.

Below shows some super candidates for gilded finishes! Annie’s wonderful splashback give a fantastic edge when paired with her lovely Aubusson Chalk Paint™ on the woodwork. And what about these little mid-century chairs now they have been given a bit of pazz azz.