I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for an easy art idea to add to my gallery wall or spruce up a space for a new season. I’ve been addicted to gold leafing everything and this is no exception! This is such an easy way to make a custom quote canvas for super cheap. And, because it was so quick to make, you can easily swap it out for a new one when you get bored! This DIY gold leaf canvas craft is sure to be one that you repeat in the future.
How to make a DIY gold leaf canvas? First, place vinyl letters on your canvas. Then, brush over the entire canvas with gilding adhesive. Next, place gold leaf sheets on top along with a piece of waxed paper. Rub the waxed paper with a foam brush. Remove the paper and brush away any excess gold leaf. Remove the vinyl letters with a craft knife to reveal your word or quote.
DIY Gold Leaf Canvas Craft
Gold leaf is an excellent way to elevate DIY home decor crafts. This gold leaf craft idea is great because you can create a word or quote and totally customize your gold leaf canvas.
Making a gold leaf canvas is a great way to create a thoughtful handmade gift to a loved one. These DIY gold leaf canvases are so pretty sitting on a shelf or added to a gallery wall.
This gold leaf craft is also very inexpensive. When you think of gold leaf, you probably assume it’s a pricey product to use. However, you only need a little bit to make a gold leaf canvas.
Materials Needed For A DIY Gold Leaf Canvas
Here’s what you will need:
Instructions For How To Make A Gold Leaf Canvas
1. First, place your vinyl letters on your canvas, creating a word or quote.
I already had a canvas on hand and picked up some stick on letters. The same kind I used for my thrift store word art. I just stuck my word on. Obviously this would work with any word or phrase.
Next, you’ll need some gilding adhesive and a foam brush. I picked up the Martha Stewart brand at Michaels with a 40% off coupon.
2. Apply a thin layer of the gilding adhesive in the places you want gold leaf, including on top of those letters.
I decided to do organic shapes toward the top and then more concentrated gold leaf at the bottom, but do whatever suits your fancy. You are supposed to let it dry for 45 minutes.
3. Use a hair dryer to dry the gilding adhesive so that it becomes tacky.
I use my hair dryer for pretty much all projects that require drying time. I just can’t wait!
4. Press on the gold leaf sheets and put a piece of wax paper on top. Rub the wax paper with a foam brush.
The golf leaf sheets are really delicate, so the wax paper just makes a nice barrier so that it doesn’t rip.
I didn’t worry about it being smooth. I really like the rustic wrinkled look.
5. After everything is nicely adhered, brush away the excess gold leaf (minus the wax paper) with your foam brush.
6. Allow the canvas to sit overnight before removing the vinyl letters.
Remove the letters with a craft knife to ensure clean lines.
At first, I took the C off immediately, but the gilding adhesive that had spread underneath the letter was still really wet. So I let the rest of the letters sit overnight and removed them in the morning. I scored around each letter with a pencil and then just carefully lifted them off.
This would be so fun to give someone as a gift! It took me awhile to hop on the gold train, but I’m loving it now, and with this easy art idea, you can make them over and over again!
If you liked this project, check out these other easy art ideas:
