A Bit O' Whimsy: silver leaf

This week feels like I just can't get anything right. I must be off my game or something after vacation. I have been working on two nightstand for what feel like months since I took a break right in the middle of doing them. These nightstand came from one of the hotel casinos here in Vegas. I'm sure back in their day they were awesome but now they're saying 'tacky Vegas' look. I was fortunate to be asked to give them a new look. The top has been painted black and then silver leafed. If you have questions about silver leafing visit my tutorial here. The body of the nightstands were painted Old White and dark waxed. They were lightly distressed. I applied resin appliques to add a little something to the plain doors. Unfortunately the appliques were a little smaller than needed, so I will be applying larger ones. We'll see what its like to remove an applique, wish me luck.

I have some good news and bad news. I wasn't able to get a cheap enough shipping quote for my last armoire that I custom painted. It took about 3 weeks to get the quote to a price my client needed, and by then it was too late :( The good news is it is for sale!! Yay! Be sure to check out my shop page if you're in need of an already painted and finished armoire. Also, check back on Thursday, I'll be showing off a beautiful pink dresser that I'm painting for a new baby girl.

Linking back to...
kammyskorner.blogspot.com
savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com
fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com
romantichome.blogspot.com
missmustardseed.com
www.funkyjunkinteriors.net

Lately there has been a lot of silver leafing out there. I knew I wanted to try it but wasn't sure on what yet. One day I saw an ad on craigslist for a warehouse that sold furniture from foreclosed homes they had cleaned out, so I thought I'd check it out. I almost left with nothing, but on my way out I spotted this beauty.

I loved the shape of it but it needed a ton of work. It had previously been spray painted gold and had names carved in the top. To top it all off, someone had used some acrylic paint to hand paint some lady bugs on it, and this was clearly not the work of an adult. Since the end table wasn't wood, it wasn't a candidate for sanding off the raised lady bug and painting it. Normally, I would have passed on something like this, because even chalk paint couldn't save it. Luckily a light bulb came on in my head before I left with nothing- this would be perfect for silver leafing. It would cover up all the crazy stuff going on underneath.

So how do you silver leaf? Well I'm going to write my second tutorial ever so bear with me.

First of all you'll need supplies.

1. Silver leaf- You can buy this at crafts store or the Internet in thin sheets. I bought mine on eBay. I looked at my local Hobby Lobby and was unable to find any.

2. Adhesive- The brand of silver leafing you buy has a glue that is sold for this specific purpose. I had read somewhere that someone just used a spray glue so I opted for that because it was cheaper. It worked great!

3. Paint brush

4. Sealant of your choice, I used a clear Minwax water-based polycrylic

First, I primed my end table with a spray primer like Kilz.

After the primer dried, I applied one coat of cheap black spray paint. I wanted a darker color to show through on any cracks and crevices for an antique look.

Once your paint is dry you can officially start applying your silver leaf. I suggest starting with a flat surface first such as the top. Spray the glue adhesive on a small section. Then take your silver leaf sheet by grabbing the silver leaf liner and lightly press it down. The silver leaf is very delicate and rips easily if you grab it directly. Pull off the silver leaf liner.

Next is when your brush comes into play. Use your brush to gently push it down into place. Again the silver leaf is so delicate using your hands is out of the question. I overlapped my pieces and also applied ripped pieces, because I didn't want my end table to look like a whole bunch of squares put together. It's especially hard to get the silver leaf to stick into tiny little details and crevices, but I have read that some people use a wax product called Rub N' Buff to fill them in. Amazon sells it here if you want to check it out. I wanted it to have an authentic look, so I let a lot of the black paint show through for an aged feel.

The last step is just to seal and protect your beautiful new piece, so just apply whatever sealer you decided on. Let it dry, put the hardware back on, and enjoy!