Gorgeous Gilding Tutorial

Gilding Flakes have been around for many years and have recently made it back into our craft rooms. They add a perfect shiny detail to any project. Unlike foiled products, gilding flakes add a subtle, almost a vintage shine, and they can be used in combination with most substrates like card, wood, metal, plastic, jewellery, clay and more. It is recommended to seal the application with a clear varnish when not used on a regular card.

The application process is very simple. You need a sticky surface to adhere the flakes to. Cosmic Shimmer has a wonderful product on the market – the Flake & Glitter glue – that does the job beautifully, but there are other two-way and tacky-drying glues that also work well. There also many adhesive sheets and tapes on the market that provide a perfect surface for adhering the flakes. There is one more tool that is essential for creating with gilding flakes successfully and that is a stiff-bristled soft brush like a stencil brush or similar. You could also use a scrubby sponge, but I find it can slightly scratch the shiny surface, so I do prefer to use a brush.

A word of warning - the gilding flakes are lighter than feathers and you should take care around them. I find that using a small cardboard box for the initial flake application to contain any flyaway is very useful. A duster cloth or a dryer sheet would be perfect for cleaning your working surface. Burnishing lightly with a dryer sheet over the flake application will get rid of the tiniest leftovers and add a little shine too.

Creating with gilding flakes is a great fun though, so don’t be afraid to give it a go. You can easily add a touch of glamorous shine not only to your handmade cards, but also to objects around your home. Try adding them to a picture frame, a trinket box, a painted canvas or some vintage furniture. They can also be used in encaustic art, jewellery making, journaling and other DIY projects. Including a range of cardmaking techniques to try out: stamp with Flake & Glitter glue then add flakes; stencil with Flake & Glitter glue then add flakes; stencilling onto an adhesive sheet and add flakes then remove and repeat with a different colour of flakes; creating a resist effect with a gilded design and sponged inks, and much more!