Easy Ways To Apply Gold Leaf To Paper - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Apply Gold Leaf to Paper Co-authored by Patricia Penker and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: January 30, 2026 References

  • Applying with a Paint Brush
    • |
  • Using a Stamp
    • |
  • Q&A
    • |
  • Tips
|Show more |Show less X

This article was co-authored by Patricia Penker and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Patricia Penker is an Interior Designer and the Owner of Exclusively To Design, one of the top residential design companies in South Florida. With over 25 years of experience, Patricia specializes in interior design, interior decorating, and home staging. Patricia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design from the University of Cincinnati and a Master’s Certificate in Digital Design and 3D Modeling from CADDTrain. Patricia’s interior designs have been featured on HGTV’s Rip and Renew and Save My Bath and in celebrity homes. Exclusively To Design has been recommended on Houzz, Expertise - Best Home Staging in Miami and Best Interior Designers in Miami, and Best of HomeGuide. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 73,120 times.

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.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 2:

Applying with a Paint Brush

  1. Step 1 Sketch out which sections of your paper you will be applying your gold. 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]
    • 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]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Apply Gold Leaf to Paper 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.[3] [4]
    • You can find gold leaf adhesive at most craft supply stores.
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Apply Gold Leaf to Paper 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.[5]
    • 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. Watermark wikiHow to Apply Gold Leaf to Paper 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.[6]
    • Wait until the adhesive is tacky before you start applying your sheets.[7]
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Apply Gold Leaf to Paper 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.[8]
    • 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.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 2:

Using a Stamp

  1. Step 1 Use a paint brush to brush adhesive onto your 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.[9]
    • 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. Watermark wikiHow to Apply Gold Leaf to Paper 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.[10]
    • Lifting the stamp in an upward motion will make sure you don’t smear or smudge your adhesive.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Apply Gold Leaf to Paper 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.[11]
    • If you have small pieces of gold leaf, you can set them onto your stamp one by one.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Apply Gold Leaf to Paper 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.[12]
    • 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. Watermark wikiHow to Apply Gold Leaf to Paper 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.[13]

    Tip: If your design has holes in it, use a gold colored permanent marker to carefully fill them in.

  6. Step 6 Dunk your stamp in water to wash off the adhesive. 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.[14]
    7. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search Add New Question
  • Question Can gold leaf be made weatherproof? Rraymondleclerc3 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. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 8
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Tips

  • Touch your gold leaf as little as possible so that it doesn’t stick to your skin. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

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References

  1. ↑ https://mymodernmet.com/gold-leaf-art/
  2. ↑ Patricia Penker. Interior Designer. Expert Interview
  3. ↑ https://www.creativebloq.com/art/how-draw-mixed-media-51620171
  4. ↑ Patricia Penker. Interior Designer. Expert Interview
  5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py0ssmxnGrw&t=181s
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py0ssmxnGrw&t=195s
  7. ↑ Patricia Penker. Interior Designer. Expert Interview
  8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py0ssmxnGrw&t=214s
  9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2ABXldEEv0&t=134s
More References (5)
  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0cMrXO4s1E&t=115s
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2ABXldEEv0&t=159s
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2ABXldEEv0&t=190s
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0cMrXO4s1E&t=212s
  5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2ABXldEEv0&t=147s

About This Article

Patricia Penker Co-authored by: Patricia Penker Interior Designer This article was co-authored by Patricia Penker and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Patricia Penker is an Interior Designer and the Owner of Exclusively To Design, one of the top residential design companies in South Florida. With over 25 years of experience, Patricia specializes in interior design, interior decorating, and home staging. Patricia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design from the University of Cincinnati and a Master’s Certificate in Digital Design and 3D Modeling from CADDTrain. Patricia’s interior designs have been featured on HGTV’s Rip and Renew and Save My Bath and in celebrity homes. Exclusively To Design has been recommended on Houzz, Expertise - Best Home Staging in Miami and Best Interior Designers in Miami, and Best of HomeGuide. This article has been viewed 73,120 times. 13 votes - 85% Co-authors: 3 Updated: January 30, 2026 Views: 73,120 Categories: Gold
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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 73,120 times.

Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Patricia Penker Co-authored by: Patricia Penker Interior Designer Co-authors: 3 Updated: January 30, 2026 Views: 73,120 85% of readers found this article helpful. 13 votes - 85% Click a star to add your vote

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Tag » How To Apply Gold Leaf