A huge thank you to Speedball Art Products for sponsoring today’s post! As always, I am committed to only partnering with products and companies that I really truly love and I’m thrilled I had the chance to work with Speedball on this project! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you make any purchases through those links, I may receive a commission.
By now, regular readers of The Gathered Home will know exactly how I feel about gold leaf (and let’s not forget copper leaf). Our relationship started out a little rocky, but quickly progressed to friendship, and a total love affair…
West Elm knockoff pillow covers // Anthropologie knockoff giraffe trinket dish
So when Speedball Art Products asked if I would like to create a project using their Mona Lisa metal leaf products, I was all over it! I love when a sponsored post opportunity lines up so perfectly with my passions – I don’t have to try to find an angle or a way to shoe-horn it in and I can be completely authentic and true to my blog and to you guys! A metal leafing project is something I am always excited to create!
The pressure was on to dream up the perfect project! I knew the popular gold-leafed pillow covers I made last summer were going to be a hard act to follow…
But if you’ve seen the update I added to the post, you know the gold-leafed pillows didn’t hold up perfectly. I adored the look of metal leaf on fabric, but pillows that see constant use (ahem: someone in the household didn’t get the memo that they were supposed to be mainly decorative) might not be the best application.
So I decided that adding gold leaf accents to curtains would be a perfect way to combine metal leaf and a textile! Since curtains, at least, should be safe from being smushed, mushed and sat upon… Or at least one can hope!
Supplies
- 1 pair of plain curtain panels – I picked up a pair of dark grey Merete curtains from Ikea for $30.
- Mona Lisa Simple Leaf – I chose to use gold leaf, but there are also options for copper, silver and several lovely variegated designs that could be great choices!
- Mona Lisa Spray Adhesive
- Mona Lisa Spray Sealer
- Painters tape or masking tape – I have used both kinds of tape in the past and didn’t see a big difference. I just used the kind I had on hand at the moment.
Step One
Iron your curtain panels. Wrinkles might interfere with your gold leaf design, so you want to start with a relatively smooth surface.
Step Two
Using a simple tape-masking technique, you can creative tons of different designs on basic curtain panels for a completely glam, gorgeously customized pair of curtains! I decided to do a striped pattern with mine, since I thought it would compliment the grommet-top design well, but I think a diagonal pattern, vertical borders, or even a Greek key design would be stunning as well!
Start by finding an open floor space where you can lay out your curtain panel. I placed some scrap cardboard on my kitchen tiles and laid the first curtain panel out on it. Then I grabbed my tape and began to figure out spacing for my gold leaf stripes. (I started with two stripes in the beginning, but decided to add a third stripe later.) I used the width of my tape as a spacer for the second, thinner stripe.
Step Three
Use paper towels (or scrap paper, etc.) to mask any areas you want to protect from the spray adhesive. I tucked them under the outside edge of my bottom strip of tape.
Step Four
Time for the spray adhesive! Prior to this, I had only used the metal leaf adhesive that looks like white glue and that you apply with a brush. I can’t imagine how long it would have taken me to cover this kind of surface area with that!
Tip: I used a scrap of cardboard as a shield behind the top of the curtains to protect my tile and refrigerator from over-spray.
Follow the directions on the can for applying and allowing the adhesive to sit for a short period of time to get tacky. Here you can see the coat of adhesive on the top stripe:
Step Five
Apply the metal leaf!
Here is where the Simple Leaf from Mona Lisa became my favorite thing in the history of ever…Each sheet of metal leaf is attached to a square of tissue paper. You simply grab the tissue paper square, turn it over, and set it down on your adhesive. Using a cloth to buff the tissue paper will transfer the metal leaf safely and securely to the adhesive, no mess, no fuss!
You guys, this was revolutionary for me! Sure, I love metal leaf, but heretofore (gosh, did I just get to use that word? yay!) it’s been quite a messy and inexact process, involving delicate sheets of metal leaf that tear easily, shreds flying through the air and sticking to my fingers, and lots of bare spots to patch up later. The Simple Leaf was so easy to apply that it almost felt like cheating!
In fact, it went on so smoothly and neatly that I actually went back over the sheet of gold leaf with my fingers to rub some of it away since I wanted a more distressed and crackled appearance.
For the second stripe, I discovered another awesome property of the Simple Leaf – the tissue paper backing makes it simple to cut the sheet down to the perfect size to avoid wasting any metal leaf. I cut each sheet into thirds and repeated the same process of buffing the tissue paper backing to apply it.
Here’s what everything looked like after I finished filling in both stripes and lightly distressing:
Step Six
Allow your gold leaf design to sit for a while so the adhesive has time to dry before moving on to the spray sealer. Again, just follow the instructions on the can to seal the metal leafed areas. This protects the metal leaf from discoloration and tarnish over time, and I didn’t find that it stiffened the overall texture of the design too much. Just don’t spray it directly on the fabric, so keep your tape and paper towels in place while you apply it.
Step Six-Point-Two (the totally optional one)
After I got this far, and everything was dry from the previous steps, I decided that I wanted to add a third stripe to the curtains, so I used a piece of electrical tape to space out an even smaller stripe. So I actually just repeated steps two through six one more time. The extra taping and masking wouldn’t have been necessary if I had planned on the third stripe in the beginning.
Finally, time to peel off the tape…
Tip: If you notice any areas along the edge where pulling the tape up took a little gold leaf with it, you can apply a small amount of metal leaf adhesive with a brush and then “patch” it with little pieces of gold leaf.
After one more visit to the ironing board – careful not to iron over any of the metal leaf sections – the curtain panels were ready to hang!
All Finished!
This little “room” (completely open to the living room by way of a big doorway) was originally the dining room, but when the dining room moved to the back living area with the fireplace, we decided to treat this area as an extension of the living room. It holds our vintage folding teak bar and we envision it ending up as a lounge-y bar area.
For now, it’s hosting the yellow tufted chairs and a vintage brass coffee table I haven’t quite brought myself to part with yet, but you know me and my approach to furniture – it’s never set in stone. I’m envisioning some distressed leather club chairs (one day – if Craigslist cooperates!) and a more moody/masculine coffee table.
But those curtains combined with the DIY Ikea-hack “Hicks” pendant light… Perfection!
I just adore the way the gold leaf looks with the dark grey curtains! This might just be my favorite metal leaf project yet!
Pin it if you love it!
These look really awesome, Brynne! I love striped curtains anyway – just finished a couple pairs yesterday actually 🙂 – but the hold leaf makes them really special. So pretty!
Thank you so much Jen! I really wasn't originally planning on going with stripes – it's crazy, but I don't really have many striped decorative elements in the house – but it felt like a good choice for the grommet top curtains… I'm so glad I did!
Oh so amazing, Brynne!!!
I love to gold leaf everything, but never thought about curtains!
Thank you for sharing, nee to try this too!;)
It's so addictive, right? 🙂 These were so fun to make – I hope you will try it!
Bit then you cant wash them right? Wouldnt it go messy in the washing machine whenever you want to wash
Yes, you can’t wash these with the gold leaf on them. I don’t really wash my curtains anyway though!
Oh Brynne! You never fail to amaze my, this is just simply stunning! Who would have thought you could do this?
Thank you so much Gilly! <3
brynne!!!! these are AMAZING! come to my house and help me please! LOVE LOVE LOVE.
Yes! We will #gildallthethings together!!!
ohmygah. i have a million other things to do today, but i am scratching everything and doing this project . It is soooo high end and chic and gorgeous. I LOVE !
Yay! I hope you'll send pictures! Thank you so much, Diane! 🙂
that whole room looks awesome- the gold on the curtains is a great touch!!
Thank you Stephanie! Before it was kind of just a corner for clutter – I'm loving it so much more now!
The whole room looks like a million bucks! Love the curtains.
Thank you so much Tanya! <3
Gorgeous curtain makeover; gorgeous room! I can't wait to try something similar in my home 🙂
Yay – I hope you will try it! Thank you so much Kim!
Oh my goodness, your glorious curtains really shine and bring the whole room up the classy ladder! Can't get over how beautiful the curtains turned out!! The nook is so inviting, I can just envision lounging sipping on some of your famous cocktails! Bravo!
Aw, thank you Trisha! I'd love for you to visit one day and do just that! 🙂
That space is looking so great! I have those same curtains in my sunroom, but mine don't have ANY gold leaf on them, and now I'm eyeing them angrily, thinking, "WHY don't you have any gold leaf on you, curtains?!"
Haha. Obviously you have your work cut out for you now! 🙂 #gildallthethings
Amazing! These turned out gorgeous. Better look out, I think the Queen of England is going to be contacting you to make her a set. You are inspired!
Thank you so much Kenz! <3
I need to try this simple leaf stuff! Your curtains look great, makes me want to do mine now!
And can I just say…that cabinet is awesome too.
The Simple Leaf is really awesome – I had no idea what I was missing out on before!
And thank you – that cabinet was a Craigslist score with quite an interesting story behind it…
Beautiful… But how do you wash them?
Confession: I won't be washing these. On a scale of pragmatic to over-the-top-glam, I'm just a sucker for shiny things, washable or not! 🙂
I'm totally loving that space. Those curtains with the light are just perfect!!
Thank you so much Ashley! 🙂
Hi there! Stopping by from Hit Me With Your Best Shot. I love what you did! It is so pretty! I also love your pillows. I have been planning on doing gold chevron pillows too, but planned on using gold paint instead of gold leaf. I think I should give gold leaf a try now! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you so much! Those pillows were so fun – I wish I had done a better job a) constructing them (I need to get over my fear of sewing!) and b) keeping them away from daily use! I may just make another pair myself 🙂
These curtains are beautiful, and I can't wait to try them myself. Your style is spot on. I'm so glad to find your blog.
Allie | Happilyhanson.com
Thank you so much Allie! I'm so glad you stopped by! Welcome! 🙂
LOVE it Brynne!! It is the perfect addition with your incredible IKEA hack.
Thank you Amber!!! <3
Good going Brynne! It looks great and flows well in your home. I love it!
Thank you Jess! Me too 🙂
These are SO neat!! I love the gold, it's gorgeous. I've never used gold leaf before, but you're making me want to! 🙂
These are SO neat!! I love the gold, it's gorgeous. I've never used gold leaf before, but you're making me want to! 🙂
Thank you Amanda! Gold leaf is so much fun – I think you'd love it!
Gor.Ge.Ous!!!!!
Thank you Amy! 😀
So perfect. Love them. I have to try this for my room!
Yay! I hope you do! I'd love to see pictures!
Gorgeous drapes!
Thank you so much! 🙂
I wasn't sure if I'd said it yet but these curtains are freaking beautiful! I love how they turned out. It's so simple, but you're the brains who put it all together!
Thank you sweet friend! I am so in love with the way they turned out too!
Wow, I love how these turned out! You're the gold leaf Queen, Brynne!
Thanks Caitlin! Just call me "Queen Midas" 😉
I am just a beginning DIYer and I never thought of doing this to curtains!! I have some chocolate curtains that this would look absolutely amazing on! Thank you so much for the idea and tutorial 🙂
Oh yes – chocolate and gold would be such a lovely combination! I'm so glad you enjoyed the post, Danielle! Thank you 🙂
So clever! I hope you will stop by my blog and join our Something to Talk About weekly link party that runs Monday-Thursday!
Have a great day 🙂
Karen
Thank you Karen! I'd love to stop by 🙂
Ooooh!! I love how these turned out and I love this little space! Those chairs are just EVERYTHING – love the whole moody vintage vibe in here! You are so freaking clever 😀 xxx
Thank you so much sweet friend!
They are stunning!! I love working with gold leaf. I might have to try it on fabric sometime. Thanks so much for sharing with The Creative Circle. Huge fan of The Gathered Home!! xoxo
Thanks Kathy! As over-dramatic as it may sound, it truly changed my life when I first tried gold leaf on fabric! 🙂
B-E-A-utiful!!!!! I love these! I think I will be doing this to my dining room curtains! Thanks for sharing
Thank you Stephanie! I'm so glad the tutorial is useful to you! I'd love to see a picture if you do it!
I am kind of (and when I say kind of, I mean totally) obsessed with this DIY project! I am loving gold leaf projects! I think it turned out stunning and what a statement! I kind of want to head to the store right now to make this for my house! Thank you!
Aw, thank you! It’s a surprisingly simple but impressive project – if you make some, I’d love to see pictures!
This is so cool and I am definitely going to try this. Does this work best on any kind of fabric and where did you buy the gold foil?
So glad you’re going to try this! I think this would work best on a smooth fabric (I would avoid anything with texture or a nap like velvet or chenille). I know you can find the Mona Lisa simple leaf at Michael’s. You can order it online from Amazon, or you can search for local suppliers on the Speedball Art website. Have fun!
Great… Now another thing to add to my list of DIY projects. Ha. Seriously tho these are awesome. I have been doing some stuff around my apartment and the theme is Gold accents. Color and a touch of gold. I have a question, I’ve never used gold leaf (i’ve been using gold spray paint) but I want to really try this since i’m in desperate need of curtains in my apartment, Does the gold leaf every flake off? As in do you see it on the ground from opening and shutting the curtains? I will be opening and closing them everyday. Also, if you touch it does gold leaf get on your hand? Or does it cure after a while?
Thank you for your help and taking the time to do this for us.
-Jessica
Hi Jessica! I haven’t had any issues with the gold leaf flaking off, although this pair of curtains only gets closed occasionally. At the edges of the gold lines, if I rub my hand on it, tiny bits of the gold leaf do come away… So it’s not a problem for me, since my gold design is up at the top and not being handled. But something to consider! You might consider looking into a product I recently learned about but haven’t had the chance to try yet – iron on gold foil. I’ve seen it used on fabric for a similar look! Hope this helps! -Brynne
Where do you get the goldleaf at? The curtains look beautiful!!
Thank you Lindsey! You can find the Mona Lisa brand gold leaf at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby or online at Amazon. And Speedballart.com has a store locator to help you find a retailer near you too!
Do you think any type of curtain fabric would work? I am interested in doing this to some velvet-like curtains I already have from Ikea… What do you think?!
Thanks!!
I don’t *think* velvet would work for this, since the gold leaf might not adhere evenly to such a plush fabric… I’ve only used smooth fabrics myself so far!
Just stumbled across these Brynne and they are amazing! Love your work!
Aw, thank you Summer! 🙂
These are beautiful, Brynne!
Do the curtains open and close easily without breaking the gold off?
Thanks!
Thank you Christina! I don’t open and close these curtains frequently, but I’ve only noticed minimal flaking of the gold leaf. I think I would recommend this project for curtains that mainly stay open, just in case.
You have definitely planted a gold leaf seed in my head! Sort of an off-topic question: where did you get the bright floral curtains in your “Step 1” photo? I’ve been looking for something like those for ages! Thank you 🙂
Thank you! I actually made those floral curtains (POST HERE)! The fabric is “Spring Bling” from Waverly.
I had no idea you could goldleaf fabric. Brilliant. This has so much impact. Love it.
I am in absolute LOVE with this!! The only thing in my way is that wretched price tag, Do you know what else I could use that would produce similar results? I was thinking along the lines of pure chunk golden glitter and spray adhesive, but it wouldn’t give the same elegant feel. (I’m a student with little to no money to spend on such projects. 🙁 )
how pretty it looks so elegant I’m not usually drawn to darker colored rooms but the way you have this room set up is so chic and screams European or foreign, which i absolutely adore and that touch of gold just ties it all together it definitely softens off the charcoal walls and balances everything out. Great Job. 🙂
Thank you Lily! 🙂 I’m blushing over here!
I just ordered my supplies online. How many packs of the gold leaf material did you need?
Hi Leslie,
I believe I used 2-3 packs for these curtains, although I’m a little fuzzy on the details a few months later – can’t believe I didn’t include that information in the original post! I always buy extra though and just end up having a great stock for future projects 😉
Its just amazing… n i loved de tutorial,…so simple n clear
Thank you:)
Can they be washed after the Gold leaf is on it.
No, I wouldn’t think so. Is it terrible to admit that I just don’t wash my curtains? I believe there’s a form of iron-on metallic foil that *is* washable, but I haven’t ever used it myself.
What color is the paint?
The paint on the walls is “Sage Grey” from Behr.
Hello Brynne,
I was looking for pipe lamps and customized curtains and I wanted to thank you for your tutorials, I just discovered today.
Your blog is fantastic!
Cheers from Paris 😉
Thank you so much, Cris! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the tutorials and took the time to leave such a sweet comment! Have a lovely day!
Will the gold come off after you wash the curtains?
I think it would. I just don’t really wash my curtains – is that terrible to admit? 🙂
Also, how many packs of the Simple Leaf Sheet Pack did you end up using. =)
I believe I used 2-3 packs for these curtains, although I’m a little fuzzy on the details a year later – can’t believe I didn’t include that information in the original post! I always buy extra though and just end up having a great stock for future projects 😉
How to wash the curtains
I haven’t tried to wash these curtains, but I believe the gold leaf makes them non-washable.
Stunning and inspiring! Well done! Really love how they turned out. I was thinking of doing our dining room above the chair rail, but am imagining it would be so labor intensive and possibly very expensive.
Thanks to Pinterest we found your site and did the exact same curtains in our dining room, it looks beyond gorgeous but the only complaint I have is that large amounts of The gold leaf look like they’re going to fall off, I’m wondering if that’s normal overtime? Some parts look perfect but others have large Cracks and are about to come off. Please help 🙂 thanks so much!!!
Hi Evet,
My curtains did end up with a crackled appearance, because that’s just the way the gold leaf lays on the fabric. But if large pieces are about to fall off, it might mean that the adhesive was still a little too wet when the gold leaf was applied – this is just my guess, of course, from the description. The adhesive has to dry until it’s very tacky before the gold leaf is laid down. Perhaps you can brush off any loose pieces, and fill in the gaps with some more adhesive and new gold leaf? The cracks are totally normal, and a few flakes may come off from time to time, but I haven’t had any big issues with the gold leaf staying put, although my curtains were mainly decorative and seldom opened and closed.
Hope this helps!
Do you ever make these and sale them?
No, it takes quite a bit of time to make, so it’s really not cost effective to make and sell them 🙂 Thanks for asking, though!
Do you remember about how many sheets of gold leaf it took to do one panel?
Hi Marlena,
I think I used 2-3 packs for these curtains – I wish I had included that information in the original post, since it’s been quite a while now! I tend to buy extra though to be safe, and just end up having leftovers for future projects 🙂
Firstly, this is the best idea ever. I knew they’d be awesome in my dining room. But I need help! So last night I applied the sealant, and this morning the gold is flaking off in big pieces…..any tips for fixing? I did 3 coats of Mona Lisa sealant, wondering if this undermined the adhesive bond in some way.
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that, Jessica! In the past, I’ve had that happen when I applied the gold leaf while the adhesive was still a little too wet… It’s really hard to know what it could have been, but I’ve never applied that many coats of sealant before. I’ll keep my fingers crossed you can make it work!