A STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIAL ON HOW TO APPLY GOLD LEAF TO *ALMOST ANY* PLASTIC DECOR ITEM | YOUTUBE VIDEO
Hello creative DIY friends, welcome back to another Trashy Treasure Tuesday! Do you remember the days of plastic fruit bowls? My Mum always had a bowl of fake fruit in our kitchen. To this day, every time I see plastic fruit in a thrift store, dollar store, etc, it always puts a smile on my face and amuses me. Memories, right?! 😆
Today I’m sharing how to gold leaf plastic — using a thrifted bag of fake fruit! Just wait until you see how easy it is to gold leaf plastic and turn it into gorgeous gilded decor.
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I’m also joining my TTT crew and sharing links to their projects below. I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ve created and I hope you join me on today’s tour as well!
Here’s the bag of plastic fruit I picked up from the thrift store. Can you believe this used bag of plastic fruit was $9.99? Thrift store prices are out of control…lol.
When I brought them home and took them out of the bag, I admit plastic fruit has come a long way. These look pretty realistic!
My friend Terry and I spent a beautiful day walking around and shopping in downtown Dundas. I saw these sweet Gold Gilded Pears in one of the little shops. These are the inspiration for today’s makeover.
These golden pears were selling for $7.99 each and looked super cute staged and styled. Let’s see if we can replicate these!
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WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Plastic Fruit or Decor – SALVAGED
White Lightning Cleaner
Sanding Sponge
Soft Rag/Towel
Gold Leaf Sheets
Stick With Me Gliding Glue
Chip Brush
Topcoat/Wax (optional)
GOLD LEAF DECOR IDEAS
You can use various plastic items to create gold leaf gilded decor. Most of the list below can be found at local thrift stores, garage sales, or in your kitchen cabinet!
Here are some popular options:
- Plastic Flower Pots
- Plastic Toy Models (horses etc)
- Plastic Vases
- Plastic Fruit
- Plastic Pumpkins
- Plastic Eggs or any plastic Seasonal Decor
STEP-BY-STEP GOLD LEAF
These steps will help you get a professional gold leaf finish on ANY plastic decor item!
CLEAN AND SCUFF
I removed all the fruit from the bag and cleaned it using a sponge sprayed with White Lightening. This preps the plastic and removes any dust, dirt, or oil. Then I gave it another quick wipe down with a sponge with clean water to remove any residue. One of the apples (only 1 of them which is odd) decided to dye my hand candy apple red!
Once dry, I scuff-sanded with a flexible 220-grit sanding sponge to create some tooth on the plastic surface for better glue adhesion. I removed the sanding dust and it was ready for the adhesive.
APPLYING THE ADHESIVE
To apply gold leaf, a special adhesive glue is needed. My favorite glue is this Stick To Me Glue. Using an inexpensive chip brush I apply a thin even coat where I want the gold leaf to stick. It applies milky so I can see exactly where I’m putting it.
To get a perfectly tacky surface, I waited 15 minutes as per instructions. It is transparent when the glue is tacky and ready for gold leaf application. The plastic fruit looked sugar-glazed it was so shiny! If you’re unsure, touch it and it will feel VERY tacky to the touch.
APPLYING THE GOLD LEAF
Now for the fun part!! It’s time to play with the sheets of gold. Sheets of gold leaf are VERY delicate and can blow away easily so make sure there are no fans or windows open with a big breeze. It also tears easily so working gently is key. I also like to wear gloves so I don’t get glue and gold all stuck to my hands. Here I’m working with FAUX gold sheets which are very inexpensive selling under $5-$10 for a pack of 100. They also sell REAL gold leaf sheets that sell for between $20-$30 for a pack of 100.
As you’ll see on the video this Saturday, my sheets tore and wrinkled but there was no need to panic. I did a patch job and it ended up looking fabulous. Each piece of fruit took about two and a half sheets. I would place one on the bottom and press it in place, then grab another one and place it on top. Using a chip brush, I pressed it on and brushed off the excess.
BURNISH THE GOLD LEAF
Once I had the gold leaf stuck onto the fruit, there were some wrinkles and loose flakey pieces. To create a perfectly smooth finish, I burnished the gold leaf with a soft lint-free rag. This step is optional. If you like a more organic textured look, no need to burnish.
SEAL / PROTECT
To protect your gold leaf, you can apply a thin layer of sealant or topcoat. This step is optional. Keep in mind the sheen of the topcoat will affect the shine of the gold. I wouldn’t use a matte topcoat for instance because it will dull the beautiful shine. If your decor is just decor and won’t be handled a lot, I don’t believe a topcoat is needed. I’m not going to topcoat my gold fruit.
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What a great idea to update something most folks would throw away!! I love this!! I am going on Amazon to order some of that gold leaf!!🍁 thanks Denise
Thanks and have fun Linda. No one will know it’s plastic!!! lol
I hate to say it, but there is something funny about a book that says “love REAL food” right behind the faux fruit, lol!! These look so beautiful, though. You make me want to find something to gold leaf. 😀
I agree, the irony, right?!… and I didn’t do it on purpose!😂 Thanks Mariele!
I think this is lovely but probably a lot more difficult than it looks! Would just spraying the fruit gold be much less impressive?
Hi Audrey! It’s a little messy but it’s not difficult at all – super easy actually. Brush the glue on – stick on the gold leaf – smooth it out. I’ve also done quite a few projects with metallic paints as well. they look gorgeous but it does have a different look.
Perfect! The gold gives them a modern look that will go with most styles. I LOVE this one, Denise. Isn’t gold leaf fun to work with?
It’s SO FUN to work with! I had a blast! Thanks my friend. XOXO
These are so pretty now!! Love the new look! xo
Thank you Nancy! XOXO
Oh Denise. You’ve done it again. From nice to fabulous!!!!! Give me more gold! Your fruit looks flawless. I like the way you even covered the stems. Thank you so much.
Aw, thank you my friend! I’ve been looking around my house for something else I can gold leaf now…lol. 😉
You make this look easy enough for me to try! The gold leaf looks upscale. 💛
Thank you Nicki! I hope you give it a try! XOXO
Who knew this could looks so good ! Even tho as Kristy said the originals did looks good.
I’m loving the elegant look !!
Yesss, I agree with you and Christy! I was surprised how REAL they looked as well!😂 So thrilled you like the ‘new’ golden look P! XOXO
BEAUTIFUL!
cheap cotton gloves are life changing when applying leaf. also holding your breath lol
Omygoodness, cotton gloves – what an awesome idea Lisa!! And yes, it’s easy to inhale..lol. Thank you!!🤗
What a great idea! They are super-cute.
Thank you Lizzy! Have an awesome week! XOXO
Hi Denise. YES!!!! My mother also had plastic fruit on our table growing up. I have to say, your gold fruit is far more elegant. Beautifully done and staged.
Hi Monique! Plastic fruit was soooo popular, right!?😃 So glad you like the makeover and the gold leaf fruit! Have a great week my friend. XOXO
Those are SO pretty! I will definitely be trying this! TY!
Thank you Cyndi!😃 Yesss, I hope you give it a try!! It’s so easy and a ton of fun! Makes me want to turn evverything GOLD! 😂
Oh my gosh, Denise, these look SO good! They really did look real before didn’t they? My mom had an oblong tray that held wooden fruit lol….not realistic at all ha ha! XOXO
I forgot all about wooden fruit, yessss, some of my friends mothers had a wood fruit as well!! If I had to pick it would be the wood over the plastic though.😂 So funny! Thanks so much my friend. XOXO
Dare I say it….I still have a bowl of plastic fruit in my house….worse still it was my mums and to be honest it looks great, I do buy fresh fruit, but this stuff never goes off does it 🙂
I adore how your fruits turned out, maybe time Mums fruit had a face lift.x
You just put a BIG smile on my face Janette! Many people still have plastic fruit and/or wood fruit as my friend Christy mentioned in a previous comment. I think it’s super sweet you still have your Mums plastic fruit!!… I wish I still had my mums! So glad you like the project. And I hope you don’t mind me adding my 2¢, but I’d keep your mums’ plastic fruit EXACTLY as is.💕🍐🍎
What a fun project that really shines.
Thanks my friend! XOXO