DIY Gold Leaf Cards | Design*Sponge

I’ve got a ton of thank you notes to write after this holiday season. I wanted to make them extra special, and I love the look of foil-stamped greeting cards. So why not make my own faux foil thank you notes?

You’ll have a blast restocking your card stash with these shimmery, metallic cards. It’s a simple and quick DIY that yields stunning results.

I cut down drawing paper to make my own cards, but you can find blank cards in lots of different colors. Gilding sheets also come in silver, copper and a really cool multicolored stripe. The best part of this project is the beautiful mess you make while brushing away the excess gilding to reveal your work. My workspace and clothes were covered in little bits of gold. —Jessica

Materials

-Cards (smooth paper works best)
–Glue Pen (I used a chisel-tipped glue pen, but this company makes a lot of different types of glue pens.)
–Gilding Sheets
-Soft Brush (I used a craft sponge brush, but you can also use a clean blush brush or gilding brush.)

Instructions

1. Using the glue pen, draw on your card. Simple designs work best, so you can work quickly to avoid the glue drying. For more complex designs, complete the design in two or more parts.

2. Lay the gilding (it’s light and thin, so keep it attached to the backing paper) facedown on the card and press firmly. Smooth out any folds or bubbles. Remove the backing and let the card dry completely (30 seconds to a minute).

3. Remove any excess large pieces, which can be used again, and set aside.

4. Use a soft brush to gently remove the gilding. Brush side to side and up and down to remove all excess pieces. Smaller pieces or areas that are encircled may need a little help. Just scratch a bit of the area with your fingernail and then brush.

I also discovered something fun while trying to remove gilding from enclosed letters (like the “o” above) — that you can easily make your own scratch-off cards! Glue around a hidden message. Be careful not to make the area too wide, or it can easily be removed while gently brushing away excess gilding. Less than an inch wide worked best.