I love a good pun, but not as much as I love a beautiful brooch! They’re such a simple way to add personality to an outfit and look especially nice pinned onto a jacket lapel. I didn’t have anything autumnal in my brooch collection though, so I thought I’d make some gold leaves to celebrate fall’s arrival. These little guys are so easy to make, that you could easily make a bunch to string on a garland, to use as necklace pendants, or to create magnets! You can make your brooches any color, but I love the look of gold leaf, and like I said— I can’t resist a good pun. Gold leaves!
Supplies:
-polymer clay in color of your choice (I used white because I already had some, but you could save yourself a step by getting clay in a color you want to show through the gold.)
-gold leaf sheets, sizing, and a sealant (only use water-based sizing and sealant)
-brooch pins
-permanent adhesive
-paint for background color (optional)
Tools:
-silicone mold (I used this one.)
-paint brush
-oven
Step One: Warm the clay in your hands for a couple of minutes to make it easier to work with. Then pack it into the sections of the mold. You can use less clay for thinner brooches.
Step Two: Push the brooch pins into the clay to make indents. Then bake for the recommended time on the clay packaging. I baked mine at 270°F for 30 minutes (15 minutes for every 1/4″ thickness of clay). Allow to cool before removing from the mold. Pull off the pins and set aside for later.
Step Three: If you aren’t using colored clay, you’ll probably want to paint the leaves with the color you would like to show through the gold leaf finish. It took 2-3 coats to cover my clay.
Step Four: Brush a light coat of sizing onto the painted leaves to prepare for the gold leaf sheets. If you have a gold leaf kit, it will come with sizing. I’ve seen people use Mod Podge for this too. Gold leaf sizing takes about 20 minutes to set up.
Step Five: Apply little pieces of the gold leaf sheets to the prepared leaves. It can be a bit tricky to get the paper into the crevices of the leaves, so I used a little paint brush to help push the gold leaf into those tight spots.
Step Six: Use a soft cloth to rub and burnish the gold leaf, making it nice and smooth. Rub a bit harder at the corners to remove the gold leaf and expose the color underneath. If you need to add more gold leaf in some spots, just repeat steps 4-6 on those areas.
Step Seven: Seal the leaves with a water-based varnish. You could use the sealant that comes with a gold leaf kit, but I’ve discovered it doesn’t hold up well to water like a good varnish does. So I used this Minwax brand water-based Polycrylic spray.
Step Eight: Use a permanent glue to affix the brooch pins in the indents you made before baking.
Important Tip: Be sure to only use polymer-safe paint, sizing, and sealer on your leaves, or the polymer will degrade over time and turn into a gooey mess. I’ve learned that spray paint, nail polish, and oil-based paints are a no-no. Now I use water-based paints and a durable water-based varnish to seal my polymer creations.
Don’t they look pretty? I think I might make some more using a light-weight polymer clay to create a cute little garland for my dining room. But for now I’m loving the little nod to fall on my vintage sweater cape.
Need a fun idea for displaying your brooches when they’re not pinned to your lapel? Check out this quick and easy jewelry display idea! –Mandi
Credits // Author and Photography: Mandi Johnson. Photos edited with Stella and Valentine of the Signature Collection.
I thought the same thing.
These are gorgeous the gold is a great colour for fall.
Lauren
livinginaboxx
Those are so cute. What a clever and easy idea to make a brooche in a cute design. Love it!
XO, Eva from Germany
oh wow! These are brilliant! I LOVE leaves and anything to do with autumn – what a clever idea. Thank you
This is such a wonderful DIY idea. Thank you for sharing!
Love this idea, gold leaf brooches just scream adorable autumn accessories 🙂
rina-roo.blogspot.ca
Awesome idea for using molds! I always see them but never really know what I’d use them for. This is great and would make a great gift!
Super creative! I’m definitely going to try these
thefashiontea.weebly.com
These would be cute to pin on hats too! -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s
This is a really fun idea yay for fall 🙂
So neat! http://sadityinthecity.com
So beautiful!
Looks great. xaxa
http://www.fashiondenis.com
These are fantastic! I want to make some! Instead of brooches though, I think I’s use them to embellish other items. They’d make a room look so happy.
These are really cute! They remind me of a necklace my great grandma gave me which features… a gold leaf. Think they must have been all the rage at some point (here in England anyway don’t know about the states) and now you’re bringing them back. Better get my necklace out!
great idea for a gift!
this would be such a fantastic gift! my mom has about everything and everything leaf related {fall is her favorite season and she’s a huge tree-hugger} so i think i might have to do this DIY as a christmas present 🙂
Oh how cute this brooches are 🙂
www.tconfidential.com
This is so cute, and everyone can customize it in anyway they like…i really like that garland idea..
xo
agoldentulip.blogspot.com
What a great idea!! I love it! <3 <3 <3