3 DIY Gold-Leaf Holiday Decorations
Craft shiny, sophisticated paper tassels, paper flowers and holly ornaments to decorate your home for the holidays. Each starts with a roll of Kraft paper and DIY gold-leafing.
DIY Gold-Leafed Paper
What You'll Need:
* Roll of Kraft paper
* Crafts glue
* Two foam brushes
* Gold leaf sheets
How-to
Unroll a section of Kraft paper on a flat surface. Brush on random, imperfect swaths of crafts glue with foam brush. Do not coat entire surface with glue. Allow glue to set until tacky, then apply gold leaf sheets by gently rubbing in place with your finger. Remove gold leaf from unglued areas by gently dusting with dry foam brush. Your goal is to partially gild the paper, not cover it entirely.
Related: Beautiful Christmas Crafts
Gift Wrap
Wrap gifts in paper you decorate with metallic paint pens or gold leaf. Handmade paper tassels add a playful touch to a traditional gift box.
What You'll Need
* Straightedge
* Utility knife
* Kraft paper, plain and gold-leafed
* Glue stick
* Ribbon
How-to
Cut ½-inch-wide strips of plain Kraft paper into twelve 10-inch lengths. Lay strips in a starburst pattern, gluing each strip to the one on top of it. Let dry. Loosely bend bundle of strips in half to form a tassel. Glue a strip of gold-leafed Kraft paper around bundle 1 inch from top. For hanger, slip ribbon through the opening below where the strips are folded over.
Related: Easy Christmas Gift Wrap Ideas
Paper Flowers
Attach paper flowers to gold-painted branches with glue dots, or use them to decorate a fresh wreath like the one in our top photo.
What You'll Need
* Flower templates (download templates here)
* Scissors
* Gold-leafed Kraft paper
* Gold beads
* Hot-glue gun
How-to
Use template to cut flower shapes from Kraft paper. Fold each in half along dotted lines as shown on template. Unfold and fold in half along other axis; unfold. Glue a bead in center. Attach paper flowers to branches with glue dots.
Holly Ornaments
What You'll Need
* Holly leaf template (download free template here)
* Scissors
* Gold-leafed Kraft paper
* Bone folder
* Glue stick
* Ribbon
* Gold beads
How-to
Use template to cut eight holly leaves from Kraft paper and fold each in half lengthwise with bone folder. Glue one side of a folded leaf to one side of another. Repeat, stopping short of gluing first and last leaves together. Sandwich a loop of ribbon inside leaves and leave a 1-inch tail; glue first and last leaves. Tie a bead to each end of ribbon.