Gold Leaf Sheets: Six Best Uses!

Gold leaf sheets use to add just the right amount of class to any object, from furniture to jewelry to even food. In fact, gold leaf sheets have been used in these and other ways throughout history, and if you know how to use them properly, they can be an affordable alternative to more expensive options like real gold or silver. Here are five great uses for gold leaf sheets that you might not have known about before now.

1) Gilding

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Gilding is a technique in which gold leaf (or real gold) is applied over a layer of another metal. The most common types of base metals used are copper and silver, but brass, bronze, gilded steel, German silver, and nickel silver may also be used. Copper and its alloys have been gilded by accident as early as 3500 BCE. However, any copper or alloy that can be reasonably expected to take a good gild will almost certainly require pre-treatment with some form of acidic preparation called pickling before it can accept gold leaf successfully.

2) Displays

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Gold leaf sheets are used by many types of businesses, but they can be especially useful to a business that sells art or other items that could make use of a touch of gold. Gold leaf is thin and pliable, so it’s possible to apply a thin layer over nearly any product or surface. Additionally, it’s easy to remove gold leaf if you change your mind about its coloration; just sand it down and you’re back to normal. As with all types of sheeting, gold leaf sheets are available in varying sizes and colors, depending on your needs.

3) Gift Wrapping

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Gold leaf sheets are a beautiful way to bring some extra flair to your gift-wrapping efforts. Even if you’re not an experienced artist, you can still have fun with gold leaf; just draw some basic shapes onto a piece of paper and fill in with gold. For example, create stars by drawing a star shape on paper and outlining it in gold. Then, once you’ve finished adding all your stars to your present, consider stamping their outlines in black—this creates a nice contrast that will make your gold shine even brighter! If you’re looking for something more unique than just drawings or stamps, try searching online for free patterns; there are tons of flower patterns that would look great when coated in gold!

4) Decoration

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One of your home’s biggest selling points is its unique aesthetic. And no other element says look at me quite like some high-end gold leaf décor. Whether you’re using these sheets to accent a bar, a bookshelf, or even an entire room, they can add value and allure to any space in an instant. As beautiful as they are visual, they also make pleasant company. Placing gold leaf sheets on your ceiling will not only get you closer to that idea of walking on clouds; it will also provide a much-needed layer of soundproofing against outside noise.

5) Food

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Gold leaf sheets can be sprinkled over desserts to add a decorative touch to ice cream, custards, and chocolate sauces. In fact, an edible gold leaf topcoat is often used on candies and chocolates in lieu of real gold plating; sprinkle these shimmering flakes over cake frosting, chocolate cupcakes, or even pretzels as a holiday treat. To use, simply freeze your dessert until it’s firm. Once frozen, scatter your gold leaf sheets on top—you may need to cut them into smaller pieces first—and then dust with confectioner’s sugar or cocoa powder. If you make sure each layer is set before adding another one, you can create beautiful effects with several layers of embellishment.

6) Repurposing the Gold Leaf Sheets

The market for gold leaf is pretty small, meaning if you just buy one sheet and use it to gild a frame or picture. There’s a good chance it will just sit in your house—unused—until you want to sell it at a garage sale. If that happens, you’ve wasted some of your money. To avoid that, find alternative uses to keep your sheet in rotation. You can make temporary tattoos by pressing tiny bits of the leaf onto someone’s skin with an ink pad or even transform them into jewelry: meltdown some wax (either crayons or paraffin) and dip a gold-leaf sheet into it; let cool and then stick flat stones on top with super glue. The possibilities are endless.