Go Glam With Gold

If you follow the blog on Facebook, a few weeks ago you saw a picture of a few things I picked up from Goodwill. When I got home I found that the small, white tumbler I purchased for 77 cents was a designer piece that normally sells for $18.

Sure, it’s not a special antique find but it’s fun to see what can turn up at thrift stores.   The Jonathan Adler Lacquer bath tumbler is sold as part of a spa bathroom collection.  I think it’s intended for use as a cup on a sink vanity but I think it’s also great as a bud vase or even on a desk as a holder for pens or pencils.

I decided to dress it up a little.  I took a look at craft supplies I already had on hand and found my nearly untouched gold leafing kit. I used only the adhesive from the kit back when I turned a twin headboard into a silver leafed chalkboard.

The nice thing is this is an easy update almost anyone can do in only four short steps. If you don’t have gold leaf, you could try a shimmery, metallic paint.

1. Using ScotchBlue painters tape, tape off a stripe of desired width.
2. Using a small brush, brush the area with a thin coat of the adhesive and allow it to sit for about 45 minutes.
3. Press gold leaf on the sticky area and smooth as desired.
4. Brush the gold leafed area with a thin coat of sealer. (I used clear gloss Polycrylic because I already had it.)  Carefully remove tape and …voila!

This is a simple change but it makes such a lovely difference.  I usually prefer silver over gold but I really love how gold leaf has such a warm shine with the white. I am glad to add a touch of it to the house.