'gilded' hearts

i guess i'm just different.
while the majority of people i see on social media are rushing to Target
for the release of new items every season and holiday,
i'm over here digging thru bins in my garage and studio
to find things i can revitalize and reuse to decorate my home.

case in point: these painted hearts.

i had an idea rolling around in my head to try to replicate gold leaf,
so i pulled these out and found two ways to try out my idea.
it cost me nothing at all! i had everything i needed on hand already.
and i didn't need any more storage space to keep a new project in!
(can you imagine if i kept every.last.project. i have ever made???
i'd have far more bins and boxes and shelves filled than i already do.
i'd have spent a lot more money, too!)

continue reading to see how i got these effects...
back in 2021, i got the plastic hearts at Dollar Tree,
then painted them with yellow rosebuds and a faux galvanized metal finish.
(i've linked that post below)

this year, i decided to repaint them
and to juxtapose the rustic look of faux concrete with a luxe 'gold leaf' finish.

here's how it all came together:

faux gold leaf finish

the white hearts with tiny yellow rosebuds got two coats of thick mustard yellow paint
to obscure the rosebuds & leaves AND to prep it for two coats of thick metallic gold paint.
the mustard base coats made the gold look richer and thicker.

that's it! easy-peasy.
my favorite metallic gold paint from Folk Art paints is the key - 
this stuff covers like a dream! (not an ad. i just hype what i love.)

faux concrete hearts with gold leaf detail

i began with two of the faux galvanized metal painted hearts,
and re-painted them with my faux concrete paint tutorial (linked below).
it was an easy three-step process that took only minutes.

because i wanted the effect of a heart gold leafed onto the concrete,
i pulled out some old kraft paper heart stickers and gave them two coats of gold paint.

once dry, i pulled them off of the backing paper,
and placed them onto the faux concrete hearts.
then i burnished them by rubbing all over the gold heart with a soft rag.
the final result is a rich glowing gold... (not quite yellow, but close!) 

with a quick twist of the wrist, some fuzzy yarn became soft little 'nests'
tucked into vintage glassware to create a soft spot for a heart to land!

related content:

my faux concrete paint tutorial

floral painted hearts 2021


shared online:

funky junk interiors | new upcycle ideas #663

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