Modern Gold Leaf Pumpkins

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Like modern fall pumpkin decor? Me too! See how I upcycled a pair of modern pumpkins into metallic Gold Leaf Pumpkins with gilding. For more posts like these see my Fall+ Thanksgiving page.

It’s time for another Thrift Store Challenge! This time I found these cool geometric pumpkins or possibly they are apples (not sure) on clearance at Hobby Lobby for the whopping low price of $2 a piece. Can I get a heck yeah?!

I decided to spray paint them white since they were scratched and to get a clean slate to start from.

When I the paint dried I had a hard time figuring out if I wanted to add anything else to them. These modern pumpkins were just so elegant being all white. I was afraid I would overdo them.

I played around with different mediums to add some pop, but everything I thought I would like to do would have taken away from the design.

That’s when I decided on gold gilding! I love gold gilding on pumpkins it is so gorgeous to me. Let me show you how I made these geometric super modern gold leaf pumpkins for my fall decor.

Modern Gold Leaf Pumpkins

Supplies:

• Faux pumpkins
• Gilding adhesive
• Gilding gloves
• Soft bristle brush
• Gilding brush
• Gold gilding sheets
• Spray paint & primer
• Washi tape

How to spray paint on enamel surface

The geometric pumpkins I found had a shiny coating on them and when I first tried to spray paint them with regular cheap paint I had on hand. The paint ran off the pumpkins. Not good.

Off to the hardware store I went. I bought a can of Rust-oleum Universal Bonding Primer and wow am I in love with this stuff. It bonds a top coat to difficult surfaces. It worked perfectly!

I followed it with a coat of Rust-oleum Semi-gloss enamel and they came out fabulous. Like you just bought them in a store fabulous. I was able to add washi tape to the pumpkins and it peeled right off without taking the paint with it! Great stuff!

How to add gold leaf to a pumpkin

Paint the pumpkins let them dry overnight. Now you are ready to add your gilding.

Tape off the area you are going to add gilding adhesive. Apply a thin layer of gilding adhesive to the pumpkin. Let it dry for a few minutes or until it feels tacky to the touch.

Lay a gilding sheet over the adhesive. Do not peel the gilding off of the wax sheet. Rub the wax backing to smooth and adhere the gilding. Allow it to dry for 1 to 2 hours.

Use a soft brush to remove extra gilding from edges.

Peel off the washi tape. Apply a thin layer of sealant over the gilding so it will not chip off and that’s it!

You have two trendy gorgeous pumpkins for your fall decor! They really came out better than I expected. And who knew making gold leaf pumpkins could be this great!

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