220 grit Water paper, Harlequin’s Gold Size (the glue) Harlequins Gold or Silver Leaf, it comes in a book of 25 leafs and one book will cover approx 0.5 sq meters. Harlequin’s Blond Shellac crystals once dissolved, will seal the finished item and a 750ml bottle of Methylated spirits.

A clean application brush 50 mm and a soft dry brush, and a piece of clean soft cotton cloth (an old tee-shirt will do) and a clean container.

Decide what you want to gold or silver leaf, I decided to silver leaf a black painted table I found in a junk shop. There were some small repairs required which involved a screw or two. I filled the repairs and touched up any damage with black paint.

The existing surface had been painted with what look like Black water based paint, a sponge roller had been used to apply the paint and because of this it had left a slightly textured surface which, if left, would be clearly visible through the gold or silver leaf.

So With 220 grit water paper and clean water (I added a little washing up liquid to the water, it helps the water paper slide better) I sanded the table to remove any texture or roughness, if you look at pic 4 & 5 you can see the texture on the table that i have started to remove by the sanding.

Because I was going for a completely silver look (not much of the base colour would be seen ) I was not too worried about sanding through the black paint to reveal the surface underneath.

I was happy with the final preparation, I made sure the surface is clean and dry, I removed any dust or residue from the surface using a dust brush

The next step: pour about 100 grams of Shellac into a clean container (this depends very much on what it is you going to guild, obviously the larger the area the more shellac you will need to make up)

Pour enough Methylated spirits onto the shellac crystals to completely cover them

With a clean flat paddle, stir the shellac. The shellac will take a few hours to dissolve. About once an hour give the shellac a stir and check that all crystals are dissolving.

With the Gold size and brush, working one area at a time i.e. a leg or a manageable area, apply a VERY thin coat of the size, Pic 11. ensuring that there are no runs or excess size on the surface, this can be achieved by continually lightly brushing the size until it starts to dry. This will normally take a few minutes. The milky appearance of the size will go once dry, it leaves the surface slightly sticky.

Once the size is fully dry, place a single sheet of leaf onto the dry size avoid excessive handling of the leaf.(remember where the leaf touches the dry size it will stick) continue over the whole area where the size is until completely covered .

Reminder.... stir shellac

Using a dry brush, gently push the leaf into the detail if applicable. Take a dry cloth rub the leaf until all excess has been removed. Pic 15

I completed the legs and frame of the table. Now for the top! I decided that i wanted to use complete squares of the leaf to create a uniform Pattern.

I took the measurements of the leaf 14 cm x 14 cm and drew out with pencil and a large ruler exact squares on the table top, once i was happy, using low tack masking tape (see foot note) I edged one square at a time with the tape Pic 16.

By applying the size to that area pic 17 ensuring that the excess had been brushed off and there were no obvious brush marks pic 18.

Again once dry, I started to put on the leaf to the masked out square pic 19 don’t worry if to cannot get the full square covered in one go, just keep putting small bits of the leaf onto the square until completely covered pic 20.

Have you checked the shellac? It might need a stir.

Once that square is completed, using your soft cloth lightly rub the excess leaf off until completely smooth. Pic 21.

Now carefully remove the masking tape, pic 22 and with your soft cloth rub over the whole area until all excess leaf and size have been removed pic 23. Continue until the table is complete pic 24.

REMEMBER this way is optional you may prefer just to cover the WHOLE table top in size, (apply as above) once dry cover the whole area in leaf and rub with soft cloth until excess leaf has been removed.

Ensure all excess has been rubbed off, failing to remove this it could leave table rough to the touch once the shellac (or sealer) has been applied.

Phew..... finished, pic 25. right we now need to apply the shellac. The shellac is applied over the silver (or gold) leaf to protect and give a durable finish; it also stops the silver (or gold) leaf from oxidising.

Depending on how much methylated spirits you originally used to dissolve the shellac, once applied it might make the silver leaf look golden in colour, you may need to add more methylated spirits. Try a test patch in an unobvious area first.

Using a brush (or it can be sprayed if you have the facilities) apply a thin but even coat of the shellac over the item, one leg or one area at a time pic 26. avoid brushing the shellac onto other areas until ready to do them. As it starts to dry you will notice it becomes milky, pic 27. don’t worry this is just the drying process. Once dry the milkyness goes.

Depending on the look you require apply one or more coats. Don’t forget shellac dries very fast work quickly and evenly over the area, do not over brush the shellac as it will start to dry as you are brushing.

You can use an oil based varnish to seal your gilding project but NO water based varnishes can be used. it will make the silver or gold leaf go black or discoloured

The finished item pic 28

Remember practice makes perfect, try on a small test area first to gain confidence.