DIY Gold Leaf Necklaces

I love the look of gold. For whatever reason, I've always found gold to have a lot more pizazz than other metals, and I typically gravitate toward a little bit of it as the perfect way to spruce up an outfit, a room--even many of the things that I create. When I read this tutorial for Gilded Acorn Charms on Design*Sponge a few months ago, I discovered that gold looks fantastic layered on top of wood, and I bookmarked it--hoping that it would inspire me to create something interesting to use as a centerpiece for our dining table. I still think intend to pursue that idea, but as Christmas approached, it occured to me that I could also use this combination to make something personal and unique for my mom and Jim's. These gilded bead necklaces are the result.

The gold comes from basic gold leaf, which is a material I'd never worked with before. I found that the process itself is quite simple, but the logistics can become pretty frustrating--remember that post a few weeks ago when I mentioned having a late night temper tantrum and throwing a project against the wall? That was those little gold beads. HOWEVER, you should not let my experience deter you. I'm fairly certain that the right tools and a healthy night of sleep (neither of which I possessed at the time) would steer you clear of my disaster. And the results really are worth it. Together, the wood and gold give these necklaces the perfect balance of casual and glam. I think they would look great with a sweater and cords or a button down shirt in the winter, and in the summer they would be a fun way to dress up barer, beachier looks--like tank tops and sundresses. I wish I had made one for myself!

I drew heavily from the Design*Sponge tutorial when I made these and didn't take pictures of my process, but because I ended up with something quite different, I'm going to provide an abbreviated how-to here. If you would like a few more images, jump over and check out the acorns.

Materials

• Wood beads. I purchased the larger beads from Michaels, and the smaller ones from Casey's Wood (they provided extremely quick standard shipping in the middle of the Christmas season).
• Wood stain. I used Miniwax Wood Finish in Golden Oak.
• Masking tape.
• Gold leaf and gold leaf sealer (I purchased this Mona Lisa Gold Leaf Starter Kit because it was the best deal and it was just enough leaf for two necklaces).
• Spray adhesive
• Two small paintbrushes
• Tweezers (if using little beads)
• String. I used suede laces from Michaels and heavy fishing line (I believe monofilament is the correct word) from the hardware store.
• Clasps of your choice, if needed. I bought one for the mutli-layered necklace at Michaels and tied off the suede one by hand.

1. Use a small paintbrush to apply wood stain to all of the beads. Cover each bead with one layer of stain, then let dry overnight. If you want a darker color, repeat with one more layer. Don't stain the same spot multiple times in one coat, or you will get spots that look dirty.

2. Use masking tape to cover areas that you do NOT want to leaf.

3. On a protected surface, cover beads with spray adhesive. Allow to dry about one minute, so the adhesive turns from wet to tacky.

4. Apply gold leaf. You can use your fingers or small squares of wax paper to pick up the leaf (it will stick to the wax paper) and wrap it around your bead. If using small beads, hold each bead with tweezers in one hand and use paper to apply leaf with the other. You will quickly learn that it is nearly impossible to cover every area evenly with the leaf--that's okay, it's part of the look. To avoid a meltdown, roll with it. Once you've applied the leaf, use a dry, soft paint brush to pat it down all the way around the bead, brushing off excess as you go.

5. Apply gold leaf sealant and allow to dry.

6. String beads. For the multi-strand necklace, I positioned the gilded beads alone and in groups in a random order along each strand. For the single-strand necklace, I tied a knot in the suede lacing between each bead and positioned the beads so that their gilded sides were facing.

If desired, add a clasp. And voila! You have a beautiful, one-of-a-kind, year-round accessory.

I hope that you can use this to create something that you love. Happy Wednesday!