Designing castings with gold leaf

Casting and gilding elegant candle holders is not difficult at all. Bring stylish accents into your home with self-cast and gold-plated candlesticksedit. This DIY-Project combines casting with white casting powder, modern spray design and elegant leaf metal-finishing. The result: individual decorative objects that are perfect as kandelaar gifts. We show you step by step how you can create high-quality candle holders yourself in just a few simple steps.

Filling molds - the basis for your candle holders
Start your project by VBS Mix KeraHobby casting powder with water to form a creamy, lump-free mixture. Take some time to do this and stir thoroughly, as an even consistency will ensure stable and smooth castings later on.
Carefully pour the mixture into your silicone molds. These flexible molds are particularly suitable as the objects can be easily removed from the mold later. Tap the filled mold gently on a firm surface. Air bubbles will rise to the top and the mixture will spread evenly.

Hardening, demolding and smoothing
Depending on the size of the mold, the castings will need around 1 to 4 hours to harden. As soon as they are firm, you can carefully remove them from the silicone mould . The undecorated products should then be allowed to air dry completely so that they reach their optimum strength.
If there are any rough edges, you can easily smooth them out with sandpaper . This step ensures a clean surface and prepares the candle holders ideally for further shaping. Then leave the castings to dry completely.

Applying colour - a modern finish with colour spray
Now colour comes into play: spray the candlesticks evenly with the colour spray. Spray in several thin coats so that the colour covers well and does not run. Then allow the colour to dry completely before continuing with the finishing.

Gold plating with leaf metal - create elegant accents
Apply the paste-like gold leaf priming milk with a brush to the areas you want to gild. gold leaf priming milk is a special adhesive for leaf metal. Allow it to dry for around 20 minutes until it becomes transparent. Important: It takes at least 12 hours to dry completely; it will only be fully cured after several days.
Now carefully apply the leaf metal and press it down gently with a soft, dry brush. carefully remove any excess material with a brush or cloth. Once dry, you can polish the surface as desired with a soft polishing cloth or absorbent cotton to create a beautiful shine.

protective varnish apply - for long-lasting decoration
To protect the leaf metal from corrosion, seal the surface with top coat for leaf metal. Leave the decorated objects to dry for at least 24 hours before painting over them. The protective varnish is surface-dry after about 30 minutes.
This top coat is suitable for interior decorative objects. It protects against moisture and dirt and makes cleaning easier. If you want to use your candle holders outdoors or if you are working on highly absorbent surfaces, use zapon varnish as weather and moisture protection instead.

Insert candles and finish decorating
Finally, fill your candle holders with tea lights or pillar candles. To ensure that the pillar candles stand securely, you can place small sheets of adhesive wax in the kandelaar beforehand - this will ensure that the candles sit stable and straight.

Then start your own craft project with casting powder, leaf metal and paint. In the VBS Online store you will find everything you need - from casting molds and sprays to paints and accessories. Take a look and turn your idea into a unique decorative DIY-Decorative piece!