3 Easy Ways to Make Beautiful Gold Leaf Chargers

Charger plates are one of the absolute best ways to dress up a table. They pack a huge style punch and can make the entire setting look more cohesive. However, they can get pretty expensive and it can be difficult to find ones in your preferred style. This tutorial offers 3 easy ways to make beautiful gold leaf chargers for your next dinner party. You can select the colors that fit your style and décor, and customize the exact application for the look you want. They also make great gifts for those who love to host!

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Here’s what you’ll need:

• Plastic chargers (As large of a set as you’d like. I found mine in the clearance section at Michaels but I’ve seen them for super cheap at the Dollar Tree and Hobby Lobby)

• Acrylic craft paint or spray paint in the color of your choosing

• 1 large, 2 medium, and 2 small paintbrushes

• Gold leaf glue – I used this one from Amazon: Gilding Adhesive

• Gold leafing sheets – These worked great: Imitation Gold Leaf

• Shiny sealant (Clear water-based polyurethane or Modge Podge):

• Pencil and ruler (if following the geometric patterned tutorial)

This tutorial features 3 easy ways to make beautiful gold leaf chargers. The first is a Natural Edge Gold Leaf Charger that offers an elegant take on rustic decor. The second is a Farmhouse Pattern Gold Leaf Charger that adds whimsy and flair to any farmhouse decor. The third is a crisp Geometric Gold Leaf design that gives a cool mid-century modern vibe.

Natural Edge Gold Leaf Charger Tutorial:

Step 1: Start by making sure your plates are completely clean and dry.

Step 2: Next, apply a thin layer of acrylic or spray paint over the top of each plate. If hand painting, use one of the medium sized brushes for this step.

Step 3: When the first layer of paint is dry, apply a second coat. A third coat may or may not be necessary to achieve a nice consistent color. It really depends on your application method, the consistency of the paint, the original color of the chargers, etc. I also recommend trying to use paint that’s relatively new to avoid any clumps.

Step 4: Let the chargers dry completely – don’t rush this step! You’ll be pretty rough with these plates during the gold leaf process and we don’t want to risk any smudges or scratches.

Step 5: Now it’s time to apply the glue. Using a small brush, paint a thin stripe around the plate edge. Then, working closer to the center, stipple the paint so that it becomes thinner and more spotty the further away from the edge you get. When you approach the inner circle of the charger, add only a small spot of glue every inch or so. The goal is to make a naturally progressing jagged and uneven edge. Apply the glue to 2-3 plates at a time. There’s a relatively small window of time to apply the gold leafing and you don’t want to risk the glue drying before you get to it.

Step 6: When the glue changes from milky white to clear (5-20 minutes depending on application thickness and humidity) it’s ready for the leafing! Remove one sheet of the gold leafing from the dividing papers and lay it across your glue. It doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth; wrinkles add character! Use one of your clean small brushes to smooth the foil down over the glue. Once it’s all adhered, gently peel off the extra leafing from the edges and lay it down on your next section. Grab new sheets as necessary and repeat this process until you’ve covered all of your glue! Cherish those small bits and pieces and use them to cover small areas. They are just as good as the full sheets! Repeat this step on all plates that have glue.

Step 7: Now that all of your glue is covered with gold leafing, give it 2-3 minutes to cure. Then, use one of your medium brushes to brush and scrape off all of the extra gold leafing. You don’t need to be super gentle here, that leafing is not going anywhere!

Step 8: Repeat steps 5-7 on the rest of your plates.

Step 9: Once you’ve revealed smooth, flake-free surfaces on all of the plates, you’re ready to seal it! Using the large brush, apply a thin layer of sealant over the entire project, including around the edge. Try to be light-handed so as not to create any crazy brush lines here. Repeat this step on each plate and then allow them to dry for 24-48 hours. Please note that these chargers should always be lightly hand-washed as opposed to being placed in the dishwasher.

That’s it! You’ve just learned the first of 3 easy ways to make beautiful gold leaf chargers. These unique, DIY rustic chargers will pair beautifully with any decor for an enchanting table display.

Farmhouse Pattern Gold Leaf Charger Tutorial:

These farmhouse-style chargers add a ton of character to a table setting. The design is so simple that even those with limited artistic skills can do it! If you’re into a more minimalistic vibe, consider painting the plates white for an ultra clean look.

Step 1: Begin by following the first 4 steps in the Natural Edge Charger Tutorial above.  

Step 2: Now, you’ll create the design. With one of your small brushes, apply a small downward and diagonal line of glue to the charger rim as shown in the picture. Add another line next to it, coming down at the opposite angle. Take note of how the lines don’t completely meet in the middle. Add three more lines on each side for a total of 8 little lines that look like an arrow. Keep creating this pattern around the entire charger, making sure to space everything out evenly. This technique takes a little longer than some, so I recommend only applying glue to one charger at a time prior to leafing.

Step 3: Allow the glue to dry until all of it is clear. Keep in mind that the glue will still be tacky once it’s clear so you don’t need to rush in fear of it drying instantly. It may be tempting to begin leafing while some portions of glue are still milky but this will result in a rough and uneven finished product.

Step 4: When your glue is ready, remove one sheet of the gold leafing from the dividing papers and lay it across the glue. Don’t worry if it’s a little wrinkly, it looks great in the end! Use a clean small brush to smooth the foil down over the glue. Once it’s adhered, gently peel off the extra leafing from the edges and lay it on your next section. Grab new sheets as necessary and repeat this process until you’ve covered all of your glue! You can use some of the small leftover pieces of leafing to touch-up any uncovered spots.

Step 5: Now you can use one of your medium brushes to brush and scrape off all of the extra leafing. You don’t need to be super gentle here, that leafing is not going anywhere.

Step 6: Repeat steps 2-5 until all of the plates have gold leafing. Feel free to use gold leaf bits and scraps from your first plates on your second set of plates!

Step 7: Once you’ve revealed a smooth, flake free surface, you’re ready to seal it! Using a large brush, apply a thin layer of sealant over the entire project, including around the edge. Try to be light-handed so as not to create any crazy brush lines here. Repeat this step on each gold leaf charger plate and then allow them to dry for 24-48 hours. Please note that these chargers should always be lightly hand-washed as opposed to being placed in the dishwasher.

That’s it! You’ve just learned the second of 3 easy ways to make beautiful gold leaf chargers. These fun chargers will definitely spice up your next dinner party!

If you would like to view a YouTube video tutorial on this specific design, head over to https://youtu.be/FkAU-CMdHzw and be amazed by my sweet video editing skills… j/k.

Geometric Gold Leaf Charger Tutorial:

This geometric gold leaf charger is one of my favorites because it combines a modern shape element with traditional gold leafing to create a stunning display. I chose an octagon shape for the gold leafing on this charger, however, you could easily adapt the tutorial to work for a variety of other geometric shapes.

Step 1: Begin by following the first 4 steps in the natural edge tutorial above. Note: I didn’t worry about painting all the way to the edge of the plate because I knew I would be covering it with gold leafing anyway.

Step 2: Now, whip out your calculators and multiply the diameter of your charger (in inches) by .383.

Example: If you have a 13-inch charger, each side of the octagon will be 4.979 inches long (I just rounded this to 5 for mine).

This will give you the length of each side of your starter octagon. I’m calling it a starter octagon because you can adjust your final octagon size. This one ensures your shape is centered and has even side lengths. I know that sounds ridiculous but it will make sense later.

Step 3: Next, using your ruler, measure 5 inches (or whatever your specific side calculation was) from one edge of the charger to another edge and draw the line with a pencil. You’re working with a circle so it doesn’t really matter where you start. Use the end of this line as the beginning of your next line and measure the same number of inches again. Pencil these lines the entire way around the charger. Your last line may be ever-so-slightly different from the rest (especially if you’ve rounded a bit) but it will be hardly noticeable once you’ve finished. Do this on all of your chargers.

Step 4: This step is optional but, after you’ve penciled your starter octagon onto your charger, you can customize the amount of gold leafing around the edge by moving the sides of the octagon in. I chose to move my sides in by ¾ of an inch. This allowed for a little more gold leafing around the edge.

To move your sides in evenly, make a tic mark ¾ of an inch (or however much you desire) inwards from the end of one side. On the other end of that same side, make another mark the same distance inwards. Then, just connect the tic marks with your pencil and you have a new side! I know it sounds a little complicated but I promise it’s not. You can see in the picture below how my new lines compare to my old octagon sides. Repeat these steps for all of your sides.

Step 5: Once you’ve drawn all of your sides and have a nice little octagon, you can use a small brush to begin applying glue to the outside of the shape. Make sure to apply glue all the way to the outer edge of the plate and that the glue lines are as straight as possible. I recommend only applying glue to 3-4 plates at a time to avoid risking the glue completely drying prior to adding the gold leaf sheets.

Step 6: When the glue becomes completely clear and tacky, remove one sheet of the gold leafing from the dividing papers and lay it across the glue. Use a clean small brush to smooth the foil down over the glue. Once it’s adhered, gently peel off the extra leafing from the edges and lay it on your next section. Grab new sheets as necessary and repeat this process until you’ve covered all of your glue! You can use some of the small leftover pieces of leafing to touch-up any uncovered spots.

Step 7: Now you can use one of your medium brushes to brush and scrape off all of the extra leafing. You don’t need to be super gentle here, that leafing is not going anywhere!

Step 8: Repeat steps 5-7 for all of the charger plates. Feel free to use gold leaf bits and scraps from your first plates on your second set of plates!

Step 9: Once you’ve revealed a smooth, flake free surface, take a moment to marvel at what you’ve just created! Now, you’re ready to seal it. Using a large brush, apply a thin layer of sealant over the entire project, including around the edge. Try to be light-handed so as not to create any crazy brush lines here. Allow to dry for 24-48 hours. Please note that these chargers should always be lightly hand-washed as opposed to being placed in the dishwasher.

That’s it! You’ve just learned how to create the third of 3 easy ways to make beautiful gold leaf chargers. Please excuse me while I go remove the word “octagon” from my vocabulary forever…

I hope you had so much fun learning about these 3 easy ways to make beautiful gold leaf chargers. They really are an easy way to add personalized style and glam to any table setting. Please let me know if you have any questions about the tutorials or products used and please remember to share/pin this post for others to enjoy!