DIY: Gilded Glasses

My friend Hillary also has an August birthday. While doing reconaissance on her Pinterest for gift ideas, I saw a really cool tumbler glass with gold leafing, ending in a scalloped edge. It had a price to match its decadent look, but I knew instantly that I could DIY a similar set of glasses!

This glass painting tutorial had some helpful tips, but as it turned out, I didn't really need them. What confused me was the gold leafing process. So in lieu of actual gold leafing that would probably flake off of the glasses every time they were washed, I decided to use a gold leafing paint and an acrylic sealant, both of which I found at Michaels.

Once I had my paints and set of four simple tumbler glasses, I wrapped a flexible scallop border template (the same one I used to make these scalloped shorts) around the outside of each glass, about halfway up. Then I traced the border with a grease pencil. If you can, I recommend using a pencil close to the color of your paint - I didn't, and it was visible inside the glass (though not very noticeable). I didn't worry too much about a totally straight edge or making the scallops uniform. I thought a little imperfection would be good for the overall look.

With a standard artist's paintbrush, I "cut in" the scalloped edge freehand, then filled in the bottom part of the glass with the gold leaf paint. I was so happy and impressed with how it looked after just one coat, I didn't add extra layers, but for future projects I'll experiment with a thicker or more textured finish. After letting the paint dry on all four glasses, I applied the sealant using the same process. I'm not even sure if the sealant was necessary, but it can't hurt.

These glasses would also be great for holding small flower arrangements or tall candles. I had such a good time painting them that I plan to make some for myself (and maybe other friends if they're interested). Hillary loved them and said they looked like they could have come from Anthropologie. Mission accomplished!! :)