This project features both painting and gilding through a stencil. It’s a great way to update a plain concrete candleholder or planter using just a small amount of Chalk Paint® and metal leaf.

This concrete candleholder has a lovely handmade-yet-industrial feel. In order to give it some festive pizzazz, Annie chose one of her stencils, a little paint, and some gilding.

First, she masked and painted the bottom half of the concrete using Chalk Paint® in Amsterdam Green. Removing the masking tape, she then laid her graphic stencil Valeska over the concrete half of the pot and applied Amsterdam Green using a Stencil Brush.

Once dry, she turned the stencil 180 degrees from the first application and butted the design together. She applied Gold Size to the stencil using a Stencil Brush. When the Gold Size turns from milky-blue to transparent, this is the time to apply the metal leaf. Annie careful laid Loose Brass Leaf over the areas with Gold Size and used a clean brush to remove any excess leaf. Finally, a coat of Clear Wax seals the paint and the brass which is prone to tarnishing.