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.