Gold Pumpkin Lantern
For this stunning spin on a carved jack o’lantern, we create a natural lantern that beautifully reflects autumnal colors. This dressed-up pumpkin casts a gorgeous glow at your party table or a few can elegantly light the way to your front door!
What You'll Need
Pumpkin approximately 8” - 10” wide
2” foam brush for applying gold size (adhesive)
Soft brush
Cotton gilding gloves
Sepp Gilding Workshop Water-Based Gilding Size (glue for leaf)
Sepp Gilding Workshop Variegated Red Leaf book of 25 leaves
Sepp Gilding Workshop Imitation Gold Leaf book of 25 leaves
Apple corer and sharp knife to carve pumpkin
Apply Water-Based Size
Once you’ve prepared your pumpkin, load your foam brush and apply enough SGW Water-Based Size to leave a thin white coating all over the pumpkin. Rest the sized pumpkins on a jar lid. The SGW Size will quickly shift from milky white to glossy and clear (in about 20 minutes), then the pumpkin is ready to gild. Check that the glue feels dry but tacky.
Gild Your Pumpkin
Tear some squares of Variegated Red Leaf into small, randomly sized pieces. Place as many as you want on the pumpkin to create a dappled effect. Once you’ve applied as many pieces of Red Variegated gold leaf as you wish, overlay the rest of the pumpkin with full squares of Imitation Gold leaf, pressing to ensure complete contact. Don’t worry about folds or wrinkles!
Polishing Your Pumpkin
Once the pumpkin is completely covered, use your gloved hands to buff down and smooth the flakes of leaf. Finish your polishing with a soft brush and save those flakes for future fun.
Gently tuck any excess leaf at the holes into the inner surface.
Illuminating!
Insert a battery-operated candle and your polished pumpkin is ready to glow!