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Activities / Tanjore Painting / Tanjore Gold Foil Bookmark

Tanjore Gold Foil Bookmark

Tanjore-Inspired Gold-Foil Bookmark: A First Gilding Exercise

Level
Beginner
Duration
45 - 90 mins
Budget
₹317 – ₹1,239
Age
10+
State
Tamil Nadu

Materials

  • Thick red or deep blue card, A4 or US Letter
  • White craft glue in a bottle with a fine nozzle
  • Imitation gold foil sheets with gilding adhesive
  • Small gems or sequins
  • Soft brush or cotton ball, and an old small brush for the adhesive
  • Hole punch, gold cord or thread, scissors, pencil, ruler, a coin and a tray

Steps

  1. Set up a tray and gather your supplies
    Put a large tray or a baking sheet on the table and work over it, because loose gold foil flakes fly everywhere and stick to everything. Lay out the card, glue, foil adhesive, foil sheets, a soft brush, a pencil, scissors and a hole punch. Open a window for fresh air, since the glues smell. Wash and dry your hands first, because foil sticks to oily or damp fingers. Common mistake: working on a bare table, which is hard to clean.
  2. Cut a 5 x 18 cm card strip and round the top corners
    Measure and mark a strip 5 cm wide and 18 cm long on thick red or deep blue card, and cut it out with scissors. Round the two top corners by tracing around a coin and cutting along the curve. Smooth any rough edge with the back of the scissors. A dark card makes the gold look rich, as it does on a Tanjore painting.
  3. Draw an arch, a small lotus and a border in pencil
    With a light pencil, draw a border 4 mm in from the edge. In the middle draw an arch about 3.4 cm wide and 9 cm tall, starting 2 cm from the top. At the bottom of the arch, draw a small lotus about 2 cm wide, with a centre petal and two side petals. Keep the lines clean and simple, because you will trace them with glue.
    Tip: Draw one half of the arch, then copy it to the other side so it is even.
  4. Trace the lines with white glue to make raised relief
    Squeeze a thin line of white glue along the pencil lines of the arch and lotus, moving steadily at a walking pace. Tanjore artists build this raised relief with gesso, and glue does the same job here. Put small dots of glue on the arch edge for jewels. Lay the strip flat and leave it for 1 hour, until the glue turns clear and hard. Common mistake: squeezing too hard, which makes a fat blob instead of a fine ridge.
    Tip: Keep the nozzle just above the card and let the line flow out. Do not drag the tip along the surface.
  5. Brush a thin coat of foil adhesive over the raised areas
    When the glue ridges are fully dry, use a small old brush to paint a thin, even layer of foil adhesive over the arch and the lotus, covering the ridges. Read the label for the waiting time. Most water-based adhesives need 15 to 20 minutes, until they go from milky to clear and feel tacky but do not come off on your finger. Common mistake: laying the foil on wet adhesive, which makes the foil wrinkle and turn dull.
  6. Lay a foil sheet on the adhesive and press it down
    Tear a piece of foil a little larger than the area you want to cover. Lay it gently on the tacky adhesive and press it down with your fingertip, through the backing paper if there is one. Then rub it firmly with a cotton ball or soft brush so the foil sticks to every ridge. Lift the sheet away slowly. The gold stays only where the adhesive is.
    Tip: Handle foil by the edges and work gently. It tears and crumples easily.
  7. Brush off the extra foil and patch any gaps
    Sweep off the loose flakes with a clean soft brush, working in one direction, and tip them into the tray. Look at the arch and lotus in good light. Where the gold is missing, dab a little adhesive, wait 5 minutes, and press a small piece of foil on top. Keep the leftover flakes in a small container, because you can use them to patch other projects.
  8. Dot small gems or sequins along the border
    Put a tiny dot of white glue on the border line every 1.5 cm and press a small gem or sequin onto each dot using a toothpick or tweezers. Choose 3 or 4 colours, such as red, green and clear. Keep the gems away from the top 1 cm, where the hole will go. Let the glue dry for 20 minutes before you move the strip.
  9. Punch a hole and thread the gold cord
    Punch a hole in the top centre, about 8 mm from the edge, using the hole punch. Fold a 20 cm piece of gold cord in half, push the folded loop through the hole and pull the two ends through the loop to make a knot. Trim the ends to the same length. Check that the foil is firmly set before you use your bookmark, and keep it away from small children because of the gems.

Sustainability

Medium - a small card project; imitation gold foil is plastic-based

Safety

Foil flakes stick to hands, so work over a tray; glue fumes, so ventilate; keep small foil pieces away from children under 6