DIY Faux Gold Nuggets

I made this Chinese New Year deco many years ago… They were faux gold nuggets. Yeah, they were fake, but I wish they were real. Then I would be very rich!!!! A pot of gold nuggets is a pot of good luck!  I made this ages ago and didn’t document any step-by-step photos.

When we celebrate the Chinese (Lunar) New Year/spring festival, we decorate our house to make it look RED and GOLD. There are stories behind the reason, but I am not good at storytelling, so I leave it to About.com, and Wikipedia, which give better pictures and details if you are interested to know more.

These faux gold nuggets are a quickie project; the only time-consuming is waiting for the paint to dry.

Even though the pot contains faux gold nuggets, they are only visible on the surface and do not extend deep inside, where the newspaper was added.

How To DIY Faux Gold Nuggets

Materials:

• River stones (rounded edges); the quantity needed depends on your pot’s size. Mine is about 1 lb.
• Gold metallic aerosol spray paint
• Newspapers
• A pot
• Rubber gloves
• Facial mask
• Red ribbons

Instructions:

1. Wash the river stones to get rid of the mud and sand. Soapy water is needed if the stone is greasy.
2. Dry them under the sun or hot air (for instance: from a hairdryer)
3. Cover your workspace with some newspapers.
4. Spread and space the stones on the newspaper.
5. Wear gloves and a face mask. Shake the gold spray paint on the can as directed.
6. Spray a thin layer of gold paint on the stones (8-12″ away) by swinging your hand zig-zag across all the stones. Wait for them to dry.
7. Repeat step 6 for another 2 – 3 layers or until you are satisfied with the metallic gold they present.
8. Turn to the other unfinished areas and repeat steps 6 & 7 until the whole stone is covered with gold paint.
9. While waiting for the paint to dry completely, stuff the pot with crumpled newspapers.
10. Fill snugly until it is almost full, press it down a little, and start putting the stones on the top portion of the pot.
11. Tie a red ribbon to decorate.

Cautious: spray them in a well-ventilated area, preferably do it outdoors or at a spray booth.