Gilded Wishbones...

I've always had this thing... this need to collect/keep/hold onto... not like a hoarder but with special little pieces. Ticket stubs, birthday cards... things that I can look back on and smile... that warm me up from the inside out... I sit here writing this listening to Kenny and Dolly's once upon a Christmas... we listened to it every Christmas season when I was growing up... I swear I must have worn that tape out... This time of year I get incredibly nostalgic... for my far away home, far away family and friends... good times and good food... We hold a big Christmas Party every year for all of our friends here in Calgary... to catchup, have fun; to create new memories...
I have a DIY to share with you to preserve what is surely always a great memory, that you can do after EVERY turkey dinner, throughout the year, to then hang on your Christmas tree! Gold wishbones with darling little tags upon which to write your dinner guests names, the occasion and date on... to look back on for years to come to reminisce about the great meal had with loved ones...







Okay I get it... perhaps you find it a little morbid, but having saved, dried and wished on wishbones for ages I feel like the majority of people will get a kick out of this sweet little keepsake.
I have two methods for you to make your wishbone gold - one is using paint and the other gold leafing... to get started make sure you thoroughly clean your wishbone scraping off any excess turkey, and place it in the oven on the lowest temperature to dry out for about 30 minutes...





I recommend using Liquid Leaf or a gold metallic enamel paint... the liquid leaf has an incredible finish...





The painted version really is quick and easy... but don't be afraid to try the gold leafed version...





...to gold leaf your wish bone you need the following:
Gold Leaf - if you're buying this at Michaels be sure to use a coupon! ;)
Leaf Sizing
Leaf Sealer
Soft Paintbrush





There are other leafs and metallic paint colours than gold - experiment! play! choose what ever YOU like the most!...
Start by painting half of the wishbone with sizing and let that set to the recommended time on the container... then get to leafing...





With sizing and moisture free hands pickup a piece of the leaf and lay it over the area that has been painted with the sizing... then with a soft paint brush gently press the leafing down onto the surface...





...once you are satisfied that it has been pressed down all over gently brush away the excess leafing to reveal your guided wishbone!... now apply sizing to the second side of the wishbone, let that set, and then leaf that second side... doing the wishbone one side at time gives you something to hold onto while you're leafing!





I like to work on a hand towel when I am gold leafing as I can get a little messy and the towel helps to contain the little leaf bits





Once the wishbone is coated in gold use a large needle or a small awl to poke a little hole through the tip of the wishbone - work slowly and carefully as to not crack the bone...





The hole is for the string to use to hang your wishbone ornament on the tree!... After you have the string through this makes the perfect time to seal your leafed wishbone with the sealer - sealing prevents tarnishing of the wishbone surface from being handled or just over time... hang the wishbone up, paint it with a coat of sealer and let that dry...





To help with preserving the memory of the particular turkey dinner I punched out a number of little tags to hang from the string with my wish bone... on the tag I write who was at the dinner, the date, and any other little things that I want to remember for years to come





The painted wishbone here was one that I had saved from Chris and my quite christmas turkey dinner last Christmas, just the two of us...





These could even make darling little gifts to give to a guest after a turkey dinner together...
You could make gold wishbones from each turkey dinner throughout the year to hang on your tree come Christmas time... then over the years each Christmas you have a collection of golden wishbones to look back on from years past... and a pile of memories noted to think back on...





Your little notes will remind you of the dinner guests, dates and occasions...
I hope you enjoyed this little tute!... It was a guest post that I've written for a local lifestyle magazine called Dote Magazine... you can check them out at www.dotemagazine.com and for additional details to make your own you can check out an expanded version of the tutorial at my blog post at the link below!
xo






Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/11934469/christmas-ornaments-crafts-guilded-wishbones site