DIY Guide to Creating a Gold Leaf Coral Frame

Who doesn’t enjoy sifting through the gentle sands where the ocean meets the shore, discovering an array of beach treasures?

Leyna and I spent countless hours exploring during our Dinogo cruise excursions.

Dinogo invited me to share ideas on how to bring vacation memories home, and this tutorial seemed like the ideal choice. Why let those beautiful pieces of coral and shells end up hidden away in a dark closet (or worse, tossed away)?

Here’s what you’ll need for this project:

• A picture frame
• *CLEAN coral pieces or shells collected from the beach
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Mod Podge
• Sponge brush
• Clean, dry fine bristle brush
• A package of gold leaf sheets (don’t worry, this is affordable – about $8/package)

*Please, folks, avoid breaking off live coral! There’s plenty of dead and dried coral along the beach that you can use instead. 

Begin by arranging all your pieces on the frame in a way that you feel they will fit best.

Next, carefully lift a few pieces, apply hot glue to secure them, and repeat the process.

Mix your Mod Podge with about 40% water, then generously apply it over the pieces, making sure to soak them thoroughly. The coral will absorb quite a bit. It’s a good idea to ensure you’ve taken out the backing and glass from the frame by this stage.

Allow it to dry for about 5 minutes. You want the pieces to feel tacky, not wet.

Now tear small pieces of gold leaf and gently apply them using your dry, clean, fine bristle brush. Make sure to press it into the crevices to enhance that beautiful coral texture.

Gold leaf is extremely fragile and will flake everywhere. No need to panic; it cleans up easily. After the gold leaf has dried for about 10 minutes, you can apply a light coat of Mod Podge over it, and if you want, add another layer of gold leaf.

I ended up applying two coats of gold leaf, followed by a final layer of Mod Podge to seal everything in. I left some coral exposed because I really liked the unfinished aesthetic. However, with a bit of patience, you could achieve nearly full coverage using just one package of gold leaf if that’s your aim.

Initially, I intended to frame a picture from our trip, but I’m so enamored with the simplicity of the coral and gold that I don’t want anything to take away from it.

Now, it serves as a striking statement piece on our eclectic mantle—a simple reminder of our Dinogo cruise and all the treasures we collected along the way.