Place ½ tsp. pumice powder on your gilding cushion to make sure it is free of grease. Spread the pumice powder evenly on the cushion's surface with your gilding knife.
Open your gold leaf book.
Insert the blade of your gilding knife under one of the leaves. You can also use your bare hands, as long as they are completely clean and dry.
Gently lift the gold leaf over to your gilder's cushion and lay it down flat, with the gold side down. Gently blow on the leaf to smooth out any wrinkles.
Using your gilding knife, cut your leaf into pieces so they are the right size for your project.
Put a small amount of petroleum jelly on the back of your hand, and evenly distribute it.
Press a cotton ball onto the back of your hand.
Use the greased cotton ball to pick up pieces of gold leaf and place them onto your work surface.
Use a big soft-bristle brush to brush the gold leaf onto the surface you want to gild. Keep applying the pieces this way until your surface is completely covered.
Go over the entire area with your brush to brush off the excess leaf.