Add to shine to your project. Leafing requires a leaf sizing (speacialty glue) to apply the leaf to a surface. It also requires a coating/varnish so that the imitiation leaf does not patina with time. Metallic leaf is extremely delicate and thin and will disintegrate when brushed away from the surface except where the sizing has been applied.

Apply the leaf sizing to to the surface and wait until the sizing becomes tacky to the touch before laying down the leaf on top of the sizing and simply brush away any excess leaf from the surface.