How to Make a Frame Look Antique Gold With Annie Sloan Gilding Wax

Last week in Vermont, I found two vintage prints I couldn’t leave behind and immediately pictured them in our Maine sunroom. The artwork was perfect, but the budget black frames were not giving that timeworn, collected look I love. What I really wanted was that antique gold finish you see on old frames at antique stores, warm, a little softened, and never too shiny. So I pulled out Annie Sloan’s Bright Gold Gilded Wax and a simple brush, and gave these frames a quick makeover that gets surprisingly close to the real thing. If you’re wondering how to make a frame look antique gold without spray paint or fancy tools, I’ll walk you through exactly what worked.

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How to Make a Frame Look Antique Gold: Step-by-Step Tutorial With Gilding Wax

If you’ve been searching for how to make a frame look antique gold without spray paint or fancy tools, this method is simple and beginner-friendly. I’m using Annie Sloan’s Bright Gold Gilded Wax and a small stencil brush to turn budget black frames into a warm, timeworn antique gold finish that looks collected, not shiny and new.

How to Make a Frame Look Antique Gold With Annie Sloan Gilding Wax

I learned this trick after popping into one of my favorite Maine shops, I dropped by one of my favorite shops here in Maine, Signature Finishes. Maureen is my go-to for faux finishing advice, and she pointed me straight to Annie Sloan’s Bright Gold Gilded Wax and a small stencil brush. That combo is simple, beginner-friendly, and gives you tons of control over how “antique” your gold finish looks.

If you want options, Annie Sloan also makes other metallic shades that work beautifully for different vibes:

What Is Gilding Wax and Why It Makes Frames Look Antique Gold

Gilding wax is a wax-based metallic finish you rub or brush onto raised details, edges, and texture to create a soft, dimensional shine. It’s especially good for frames because it catches the high points and lets the deeper grooves stay dark, which is exactly what gives that vintage, antique-store look.

Supplies for This Antique Gold Frame DIY

This method is one of my favorite ways to antique a picture frame and create a vintage gold finish without spray paint.

Set Up a Simple Frame Painting Station

I set up my workstation outside using two sawhorses, which made it easy to turn the frames, check the finish from every angle, and avoid getting wax where I didn’t want it. If you don’t have sawhorses, a drop cloth on a table works too. The goal is just to have space to rotate the frame and step back to see the overall look.

How to Apply Gilding Wax to Get an Antique Gold Frame Look

If you’re aiming for that warm, slightly timeworn finish, this is the part that makes the difference. The key is using a light touch and building the color in thin layers, so the details stay dimensional and the frame doesn’t turn into a shiny, flat gold. In the steps below, you’ll see exactly how I applied Annie Sloan Bright Gold Gilding Wax to make the frame look antique gold, not brand new.

1. Squeeze a tiny amount of gilding wax onto a paper towel. A little goes a long way. Start small, because you can always add more.
2. Lightly dab your stencil brush into the wax. You want the brush to be lightly loaded, not globby. If it feels heavy, dab the brush on a clean spot of the paper towel first.
3. Brush the wax onto the frame using a light touch. Start with the outer edges and raised details, then work into the design. The magic is in building the finish slowly.
4. Step back and check your “antique” balance. After your first pass, pause and look at it from a few feet away. This is where you decide if you want more gold coverage or more black showing through.

Is It Really This Simple? Yes, and the Black Is Part of the Secret

If you’re aiming for frames that look antique gold (not freshly painted gold), don’t try to cover every bit of black. That darker base adds depth, and the contrast in the creases is what makes the finish feel timeworn and believable.

My best tip is to apply a thin layer first, then do a second light pass only where you want it brighter. This gives you control, especially if the frames are going into a sunny space like a sunroom, where a heavy “dirty” look can feel too dark.

Want to see how to make a frame look antique gold in real time? The short video below shows exactly how I load the brush, how lightly I apply the gilding wax, and how I build the finish in thin layers so it lands in that antique gold sweet spot. Press play and follow along, it’s the quickest way to get the feel for how much wax to use and how much black to let peek through.

Drying Time and Buffing Tips for an Antique Gold Frame Look

Once you love the look, set the frames aside and let them dry overnight. The next day, you can gently buff them with a clean, soft rag to even out the shine and smooth any brushy spots.

Optional Alternative If You Don’t Have Gilding Wax

If you can’t find Annie Sloan Gilding Wax, Rub ’n Buff is another popular option for getting a vintage-style metallic finish on frames. The technique is similar: start small, build slowly, and let the darker base show through for an antique look.

How to Style Antique Gold Frames in a Sunroom With Vintage Decor

This is the part that makes the DIY feel finished. Once the frames were dry, I brought the prints into our sunroom and styled them the way I always do, alongside pieces that already have that collected, vintage look. Seeing your new frames in a real space is the easiest way to judge whether you’ve nailed the antique gold finish or if you want to add one more light pass of wax.

Compare Your DIY Finish to a Real Vintage Gold Frame

One of my favorite tricks is to style a DIY piece next to an authentic vintage frame. It’s an instant reality check, in the best way. You’ll notice right away whether your frame needs a little more depth in the creases, a touch more brightness on the raised details, or if it already looks like it belongs.

Hang and Layer the Frames for a Collected Look

Instead of trying to make everything match perfectly, I like to mix frames with slightly different tones and textures. Antique gold looks especially charming when it’s paired with darker accents, a little black peeking through, and other timeworn pieces that keep it from feeling too shiny or new.

The Finished Reveal: Black Frames Turned Antique Gold

Here’s how the frames look styled on the wall, plus a few close-ups so you can see the finish in natural light. This is where the gilding wax really shines; it catches the edges and detail, but still keeps that soft, vintage feel.

Love spotting vintage details in a room, like that pink McCoy vase in the mix? Come along for my favorite Thrifting with the Gals series, where we share thrifted finds, vintage styling ideas, and all the little decorating wins that make a house feel collected over time.

How to Make a Frame Look Antique Gold, Final Tips and Next Steps

Now that you’ve seen how to make a frame look antique gold with gilding wax, you’ve officially got a go-to trick for upgrading thrifted frames, vintage prints, and even mirror frames without spending antique-store prices. The best part is you can keep the finish light and sunroom-friendly, or build it up for a deeper, moodier vintage look, depending on your space.

Decorating with vintage frames is one of the easiest ways to add that collected, timeworn charm to any room. Whether you love antique gold finishes, layered gallery walls, or mixing frame styles for an eclectic look, these posts will give you simple ideas you can copy. Tap a post below for tutorials, styling tips, and vintage frame inspiration.

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