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Have you ever wondered how to use vintage doilies for doily crafts? You may remember doilies from seeing them in your Grandma’s house. In fact, your Granny may have even crocheted them by hand. While they may seem like old fashioned dust catchers to some, these little handmade works of art are having a resurgence in popularity.
Granny chic, also known as grandmillennial décor, is totally in style right now. If you’ve inherited some vintage doilies (or uncovered some at a yard sale or flea market), there are plenty of ways to put them to use. Follow along as we explore some unique design options for crocheted doilies, whether they are small round doilies, a long rectangular runner, or a full sized doily tablecloth.
There are two ways to make a pillow with doilies. The first idea (above photo) is easy and doesn’t require sewing. Simply hot glue a round doily to the front of a solid colored pillow. I sewed my pillow, but you could find a pre-made one and just add the doily!
This idea works best with a doily that is less open weave, like the one in the picture. When hot gluing, I recommend putting the glue on the doily, not the pillow. I also recommend wearing a latex glove while pressing down the doily to the pillow so you don’t burn your fingers.
The second pillow option is trickier and does require sewing. I cut a square out of a damaged doily tablecloth and sewed it into a pillow (photo above). This was a bit tricky, as some parts of the fabric were so thick I had to use glue to shut the seams. My sewing machine couldn’t handle it! It came out cute, but if I did this again I would use thin fabric, rather than the thick velvet that I picked.
A cute and easy way to display your favorite doilies is to frame them. Place them on top of a solid colored backdrop, or even frame them in front of a piece of colored fabric. This shows them off and also protects them from damage, which can be a great solution for more fragile doilies. Check out my post on framing doilies for more details.
Something I love to do with my doilies is to dye them with RIT dye! This is a great way to camouflage any stains that your doilies may have picked up. Simply follow the instructions on your bottle of fabric dye. Remember that different doilies may pick up the dye differently and won’t look exactly the same, even if dyed the same color.
This centerpiece comes together with a collection of small doilies. I dyed some doilies blue and sewed them together on my sewing machine to create a large doily to underlay a centerpiece on a table. I love how this turned out, and I use it often in my décor!
Similar to the above idea, you can also use doilies as a table runner. Find a long runner doily as pictured, or sew multiple smaller doilies together in a long strip.
I used this idea this past Christmas! All you need is a large doily tablecloth. Mine was stained and torn, which made it a perfect candidate for this project. Carefully cut out a chain of doilies, ensuring that you are cutting where the doilies are connected to each other. Then, drape it over a window, off the edge of a shelf, or even around a Christmas tree.
You can create a doily windowpane with either a doily tablecloth or with individual round doilies. For mine, I used a tablecloth and cut it to the size of the windowpane. I then stapled it in place on the back of the frame. You could also put one round doily in each section of the window pane for a cute look.
These doily bowls are popular because they are cute and so easy to make! I used this DIY doily bowls tutorial to make a pair. They came together so easily, and they are going to be perfect during the holiday season to display ornaments!
There are truly endless options for doily crafts that can put these pretty pieces to good use. Which idea for decorating with doilies was your favorite? Let me know in the comments!
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