A little while back I was searching for doilies – not the paper kind, nice crochet and lace doilies – for a DIY project. I finally found some online, so I ordered a bunch figuring I’d use them for something. Sure enough, inspiration struck soon after and I decided to make some into bowls! I had heard of covering balloons with them to make really pretty lanterns (similar to our “thought bubbles”), and it turns out you can make a doily into a bowl using a very similar technique.
What you need: doilies (I ordered them from this website), fabric stiffener (I found this at A.C. Moore), and a bowl. Choose a bowl that will allow you to drape the doily over the bottom of to create a bowl shape.
If you have a bowl and doilies already and don’t want to purchase fabric stiffener, you can make your own! Just mix equal parts white glue and water.
This DIY is as easy as 1,2,3: Turn your bowl upside down, soak the doily in fabric stiffener, and drape the doily on the bottom of the bowl.
Use your fingers to smooth the doily over the bowl, removing any wrinkles and pushing out excess fabric stiffener. Leave it on the bowl overnight to allow it to dry and harden.
Experiment with different shapes and sizes! In the morning, your lace bowls will be ready for use.
Photos by Julia.
More DIY projects from the BLDG 25 Blog.
Comments
This is a really cute idea!! :-) .. . when do we get to take a peak at the upcoming catalog?? Can’t wait!! :-)
My great aunts used to do something similar to this for christmas, they would crochet little doily snowflakes add starch and give them out as ornaments. Very cute.
I admittedly have a slight obsession of crafting with doilies. I have 2 purses with them mod podged on and most recently I used a pair as elbow patches on one of my denim shirts. BUT I still have yet to make a doily bowl. I do believe the time has come!
I love this, so simple…well it looks so simple anyway. Thanks again for the inspiration Free People!
Gosh! What a great idea!!!
Yes!! This is so easy and yet so darling! Thanks!
Alexandra
http://www.mermaidheart.com
we love it!!
DIY and more:
http://diyearte.blogspot.com
What a great idea! I’d imagine throwing a few different shades of Rit Dye into the equation would make it even more fun. :D
Bud – that’s an awesome idea :)
hey! this is awesome!!! i have one question so pleaaaaase answer. If i want to make the fabric stiffener on my own what kind of glue should i use???
amaliaa – you can use any white glue, like Elmers!
oooh thank you very much! i just stealed some doilies from my grandma so im gonna make this bowl soon :P (once again everything in this blog is amazing thaaaank you)
Also, it is very easy to paint fabric wtih acrylic paint. I used metallic paint to turn vintage lace into jewelry. Using silver and gold paints, the lace looks like it was dipped in the metal. I have some bronze paint I want to try next.
See my blog post below for an easy DIY jewelry project.
http://archipelagojewelry.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/gilded-lily/
Seems so easy!! i’m so excited to try this. I will get the fabric stiffener tomorrow
What a gorgeous project! I love anything made with doilies ;)
Beautiful and cute! I wanted to do it for a long time. If I well remember I’ve learned that you can do your own fabric stiffener with water, corn starch and liquid glue!…
I stiffened some vintage doilies done by family and fixed them to color board and framed them. I DID find that once stiffened, they break and were fragile. No problem behind glass but in bowl shape ?? I don’t know?
These are so pretty – I’ll definitely try that DIY stiffener. I’ve been making crochet snowflakes and spraying with laundry starch but it wouldn’t work for bowls – not stiff enough but ok for hanging decorations.
How simple and delicate! Can’t wait to give this a go!
Come visit us over at http://www.thesitsgirls.com!
awesome!! and easy.
How do you get the doily off the bowl?
These look great! What size doilies did you use?
Just one question, does the fabric stiffener end up coming off the bowls, or is the bowl a gonner?
I love it! And I read other people asked same question. How do you take off doily out the bowl? Please answer. Thanks.
Hey guys! I just pulled it right off the bowl! If the doily seems like its losing its shape as you pull it off, don’t worry you can mold it back into shape. And yes the fabric stiffener came right off the bowl :)
A more environmentally-friendly version of this project is to simply exchange the fabric stiffener with sugar water! Works just as well and if you want to re-use the doilies its’s just washing the bowl with water! (: