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.