Transform Paper Doilies From The Dollar Tree Into The Sweetest Home Décor

Doilies were once an important part of table settings and an effective way to protect home furnishings. They are less commonly used in modern homes, at least for their original purpose. Instead, people are finding crafty ways to use them for home décor. There are many creative ways to repurpose your old vintage doilies around the house. We are, of course, talking about doilies made of thread. Disposable paper doilies have equally pretty patterns and can be just fun to use in DIYs. For example, you can carefully fold paper doilies into fluffy, carnation-like flowers. Then bundle them together to create an ever-lasting bouquet that is perfect for, say, a cottagecore interior aesthetic.

There are lots of paper doily flowers to try out, but many involve tons of cutting and folding. If you are looking for an easy DIY that still gives you full and interesting-looking flowers, then layering is the way to go. Start by choosing your paper doilies. For example, you can get a multipack of round paper doilies in assorted sizes from Dollar Tree, or a 200-pack of Pecula Paper Doilies for about $6. While you can make these flowers from doilies of any size, smaller dimensions are easier to work with and give you more realistic results. Each flower requires multiple doilies, so be sure to buy enough packs to accommodate your bouquet. Additionally, you will need a bundle of green pipe cleaners or Keileoho Floral Stem Wire and some floral tape and markers in assorted hues (to color the petals). Choose, too, a flower vase for your cheerful arrangement of flowers.

Once you have your supplies, the first step is to choose and apply the color. Carnations, for example, are typically shades of pink, white, coral, and red; choose any of these colors to create a realistic flower. If you want to lean into the cottagecore aesthetic, then using tea or coffee to stain the doilies will give them a vintage look. Alternatively, you can make seasonal décor by focusing on pastels for spring, sunny hues for summer, plum, red, amber, yellow, and brown for fall, and icy colors for winter. You can also get creative with the patterns. You might leave some doilies white, dye each doily multiple colors, spray paint them metallic gold, or get your kids to draw on them.

When you're ready, stack a few same-sized doilies on top of one another so they align perfectly at the edges. The more doilies you stack, the fuller your flowers will be; experiment to find a number that works best for you. Use the pipe cleaner or stem wire to punch two holes in the center of the stack. Feed the wire through one hole, bend the wire at the halfway point, and thread it through the other hole. Pinch the wire underneath the doilies so that the edges fluff upward like carnation petals. Make any adjustments you wish to the petals, and then twist the wire ends around one another to create a stem. All that's left now is to try out this easy trick for fitting fake flowers into small vases: simply bend the stems back on themselves. Doily flowers also look great tucked into wreaths or garlands.