Doily Bowls using Fabric Stiffener

This morning I was getting all down on myself for being a terrible blogger and not having a single creative thing to say this week. Usually I have a whole list of things in my head that I’m excited to blog about… but then there are off weeks like this where inspiration is running dry.

Luckily, whilst digging through some photo archives during naptime, I found a little fun DIY tutorial that I can share with you from back when I threw the girls’ first birthday party last month! …So we got this cute little snacky 3-tired-bowl thingy as a wedding gift back in the day.

Having had some doilies lying around (I love doilies!), I thought it would be fun to try my hand at making doily bowls in various sizes to fit perfectly into the openings! And the existing bowls would be PERFECT templates for this!

First I covered the bowls in plastic wrap to protect them.

After choosing 3 sizes of doilies, I whipped out my Fabric Stiffener. You can get this at any craft store, or you can use starch for the same effect.

I squirted some onto a paper plate like so.

…and sloshed the doily around in the goop until it was good and soaked. The Fabric Stiffener is water-based, so your hands will come clean real easy with soap and water.

Then I just draped the doily over the bowl, arranging the edges just how I wanted them.

I let them dry overnight just to make sure they’re good and crusty, and they popped right off the bowls!

I spray painted the base orange, because the color theme for the girls’ party was aqua and orange… but looking back, I don’t really like it this color. I’ve since spray painted it metallic gold, and it’s much better.

The doily bowls fit perfectly and are so cute! I just love this look! It has a bit of a vintage vibe.

Here it is set out on their birthday table, filled with all kinds of goodies!

I love that I can pull this out for various parties or showers that I’m throwing, and paint the base whatever color coordinates with me theme! AND, I still have the original bowls for when I want to use it for dip, or something especially messy.

Also, I can’t help but think these would be SWEET to flip over and make into pendant lights… either for a wedding reception, or to hang over the rocking chair in baby’s nursery. So many options with this! FUN!!

Have you done anything unique and creative with doilies? I’d love to hear!