Vintage Lace Doily Pillow

We’ve been collecting crocheted doilies for ages. If we see them at a thrift store or flea market for a good price (a few dollars) we get them! They are so fun to use in craft projects like this shabby chic doily pillow. Who knew old-fashioned lace could look so modern?! Make this pretty lace doily pillow by cutting the doilies and hand sewing them to the fabric. We’ll show you step by step how to make them into a lace doily pillow.

How To Make A Vintage Lace Doily Pillow

Tools & Materials Needed

4 Vintage lace doilies (Ours range from 5″ diameter to 13″ diameter.)
2 Pieces of fabric, gray, 17″ x 17″ (We like upholstery fabric, grainsack or Osnaburg.)
Sewing thread, ivory
Sewing thread, gray
Polyester fiberfill, 12-ounce bag
Dritz Fray Check Liquid Seam Sealant

Other Tools & Materials

Sewing machine
Sewing needle (hand sewing)
Straight pins
Scissors
Tape measure
Ruler
Chalk, colored
Chopstick

Instructions

Step 1: Arrange Doilies And Mark For Cutting
Arrange the doilies on one piece of the gray fabric. Arrange so some doilies overlap the edges of the fabric. Use a ruler and colored chalk to mark where to cut the doilies along the edge of the fabric. (Take a picture with your phone so you can recreate the layout after you cut the doilies.)

Step 2: Fray Check And Cut Doilies
Pick up each doily and dab the chalk lines with Fray Check covering a quarter inch on each side of the chalk line. This keeps the doilies from fraying when you cut them. Let the fray check dry completely. (You can use a blow dryer to speed this up.) Cut the doilies along the chalk lines.

Step 3: Hand Sew The Doilies To The Fabric
Arrange the cut doilies on the fabric. Use straight pins to pin the doilies in place. Hand sew the doilies onto the fabric with a sewing needle and ivory thread, starting and finishing from the back. Use tiny stitches on the front to sew all the outside edges of the doilies to the fabric. Run your hand across the surface of the doilies and sew down any pieces of lace that feel loose.

Step 4: Sew The Fabric Together Into A Pillow Cover
Lay the fabric doily-side down onto the second piece of fabric. Pin the two pieces of fabric together all the way around the edge, leaving a four-inch gap in the middle of one side. Using the gray thread and sewing machine, sew the two pieces of fabric together with a straight stitch one-half inch from the edge. (Remember to leave the four-inch gap open along one side.)

Step 5: Stuff Pillow Cover
Carefully turn the pillow cover right-side out through the four-inch gap. Stuff the pillow cover with fiberfill, a handful at a time. Use a chopstick to poke the stuffing into the corners.

Step 6: Hand Sew The Opening Closed
Fold the seams of each side of the opening inward and pin. Using a sewing needle and gray thread, hand sew the four-inch opening closed, hiding the stitches inside the seams. Tie a knot in the end of the thread and tuck it inside.

Do you love doilies too? Have you made something fun with them? We’d love to hear about your craft projects! Please share in the comments below.
Cheers,
Jennifer & Kitty