Lace Doily Plate DIY

I'm an avid thrift store shopper. I'm not really into buying clothes, but I could get lost for hours digging through the home decor sections.

Those aisles are a goldmine for anyone who loves vintage collectibles.


Or second hand finds that need a little love.

A makeover perhaps.

That's truly my favorite type of craft.

So as you can imagine, I have quite a stash.

Well, this year, I promised myself that I would go through my former acquisitions and finally make the projects I'd envisioned when I purchased them...before I buy anything new.

We'll see about that second part. Willpower is not my strong suit, but so far, I've already narrowed the pile by five.

Last week, I started by sharing a very simple (but darling) lamp makeover.

Today, I was able to combine a few finds to create a pair of very sweet accessories with doilies and glass plates.

The lacy doilies were brand new and .99 each. 

I grabbed them all.

The new ones were fabric, but in the past, I've used plastic doily placemats and paper ones to decorate my home.

Plus, they make delicate patterns on clay ornaments. So you can never have too many doilies.

I feel the same way about glass plates. These were small glass salad plates, I picked up for a buck a piece.

They definitely came from Dollar Tree, so I really only saved .25 each. Although, I rarely see them in the stores anymore.


I'm a huge fan of glass dishes, because I love to craft with them. And set tables with them. Here are a few examples:

• Decoupage Bunny Plates
• Little Red Christmas Truck Plate
• Stenciled Rooster Plate
• Glass Plate Table Setting

As you can already guess, I'm sure, this time, I made doily plates. And I love them!

It was such an easy craft, but so very cottage style.

I'm smitten.

So I started by washing and drying my plates. Then I gave the back of each plate a coat of decoupage medium.

I used my Dixie Belle Satin Sealer for this project and applied it with a large brush.


You could use Mod Podge for this craft, but the Dixie Belle product is thinner, which worked out much better for this application.

It's also a furniture grade sealer, so I knew it would hold up under heavy use, and while I don't trust any decoupage to be waterproof, Dixie Belle has held up to some gentle hand washing. 

And since it's only on the back of the plate, I could use this for food.

Once the entire plate was coated, I centered the doily and pressed it down.


Then, before the decoupage dried, I added another coat over the doily.


And very carefully, with my hand in a zippy bag, smoothed out any wrinkles or bumps.


The last step in this process was to wipe away any of the sealer from the glass rim with a damp paper towel. 

I wanted the dish to remain as clear as possible, and while the sealer/ Mod Podge dries clear, this was my way to make certain the glass didn't look cloudy.

Now, decoupage usually dries pretty quickly, but since the doilies were fabric, it did take a few hours to completely cure.

During that time, I didn't touch my plates at all. They were tacky and I didn't want to take any chances that my fingers would stick to the doily and pull it away from the plate.

Or wrinkle.

When I was done, I had a lovely pair of doily covered dishes for a dinner party.


Or to layer with my vintage plates, for a little more interest.


Taking center stage in my cottage kitchen, in a plate stand...or maybe mounted with other plates on a wall.


Lots of options to decorate with this delicate DIY.

Best of all, I just lightened my craft load exponentially.

Which means a trip to the thrift store might be just around the corner for this girl.

I'll keep you posted!

😉

What do you do with doilies?