Give Vintage Doilies New Life As A Cozy Living Room Decor Piece

Crochet and Lace doilies have become vintage thrift-store finds that people are repurposing for gorgeous home decor, making your living room decorations even cozier. In a YouTube video, creator My Sewing Room, also known as Beth Shibley, shared a super easy DIY for turning old, unused doilies into the most beautiful living room throw pillows. By simply sewing a large doily onto a piece of linen fabric, she made her own throw pillow with a fascinating symmetrical design. While Shibley completed her project with a sewing machine, there are alternative ways to fasten your doilies to pillows if you don't have a machine or can't sew. Hand sewing is a great option, especially for doilies with more complex patterns. Alternatively, a fabric adhesive can help fix your materials together and transform vintage doilies into the sweetest home decor.

Depending on the size of your doilies, try using a few per pillow, cutting them in half, or layering several to cover the entire pillow. There are tons of ways to customize the look of your throw pillows, so get creative with your doilies. Shibley used fabric to make a brand-new pillow in her video, but this DIY would work wonderfully for dressing up ones you already have. This is a great way to repurpose doilies while still enjoying their intricate artwork. Plus, upcycling doilies and a throw pillow you already own will keep this project cost-effective.

In her YouTube video, Shibley pinned a single large doily onto a square of linen fabric. To ensure the doily stayed flat and the design didn't shift, she used a ton of pins to keep the fabric in place. If you're making a pillow with a symmetrical pattern, it's crucial that the middle of the doily is matched up exactly with the center of your fabric. You could also play around with what doily arrangements look best for your decor. After pinning, Shibley sewed around the outer edge of the round doily to attach it to the fabric. She repeated this around the center of the design, so that the middle of the doily wouldn't sag away from the pillow.

If you're using a throw pillow you already have, remove the cover if possible before sewing to make the job easier. Be sure to use a thread that matches the color of your doily. If you're working with a doily with several pointed edges, it may be easier to hand-sew around the design. With these patterns, it's important that each point's tip is securely attached to the pillow. Alternatively, an iron-on adhesive is a simple and fast option. Cut out the adhesive sheet to match the shape of your doily, iron it onto your doily, and then iron the doily onto the pillow. Follow the directions on your adhesive to make sure the doily stays in place. 

If you affixed your doilies onto a throw pillow cover, you can simply put it back on the pillow and set it on your couch for a pop of vintage decoration. Otherwise, to make your own pillow like Beth Shibley, you'll need stuffing and another fabric square with the same dimensions as the first. Shibley lined these pieces up together so that the doily and the front of the new fabric square were on the inside. Depending on your style and the size and shape of your doilies, you could make a rectangular, round, or uniquely shaped pillow out of your fabric instead.

After pinning, she sewed around the edges of the project, leaving one side open. This allows you to flip your project right-side-out after sewing, creating a neat seam. Once the throw was stuffed with fiberfill, Shibley hand-sewed the final section shut, folding and pinning the edges of the material inward to make the seam. This is a great DIY to create decor for farmhouse living rooms with charming country style. The doilies also add texture to your decor, enhancing the look of your living room and making it cozy and comfortable.