Doily Christmas Crafts: 16 Grandma Lace Ideas That Look Like Pricey Vintage Decor for Pennies

Doily Christmas Crafts are the sweetest surprise of the season, and they start with a pack of paper lace that costs about a dollar. Remember the lacy circles under grandma’s cookie plate? They are back in a big way. Crafters on Instagram and Facebook are folding them into puffy snowflakes, starching them into bowls and gluing them onto ornaments, and the videos are pulling tens of thousands of likes. The look is soft, white and old fashioned, like decor passed down for years. Below are our favorite projects, from a ten minute mantel garland to a tree dressed in lace. Most use paper doilies, glue and twine, and a few give old crochet pieces a new life. Grab a cup of cocoa, and let us get crafting..

Doily Christmas Crafts That Cost About a Dollar

One pack of paper lace circles can fill an entire tree, and people cannot get enough of it. Doily Christmas Crafts are all over Instagram this season, where one snowflake tutorial pulled about 99,000 likes. The look is pure grandma: white lace, pine, twine and a little gold. Set out a table like this, and every guest will ask which antique shop you raided. If you love that old fashioned charm, browse our grandma style ornaments too..

You will need: 1 or 2 packs of white paper lace doilies in mixed sizes, a few old crochet doilies, jute twine, white craft glue, a glue stick, scissors, pine sprigs, a small gold frame.

How to make it: 1. Sort your doilies by size so you can see what you have. 2. Pick three or four projects from this list to start. 3. Work on a clean table with a towel for drying pieces. 4. Group the finished crafts on a wooden board with pine and twine for a display.

A Puffy 3D Snowflake From Six Doilies

Of all the Doily Christmas Crafts, this is the one that started the craze. A Facebook video of a 3D lace snowflake made from folded doilies drew about 61,600 reactions and 14,000 shares. It looks like a fancy store ornament, yet it takes six paper circles and a glue stick. Hang one in a window or a cluster over the dinner table. For more cut paper looks, see our winter paper snowflake cutouts.

You will need: 6 paper doilies of the same size, a glue stick, a stapler, twine, a ruler.

How to make it: 1. Fold each doily in half, then in half again, into a cone with a pointed tip. 2. Glue the side flaps of one cone to the next until all six form a ring. 3. Staple the centers together where the tips meet. 4. Fluff the points and add a twine loop at the top.

Lace Covered Baubles on Baker’s Twine

Plain foam ornaments get an heirloom glow with torn lace. Tearing instead of cutting is the trick, since soft edges hide every seam. Brush on a thin coat of glue, layer the scraps, and let them dry overnight. Tie them with red and white twine for a farmhouse look. More ideas live in our foam ornament projects.

You will need: 3 round foam ornament forms, 4 paper doilies, white craft glue mixed half and half with water, a soft brush, red and white baker’s twine, straight pins.

How to make it: 1. Tear the doilies into palm sized pieces. 2. Brush glue mix on a small area of the foam. 3. Press on lace pieces, overlapping the edges, and brush more glue over the top. 4. Dry overnight, push a pin with a twine loop into the top, and hang.

Doily Christmas Crafts for the Mantel: A Lace Garland

If you only make one thing this year, make this. It takes ten minutes and two supplies. Round lace circles clipped to jute twine soften a plain mantel and look sweet in photos. Fold some in half for a scalloped bunting style. Mix two sizes so the line does not look stiff. Our easy homemade garlands have more ways to dress a mantel.

You will need: 12 to 20 paper doilies, jute twine, tiny wooden clothespins, pine sprigs, removable hooks.

How to make it: 1. Hang the twine first with a gentle dip in the middle. 2. Clip on doilies about 3 inches apart. 3. Fold a few in half over the twine for a scalloped edge. 4. Tuck pine sprigs along the shelf below to finish.

Grandma’s Crochet Doily Starched Into a Bowl

Have a stack of old crochet doilies in a drawer? Give one a second life. Soak it in fabric stiffener, drape it over an upside down bowl, and let it dry. It pops off as a lacy dish that holds its shape for years. Fill it with glass ornaments, pine cones or wrapped candy. It is one of the most sentimental Doily Christmas Crafts you can make. Our crochet holiday gifts show more ways to use handmade lace.

You will need: 1 crochet doily, fabric stiffener or liquid starch, a small bowl to use as a mold, plastic wrap, a baking sheet, ornaments to fill it.

How to make it: 1. Cover the outside of the bowl with plastic wrap and set it upside down on the sheet. 2. Soak the doily in stiffener and squeeze out the extra. 3. Drape it over the bowl and smooth the edges evenly. 4. Let it dry a full day, then lift it off and fill it.

Lace Wrapped Mason Jar Lanterns

Lace on glass makes a pretty pattern when light comes through. Wrap plain jars in paper doilies, tie on a ribbon, and line them up on a sill. For evening glow, drop in battery fairy lights, never real candles, since paper and flame do not mix. See more ideas in our mason jar holiday projects.

You will need: 3 clean glass jars, 3 large paper doilies, a glue stick or clear tape, red ribbon, battery fairy lights (optional), pine sprigs.

How to make it: 1. Wrap a doily around each jar and trim it to fit. 2. Glue or tape the seam at the back. 3. Tie red ribbon around the neck in a bow. 4. Add battery fairy lights inside if you like and set the jars on a sill with pine.

Doily Christmas Crafts Tree in a Cone Shape

This little tree looks like frosting on a cake. Start with a paper cone and wrap it in rings of lace from the bottom up. Each row covers the top edge of the one below, so it looks ruffled and full. Make three in different heights for a tabletop forest. For more tabletop trees, try our cone tree ideas.

You will need: 1 poster board or paper cone about 10 inches tall, 8 to 10 paper doilies, a glue stick, scissors, white craft glue, 1 pearl bead.

How to make it: 1. Cut each doily in half or into strips with the lacy edge. 2. Glue the first row around the bottom of the cone with the lace pointing down. 3. Keep adding rows, overlapping each one, up to the tip. 4. Glue a pearl bead on top and let it dry.

Lace Stenciled Kraft Paper Gift Wrap

Here is a trick that turns cheap brown paper into wrap that looks boutique bought. Lay a paper doily flat on kraft paper and dab white paint over it with a sponge. Lift it, and a perfect lace print is left behind. Doily Christmas Crafts do not get easier than this. Our clever gift wrapping tricks have even more pretty ideas.

You will need: A roll of brown kraft paper, 2 or 3 paper doilies, white acrylic paint, a makeup sponge or stencil brush, a paper plate, painter’s tape, twine.

How to make it: 1. Tape a section of kraft paper flat on a table. 2. Lay a doily on it and hold it still with your fingers. 3. Dab white paint lightly over the lace, then lift straight up. 4. Repeat in a scattered pattern, let it dry, then wrap.

A Lace Doily Tree Topper Star

A store star can cost twenty dollars. This one costs pennies and looks like old lace from a family attic. Cut a star from poster board, cover it with lace pieces, and brush on starch so it stays crisp. A small paper cone glued on the back slides right over the top branch. Want more choices? Look through our tree topper ideas.

You will need: Poster board, 3 or 4 paper or fabric doilies, white craft glue mixed with water, a brush, scissors, a small paper cone, white glitter (optional).

How to make it: 1. Draw and cut a five pointed star about 9 inches wide. 2. Brush both sides with the glue mix and press on lace pieces. 3. Let it dry flat, then trim the edges. 4. Glue a paper cone on the back and slide it onto the tree.

Doily Christmas Crafts Wreath on an Embroidery Hoop

This wreath has a dreamy, airy look, a bit like a dreamcatcher. Stretch a crochet doily in the center of a wooden hoop with thread. Then tuck pine and faux berries along the bottom and finish with a velvet bow. Of all the Doily Christmas Crafts here, it is the best for a front door. For more soft wreaths, see our fabric wreath ideas.

You will need: 1 wooden embroidery hoop about 12 inches wide, 1 round crochet doily a bit smaller than the hoop, white thread, a needle, pine sprigs, faux red berries, a red velvet ribbon, floral wire.

How to make it: 1. Center the doily inside the hoop. 2. Stitch from the doily edge to the hoop in eight spots so it pulls taut. 3. Wire pine and berries along the bottom of the hoop. 4. Tie a velvet bow and hang it from the top.

Lace Doilies as Holiday Place Mats

Big lace doilies make the easiest place mats ever. Lay one under each plate, and a plain table suddenly looks like a country inn. Mix sizes, or layer a paper one over a crochet one. Paper ones toss out after dinner, so cleanup is easy. Our holiday table ideas pair well with this look.

You will need: Large paper or crochet doilies (one per guest), red or white dinner plates, gold flatware, cloth napkins, pine sprigs and faux berries for the center.

How to make it: 1. Lay a pine and berry runner down the middle first. 2. Set one large doily at each seat, centered with the chair. 3. Place the plate on top so the lace frames it. 4. Add a napkin and flatware on each side.

Doily Christmas Crafts Angel Wing Wall Art

This piece makes people stop in the hallway. Layer paper lace like feathers on two poster board wing shapes, and you get a soft, glowing pair of wings. Hang them above a bench or the bed for the season. Instagram crafters are loving lace angel projects, with one batch of handmade angels earning about 14,000 likes. For more heavenly projects, see our handmade angel ideas.

You will need: 2 large sheets of white poster board, 40 to 60 paper doilies in mixed sizes, white craft glue, scissors, removable wall strips.

How to make it: 1. Draw two matching wing shapes on the poster board and cut them out. 2. Fold doilies in half to look like feathers. 3. Glue rows from the bottom tip up, overlapping each row. 4. Let them dry and hang them with wall strips.

Lace Topped Jar Lids for Food Gifts

Homemade cookies feel even sweeter with a lacy top. Lay a doily over the lid of a jar, tie it with red twine, and your gift looks like it came from an old fashioned bakery. Fill them with cookies, fudge, nuts or hot cocoa mix. They make perfect gifts for neighbors and teachers. Find recipes and ideas in our gifts in a jar.

You will need: Glass jars with lids, paper or fabric doilies a few inches wider than the lids, red twine, cookies or candy to fill them.

How to make it: 1. Fill each jar and close the lid tight. 2. Center a doily over the lid. 3. Pull the lace down around the rim and tie twine twice around it. 4. Finish with a small bow and fluff the lace edge.

Starched Lace Snowflakes for the Windows

Lace snowflakes on a window look magical with the winter sun behind them. Starch makes small crochet or fabric doilies stiff and flat, and a tiny dab of starch also helps them cling to the glass. They peel off easily and wipe clean. For more ways to dress your glass, see our holiday window ideas.

You will need: Small crochet or fabric doilies, liquid starch, a shallow dish, wax paper, a sponge, a clean window.

How to make it: 1. Soak the doilies in starch and press out the extra. 2. Lay them flat on wax paper and shape the points. 3. Let them dry until stiff. 4. Dab a little starch on the back and press them on the glass, then smooth with a sponge.

A Lace Doily Framed Like a Vintage Ornament

Thrift stores are full of tiny gold frames for a dollar or two. Pop out the glass, back the frame with red velvet, and glue a small lace doily in the center. Hang it with a ribbon, and it looks like an antique keepsake. Our picture frame projects have more thrifty ideas, and we love that the humble doily is named after a 1600s London draper called Doiley.

You will need: Small thrifted gold frames, red velvet or felt, small paper or crochet doilies, craft glue, red ribbon, a hot glue gun (adult help).

How to make it: 1. Remove the glass and back from each frame. 2. Cut velvet to fit the backing and glue it on. 3. Glue a doily in the center and put the back into the frame. 4. With an adult’s help, hot glue a ribbon loop to the top.

Doily Christmas Crafts for an All White Lace Tree

Put it all together, and you get a showstopper. A tree trimmed only in white lace looks soft, snowy and timeless. Mix your puffy snowflakes, lace baubles, framed doilies and the star on top. It is the grand finale for all your Doily Christmas Crafts, and grandma chic at its best. For more snowy color ideas, see our all white holiday decor.

You will need: Your finished lace snowflakes, baubles, frames and star, white ribbon, a cream knit blanket, gifts wrapped in lace stenciled paper.

How to make it: 1. Hang the biggest pieces first, spaced around the tree. 2. Fill gaps with smaller snowflakes and baubles. 3. Tie white ribbon bows on bare branches. 4. Add the star on top and arrange the blanket and gifts underneath.