We love these vintage looking vases made from upcycled crocheted doilies and we think they’re the perfect way to display your Mother’s Day flowers this Sunday!
Crocheted doilies are a common find when hunting for vintage textiles. Hours of fine needlework goes into making them so it seems fitting to show it off around a beautiful glass vase as a centerpiece.
YOU WILL NEED
Vintage doilies, crochet, or lacework
Clear glass vase: straight-sided
for Method 1; over-hanging tops
for Method 2
Crystal drops or beads (optional)
Sewing needle and thread
PVA glue
Decorator’s varnish
Paintbrush
Craft knife
Tip
If the crochet or lace pattern dictates where to cut, cut too short rather than too long and have some clear glass exposed at the top and bottom of the vase.
Method 1: Crochet Sleeve
Lay your crochet piece out flat, right side down, on a clean, dry work surface. Lay your glass vase on its side on top of the crochet. Align the top of the crochet with the top of the vase. Cut a straight line across the length of the crochet, in line with where it meets the bottom of the vase.
Hold the left-hand side of the crochet work to the side of the vase, roll the vase to the right taking the crochet with it, until it goes all the way around the vase and meets the fabric again. Cut along this line from top to bottom in a straight line. Wrap around the vase to check that it is a snug fi t and not too loose—if it seems shy you can add tension when you sew it together but if it’s too loose it will sag, so trim a fraction more off.
Attach your sewing thread to the bottom corner of the crochet. With the crochet wrapped round the vase, start to sew the two edges together with running stitch. Work your way up the side of the vase until you reach the top. If your crochet has large holes, run the thread through the pattern to hide it in between the seam.
Brush PVA glue onto the vase, through the crochet, to coat it with a generous layer of glue. Take the time to work the PVA well into the crochet with a stippling motion. If any edges are lifting, paint PVA between the crochet and the glass and stick down. The layer of glue may appear to be thick but it will soak into the crochet as it dries. Wait for this layer to dry.
Coat the vase with a generous layer of decorator’s varnish to create a waterproof seal. Let dry. Remove any PVA glue and varnish from areas of exposed glass. It should pick away easily or you can use a small craft knife to lift the edges and peel away. Do this for as many “holes” as you wish.
Method 2: Dotty Doily
Gather some circular doilies and/or cut round shapes from other pieces. Take your largest doily and decide where to place it on the vase. Paint this area with PVA glue and apply the doily to the vase. Continue adding doilies in this way. Start with the largest ones and then use smaller ones to fill in the gaps. Cut some in half if necessary, to fill gaps at the top and bottom of the vase.
Paint the doilies with PVA working it into all the little holes. Let dry then paint the doily discs with decorator’s varnish and let dry. Pick away any excess PVA and/ or varnish. Use a craft knife to lift off from the glass if necessary.
Add crystal drops, if using, to the rim of the vase by hanging from their metal drop hooks.
VARIATIONS
For vases that are wider at the base than the top you can hang droplets from chains that sit around the narrower neck of the vase. Old bracelet chains or even delicate necklace chains doubled over, are perfect to hang crystals and other charms from, and can easily be removed when washing the vase.
This project is from Creating the Vintage Look by Ellie Laycock.