Categories: Decorating & Design

Paper Doily Wedding Decorations

One of the great things about starting your wedding plans long before the wedding is that you have plenty of time to mull things over, browse catalogs and the internet, and even to make your own decorations. If you’re having a casual wedding you might consider the paper doily as part of your wedding theme. You’ll have plenty of time to turn them into beautiful things like place markers, table flowers and more.

Small, paper doilies are sold by the pack at craft stores and many dollar-theme stores. Generally available only in white the paper doilies aren’t fancy but work well to make some nice things for your wedding.

Picture a white, paper circle, with a wide, lacy border all around it, and you’ll have an idea of what the paper doilies look like. They’re adorable just as they are but you can use a gold or other color of paint pen and write the guests’ names on them as place markers. Carry that a step further and give the borders of the doilies gold accents. If you like a more glittery look use glitter glue to outline the edges. Or, give the doilies a floral look when you glue tiny, stem-less flower heads on around the edges of the solid area of the doily.

Use silk flowers and the doilies to make simple but elegant table decorations. Glue a single flower, a tiny bouquet of dried flowers or another arrangement to a doily. Make sure you can see the lacy edges of the doily when the flowers are in place. Set these on the dinner tables, food tables or elsewhere around the reception room.

Make party favors out of the paper doilies by stacking two of them together. Use satin ribbon – or even yarn – to “sew” around the edges. Simply take the ribbon in and out of the lace-like border that surrounds the solid paper piece in the middle of each doily. Before closing it completely, drop in a small soap, pinch of potpourri, a tiny, cellophane bag of candies or another favor. Finish sewing the two doilies together and glue on or tie a bow.

Make take-home keepsakes by printing small pictures of the bride and groom-to-be. Cut the pictures into circles which are a tad smaller than the solid circles of the doilies. Use a thin layer of white glue to attach a picture to each doily. Cut a circle of clear, adhesive shelf liner to be the size of the circle on each doily. Use one to cover and protect each doily picture. If you want, feed a ribbon piece through two holes of the lacy border and tie it in a bow above the photo.

You can often get 20, 50 or more doilies for a buck or two and that makes them a really great bargain. After you see how pretty the wedding decorations are you’ll have a secret: you made all the gorgeous floral accents, place cards and party favors for just a few bucks!