Making Framed Art With Handmade Doilies - Hometalk Challenge

Anita K
by Anita K
9 Materials
My Noni (Grandmother) came from Sicily in 1900. She made many lace doilies of all shapes and sizes throughout her life. I have inherited dozens of them and wanted to showcase her handiwork with a modern twist.
Hometalk presented a challenge - so I set to task to share a DIY creation that was themed to the color and logo of the company. I purchased a frame, spray paint in a beautiful, teal color, spray paint in a metallic finish, a double mat, and small, round mirrors. The deglosser, and balsa wood cutout I had in my stockpile of "stuff".


Note: Doilies can be found in antique stores and thrift shops, too.
1. I used the back of the frame to serve as the background for the doily. The thickness of the doily would provide padding when the piece was fully assembled.
2. I spray painted the backing in teal - to which will the doily would be mounted.


3. The wood cutout was also painted with the teal paint.
4. The frame was wiped down with deglosser and then a wet, lint-free rag. This prepared the frame for spray paint.


5. The frame was spray painted in the metallic finish.
6. After the paint had cured for 24 hours (take no chances, I say!), I laid out the doily on the newly painted, teal background.


7. I used Glue Dots to hold down the doily and keep it in place. Each point of the doily's border has a a Glue Dot. The piece needed to be adjusted in a few areas, to ensure proper placement. Note: The doily is a handmade item, so it is not precisely measured as if it was machine-made.
8. The mats were positioned on top of the mounted doily.


9. Then, the wood cutout was attached to the center of the doily.
10. The glass was cleaned with glass cleaner to remove any streaks and finger prints and the mat and mounted doily were placed inside the frame.


Here is the framed piece with the wood cutout in Hometalk blue! Wait for it.....
11. I decided to use the Hometalk logo in the center of the doily, in place of the wood cutout. To do that - I took a photo of the logo from the Hometalk site, and sent it to my printer. I enlarged the design on my printer and printed it again. Then, cut out the enlarged logo, and traced it onto heavy cardstock. and cut it out with cuticle scissors (dedicated to crafting - very handy!)


12. The logo was painted in the teal spray paint.
13. I wanted the inside of the Hometalk logo to be the main focus of the piece, so I chose to use a small, round mirror for the inside of the "house". Glue Dots were placed around the the back of the mirror and it was glued into place in the center of the doily.


14. While I was at it....I re-positioned the doily by stretching it a bit more (love those Glue Dots - they allow for things to be adjusted easily).


15. When the spray paint on the cardstock was completely dry, Glue Dots were placed on the back of the Hometalk logo, and it was centered above the round mirror.


16. The mounted doily, now sporting the Hometalk logo, was put inside the frame - and here is the finished piece.


So there you have it - a classy solution to proudly display your ancestor's beautiful handiwork in a modern way! This project is a tribute to my Noni, and to Hometalk! Share on, fellow DIY people!
Suggested materials:
  • Rust-Oleum Deglosser   (Home Depot)
  • Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover Paint & Primer Spray Paint   (Ace Post Hardware)
  • Rust-Oleum Metallic Spray Paint in Brilliant Metal Finish   (Ace Post Hardware)
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4 of 16 comments
  • Tova Pearl Tova Pearl on Sep 12, 2016
    what a way to mix the antique and the modern! very nice job
    • Anita K Anita K on Sep 12, 2016
      Thank you, Tova! It's a new way to display something old - you totally understand my intention - (love your name, btw)!
  • Jessica Serrano-Gregg Jessica Serrano-Gregg on Feb 10, 2017
    Very pretty! I too was lucky enough to score my grandmas handiwork along with my husband's grandmothers as well. I've got enough to do lots of things with. I'm making dream catchers with embroidery hoops with the doily in the center, I hand painted the doily to match the family members favorite colors.... that way they have a piece of my grandmother to remember her by hanging up for them to appreciate. When grandma was alive she'd send me dresser scarves and doilies but I always put them away because I didn't want them ruined but what good is that if I can't enjoy them? So After she passed on I inherited a lot more. It was kinda funny that my gramma had a weird quirk I found out... so she'd send me a dresser scarf in a particular pattern however when going thru her linens and handiwork, I just had to smile and laugh because I found the other matching items like an end table doily or she'd make the arm chair doilies and squares that people actually put on the arms of their furniture to keep them clean or for decoration I guess, I don't know which one but I do know that the arms of the chairs get dirty!! But I'd find the matching items for a set. It was almost like a joke because it's something she'd do on purpose.. thinking ok I'll send Jess this dresser scarf then when I pass she'll get the rest of the set lmfao... that was her humor all the way! It made going through her stuff easier though... I'm so blessed that not a lot of my family wanted them because I wanted every last one of them because I know how hard and how much time it takes to create just one doily. It amazed me she still could do the tiny crochet stitches with the tiny hooks! I tried and I can't even see the stitches to do tatting!! My hands won't work that way but she did it up until she passed at 88. Then my husband's grandmother went to a home recently and nobody wanted her handiwork which I thought for sure they would. They were going to put them in the estate sale :( I said no way!! So again, I amased another collection of handiwork. It always kinda makes me sad when I see this stuff at estate sales. So I'm a sucker for the sentimental things like this so I always buy them when I see them. I feel like they need a good home. I'm crazy that way so long story short, I have this massive collection of doilies, handiwork, dresser scarves, even a few larger table clothes all hand stitched... so I need more projects to display them. They need to be enjoyed and displayed. Great idea! I think I'll make a collage of the littler ones from my gramma and then add my grandparents pictures like a vinette or something but they will make a nice gift for family! Your idea is great because I can just add the photos on some of grammas vintage paste jewelry to embellish!
    • Anita K Anita K on Feb 12, 2017
      Thanks so much for sharing your personal story about heirloom doilies, Jess! I am very happy and honored to have inherited the doilies my Noni made - they are precious to me. I agree, they are beautiful works of art to be treasured by generations to come.
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