Turn Vintage Doilies into Purses

I have an entire tote filled with family linens and doilies, many of which I do not use. I hate the idea of them sitting in storage, so I brought them out to see if I could repurpose any of them. I discovered a few things: I have more doilies than I thought; my relatives paid better attention to detail than I do; and doilies are really quite intricate and beautiful. I also realized that, due to the precise patterns of the designs, doilies are perfect for making a no-sew project (all of those holes perfectly line up where you need them – you can tie those areas together without needing to sew!). So here is an easy, no-sew project that you can make with doilies – a small purse to hold your personal items or smartphone.

If you do not have doilies packed away in your eaves or attic, they are abundant at flea markets and antique shops. When choosing a doily, you will want to select a rectangle shaped one. I chose one that was about 10″ long.

Materials to Turn Vintage Doilies into Purses

• A rectangle shaped doily
• Embroidery thread to match your doily
• A vintage button
• Scissors

Directions to Turn Vintage Doilies into Purses

1. To get an idea of how big your purse will be, fold the doily about 2/3 of the way up to the top. The top 1/3 will fold over to become the flap of the purse. The flap is where you will later tie a button on for a clasp. If you need a smaller or bigger purse, choose a different size.
2. Iron or flatten the doily if needed.
3. Cut your embroidery thread into small pieces, about 4″ in length.
4. Fold the doily again so that the bottom of the doily reaches about 2/3 of the way to the top. Line up the holes in the doily edges as needed.
5. Once you have the edges lined up, it helps to tie a knot at the top and bottom corners of the folded areas. This will hold the shape in place while you finish tying.
6. Tie embroidery thread along the edges, one knot for each hole.
7. You will not need to do the bottom of the purse unless you need the added security (if you’ll be adding smaller items to your purse).
8. Tie the holes along one edge of the purse and then tie them along the other.
9. Trim the excess thread as desired.

   

10. Fold the purse flap over and place your button in the center or lower center of the flap.  Tie the button in place.
11. Tie a loop of embroidery thread on the outer layer of the purse where the flap meets.  Make sure the loop is big enough to reach around the button but not so loose that it will fall off easily.

    

Now you are finished!  These purses are a wonderful gift for Mother’s Day, especially if you use family heirloom doilies.  They are also so simple to make!