Anyone else love decorating with vintage family heirlooms?

The idea of creating doily wall art from vintage doilies stemmed from a DIY post years ago. I thought it seemed fun and simple to recreate. That summer, I collected a few doilies from surrounding flea markets and antique stores. Annnnd they’ve been sitting in the basement since then.

When I received some hand made doilies from a dear relative, I knew exactly what to do with them. Make some vintage doily wall art, using some spare canvases and paint from the basement! It also gave me the chance to use some wood plaques I got at a garage sale for $10!

Things to consider before starting doily wall art:

Choose your doily “backdrop”. If you want them to pop out, choose a highly contrasting color. If you want a monochromatic look, choose something a couple shades darker/lighter. I wanted more of a subtle look, so I chose to the use the same paint color as the accent wall in the hallway.

Decide what size canvas will best fit the intended space. Considering how wide the wall is, I could have gone bigger, but I wanted to use what I had, so mine are 14″ x 14″.

Play around with placement of the doilies ahead of time. I moved mine around several times until I was happy with the somewhat random but ordered look. Then take pictures so you remember which ones go where!

Here’s how I made mine:

Prep canvas.
Wipe down canvas with a moist cloth. Place the canvas on top of something so you can easily paint around the edges. Apply one coat of paint, let dry to the touch, apply a second coat of paint.

TIPS: Don’t use a microfiber cloth as they tend to leave little tufts behind. I used garbage bags to paint on because once the paint is dry I can still use them, and the kids wood blocks propped it up underneath.
Adhere doilies to canvas.
Prep your work surface. The adhesive will slightly overspray, so make sure you have ample room on a protected surface. Using a medium/strong spray adhesive, apply an even coat of adhesive to the back of the doily and immediately place in desired place on canvas.

Depending on placement, some of the doilies may need to be folded around edges and in back. If that’s the case, make sure the doily is in proper place on the main surface first and then fold any excess doily under. I found there was enough adhesive on the doily from my initial spray, to hold the extra folded material in place, without needing more.

TIPS: I put down a fresh layer of paper towel or newspaper every time I sprayed to prevent the front of the doilies from getting damaged/full of adhesive.

The sprayed doily will fold and stick to itself if not picked up carefully. Try to lay the doily down in the same orientation it will be on the canvas before spraying. Once sprayed, pick up the doily on opposite ends and keep tension while transferring to canvas.
Hang your vintage doily canvas wall art.
Let your completed canvas dry for 24 hours before hanging. Technically, my adhesive said I could use once dry to the touch, but I err on the side of caution when it comes to glue and family heirlooms.

Because several of my doilies were folded over the edge, I used nails to hang the canvases on the wall. I initially wanted to use Command Velcro Hanging Strips, but some areas of the canvas were thicker than others and it just wasn’t working.

TIPS: If you have “blank spots” on the top edge of the canvas (meaning no doily touching the canvas), try to position your nails there, as it will create a much more level spot to hang from.

Ta-da! Vintage doily wall art complete!

I love how these vintage doily wall art canvases turned out! My pictures of the narrow staircase they adorn don’t do justice. There’s something cozy and heart-warming about looking around our home, and seeing various family member’s possessions scattered here and there.

The neutral color tones play off each other so well. I haven’t had anything hanging on this wall since I repainted it earlier this year. So thankful the lack of time during summer, meant an opportunity to create some special doily wall art in fall.