Crafting Wedding Dresses From Doilies: Folding Techniques

how to fold doilies into wedding dresses

Doilies can be used to create wedding dresses, garlands, and invitations. They can be folded and glued to create a skirt or the bottom half of a wedding dress. For a full dress, the top half or bodice can be created by adhering a full doily to a piece of white card stock, cutting it into quarters, and using a heart-shaped punch. The bodice is then attached to the skirt with glue or ribbon. To create a garland, individual doily dresses can be cut, glued, and embellished before being hung with twine and clothespins.

Characteristics and Values Table for Folding Doilies into Wedding Dresses

Characteristics Values
Type of Doilies Paper doilies or crocheted doilies
Size of Doilies 4" paper doilies or larger crocheted doilies
Number of Doilies Approximately 2 doilies per dress
Folding Technique Folding in half, creating layers, folding corners, re-folding panels
Adhesives Glue, glue dots, tape
Embellishments Ribbon, lace, pearls, sequins, mini clothespins
Purpose Wedding dress cards, garlands, invitations, actual dresses

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Folding doilies for the bottom half of a wedding dress

To fold doilies for the bottom half of a wedding dress, you can follow these steps:

First, determine which side of the doily is the pretty side and which is the rough side. Turn the doily over so that the pretty side is facing down and the rough side is facing up. Then, fold the doily towards the white circle at the bottom, being careful not to fold it completely in half. You want to create two layers for the dress, so leave about an inch of rough lace visible. Crease the fold to create a firm edge.

Next, take the top right corner of the doily and bring it down towards the left, lining it up where the white circle and the lace meet. You should be forming a 90-degree angle. Secure this corner with a small amount of glue, ensuring that it dries clear as you will be gluing on the lace part. At this point, you should have three layers to your skirt: the rough part at the bottom, a folded part in the middle, and the piece you just glued down.

For the next step, you can choose to either fold the top panel of the doily back and behind the skirt or leave it in the front, depending on your preferred look. If you want a cleaner edge and a less busy dress, folding the top panel back might be preferable.

Finally, you can embellish your skirt as desired. You can add ribbon, pearls, or any other decorations to make your doily skirt unique and elegant.

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Making a doily bodice

Gather Your Materials:

First, you'll need to collect all the necessary supplies. Doilies can be found at thrift stores, yard sales, or craft stores. Keep in mind that you will need a lot of doilies, especially if you're making a full dress. You will also need fabric for the bodice, a sewing machine or needle and thread for hand sewing, lace trim, and any other embellishments you want to add.

Prepare the Doilies:

Before you start constructing the bodice, lay out all your pattern pieces and decide on the placement of the doilies and lace. This step is crucial to achieving the desired look. Once you're happy with the placement, carefully pin all the doilies and lace in place onto the pattern pieces.

Sew the Doilies:

Sew around the edges of the doilies and lace to secure them in place. You can use either a straight line or a zigzag stitch, depending on the needs of the material. This step will ensure that the doilies and lace don't fray and stay securely attached to the bodice.

Construct the Bodice:

Now it's time to assemble the bodice. Cut out the fabric pieces according to your pattern, carefully matching grain lines and allowing for seam allowances. Baste the pieces together, pinning along the seam to avoid any unwanted blood stains on your fabric! Press the seams flat and check the fit before permanently sewing them in place.

Attach the Bodice to the Dress:

Finally, attach the completed bodice to the rest of the dress. This may involve sewing or gluing, depending on the construction of the rest of the dress. Make sure to follow the instructions of your chosen pattern for the best results.

With careful planning and execution, you can create a stunning doily bodice that will make your wedding dress truly unique and special.

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Creating a doily skirt

Selecting the Doilies:

Begin by choosing the appropriate doilies for your skirt. You can find paper doilies in the cake section of craft stores. It is recommended to have approximately two doilies for each dress. Consider the size and colour of the doilies, ensuring they complement the overall design of the wedding dress.

Preparing the Doilies:

Before assembling the skirt, it is crucial to prepare the doilies. Determine which side of the doily is the "pretty side" and which is the "rough side." Place the doilies with the pretty side facing down, as you want it to be the dominant side. Fold each doily gently, taking care not to crease or damage the delicate material. You can create a soft fold by bringing the doily just to the white circle at the bottom, leaving about an inch of rough lace visible.

Folding Technique:

Now, you can start creating the layers of the skirt. Take the top right corner of the doily and bring it down towards the left, aligning it where the white circle and the lace meet. You are essentially forming a 90-degree angle. Secure this corner with a small amount of glue, ensuring it dries clear to maintain the aesthetic. By following this step, you will create a triangle point at the top, resulting in three layers of the skirt: the rough part at the bottom, a folded middle section, and the glued-down piece.

Attaching the Skirt:

Once you have folded and secured the doilies, it's time to attach them to the wedding dress. Using a glue stick, carefully apply glue to the bottom of the bodice, which is the top part of the skirt. Gently press and attach the doily skirt to the bodice. If desired, you can cut off the bottom pointy tip of the bodice before gluing it down to create a smoother finish.

Embellishments:

To enhance the appearance of your doily skirt, consider adding embellishments. Apply a thin line of tacky glue to specific areas of the skirt where you want to add sparkle or decorative elements. You can use mini pearls, seashells, sequins, or any other embellishments that suit your taste and the overall theme of the wedding.

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Joining doilies to make a wedding dress

Preparing the Doilies:

Start by determining the "pretty side" and the "rough side" of your doilies. You will want the pretty side to be more dominant, so place the doilies face down, with the rough side facing up. You can use paper doilies, which can be found in the cake section of craft stores, or crocheted doilies, which can be store-bought or handmade. For a standard dress, you will need approximately two doilies.

Folding the Doilies:

Take one doily and fold it towards the white circle at the bottom, creating a firm edge. Be careful not to fold it completely in half, as you want to create two layers for the dress. You should now have about an inch of rough lace visible. Next, take the top right corner of the doily and bring it down towards the left, aligning it where the white circle and the lace meet, forming a 90-degree angle. Secure this corner with a small amount of glue, ensuring it dries clear as it will be visible.

Creating the Bodice and Skirt:

To create the bodice, adhere a full doily to a piece of white cardstock using a small amount of glue. Cut this doily into quarters, with each quarter becoming one bodice. Cut out a heart shape from the centre of each bodice using a Full Heart punch. You can further shape the heart by cutting off slivers from the sides.

For the skirt, take another doily and fold it almost in half, then fold one side of the doily back, either towards the front or the back, to create a cleaner edge. You can also refold the top panel of the skirt behind to achieve a similar effect.

Assembling the Dress:

Glue the bottom of the bodice to the top of the skirt. You can cut off the bottom pointy tip of the bodice before gluing for a smoother finish. Embellish your dress by wrapping a ribbon around the waist and securing it with glue at the back. You can also add a longer piece of ribbon through the waistband, securing it with glue and adding embellishments like pearls, sequins, or mini clothespins.

Feel free to experiment with different folding techniques and embellishments to make your doily wedding dress unique!

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Decorating doily dresses

Doilies can be decorated in a variety of ways to create wedding dresses. Here are some ideas and instructions for decorating doily dresses:

Folding Techniques:

Firstly, determine which side of the doily is the "pretty side" and which is the "rough side". You want the pretty side to be more dominant, so start with the rough side facing up. When folding, avoid folding the doily completely in half, as you want to create two layers for the dress. Instead, fold the doily just to the white circle at the bottom, creating a firm edge. Then, take the top right corner and bring it down towards the left, lining it up where the white circle and lace meet. This will create a triangle point at the top and three layers for the dress.

Embellishments:

  • Ribbons: Wrap a ribbon around the waist of the dress and secure it at the back with glue. You can also leave the ribbon loose at the front and insert another piece of ribbon through the sash for added detail.
  • Pearls: Add a pearl to the ribbon waistband for an elegant touch.
  • Mini pearls, seashells, and sequins: Apply a thin line of Tacky glue to areas on the dress where you want some extra sparkle, and then embellish with mini pearls, seashells, or sequins.
  • Embroidery: Enhance the front of the dress with embroidery details.
  • Lace: Doilies can be joined together with picots or crocheted lace motifs to create a lace dress.

Other Tips:

  • For a cleaner edge and a less busy look, you can refold the top panel of the doily behind the skirt instead of keeping it at the front.
  • Cut out a heart shape from the folded doily to create the bodice of the dress.
  • Use clothespins to clip the doily dresses to twine, and decorate the clothespins as well.

These instructions provide a general guide, and you can get creative and experiment with different folding techniques and embellishments to decorate your doily wedding dresses.

Frequently asked questions

You will need paper doilies, white cardstock, glue, ribbon, and any embellishments you want to add.

First, determine which side of the doily is the "pretty" side and which is the "rough" side. Place the doily face down, with the rough side facing up. Fold the doily just to the white circle at the bottom, but do not fold it in half completely as you want to create two layers for the dress.

Take the top right corner of the doily and bring it down towards the left, lining it up where the white circle and the lace meet. Glue this corner so that it stays in place. You should now have three layers to the dress. To finish the skirt, re-fold the top panel of the doily back and behind the skirt.

Cut a doily into quarters, and use one quarter as the bodice. Adhere the bodice to the skirt with glue. Wrap a ribbon around the waist and secure it with glue.

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