Making dinner guests feel like they’re at an upscale restaurant is easier than you think. Simply add a decorative cover, also known as a cloche, to heighten the anticipation around appetizers, desserts or even the main course. Although cloches are typically made out of silver or stainless steel, you don’t need the budget of a fancy French restaurant to serve guests a decoratively covered meal. This cloche made with a doily is a whimsical and inexpensive take on a timeless French tradition.
Fabric stiffener is the key to creating a cloche out of a doily and the reason why this project is so easy and budget-friendly. Simply soak the doily in the stiffener, shape it to the outside of a bowl and voila! There’s no need to wait until your next dinner party before whipping together a cloche. Brighten up the kitchen counter any day of the week with a doily cloche and a plate of freshly iced cookies.
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Materials
- Large doily
- Metal mixing bowl
- Scissors
- High-temperature glue gun
- Hot glue sticks
- Plastic wrap
- Separate mixing bowl
- Stiffy Fabric Stiffener
- Disposable gloves
- Wooden drawer pull
- Folk Art Home Decor Chalk Paint in Willow Mist
- Small paintbrush or artist's brush
- Large doily
- Metal mixing bowl
- Scissors
- High-temperature glue gun
- Hot glue sticks
- Plastic wrap
- Separate mixing bowl
- Stiffy Fabric Stiffener
- Disposable gloves
- Wooden drawer pull
- Folk Art Home Decor Chalk Paint in Willow Mist
- Small paintbrush or artist's brush
DIY Everywhere
Instructions
1. Turn a large metal mixing bowl upside down, and put the doily over it. The edges of the doily should drape over the sides of the bowl and fold together in about six places.
1. Turn a large metal mixing bowl upside down, and put the doily over it. The edges of the doily should drape over the sides of the bowl and fold together in about six places.
2. Cut off any folds of lace so the doily lies mostly flat over the sides of the bowl.
3. Hot glue the cut edges together. The doily should now resemble an upside down bowl.
4. Remove the doily, and cover the outside of the mixing bowl in plastic wrap. Set it aside.
5. Fill the bottom of a separate mixing bowl with Stiffy Fabric Stiffener.
6. While wearing disposable gloves, submerge the doily in the stiffener so it's completely covered. Gently squeeze out the excess.
7. Place the doily over the upside down mixing bowl. Smooth it out so it conforms to the shape of the bowl. Allow it to dry overnight.
8. While the doily is drying, paint a wooden drawer pull with Willow Mist or the chalk paint of your choice. Wear a glove on the hand that is holding the pull. Allow the paint to dry.
9. Once the doily is dry, gently separate it from the bowl.
10. Hot glue the drawer pull to the top of the doily to act as a handle.
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