Paper Doily Table Runner Ideas

Looking for a super simple and affordable way to fancy up your tea party? Here it is! Check out some tips and different ideas you can try with any paper doily.

I created these paper doily table runners and garland for a memorial reception to celebrate the life of my Granny. She was a tea pot and cup collector and loved the fancy stuff. I needed something to bring that girly-girl part of her to life, and I needed a lot to accommodate all that loved her. So, paper doilies were the way to go and they came out so cute! Check out some different ideas below for the paper doily design, table runners, and garland. 🙂

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

These are the ones I purchased. Great quantity and quality! I purchased classic white and beige because the tablecloths already had a lovely floral pattern.

There are also more designs if you are looking do decorate a plain table and give it some extra flair.

Long Table Runners

These longer table runners were so fun to make! I made about 10 and it didn’t take too long. All you need is a large glue stick to adhere the paper doilies together. After playing around with different combinations, I landed on this one as ideal. It was big we enough to be seen decoratively, but left lots of room for plates and cups to be used around it. It also lends itself well to a rectangular shaped table. As always, these DIY projects are customizable and you can add or change to fit your style and requirements!

The basic design consists of:

Base layer of 4 large circle paper doilies alternating between upper and lower areas
Next, 2 rectangle paper doilies to connect the large circles on outer edges
- adjust how far or close you want them based on table size or preference
Then, 2 oval doilies to connect the large circles in the center
- adjust adjust how far or close you want them based on table size or preference
Fill in the space to make the table runners look more full with 2 or more small circle doilies and 2 heart shaped doilies on opposite ends
Add tiny beige paper doilies to the center of the large circles for a more rustic style

Circular or Square Table Runners

This pattern works well on small or square tables like this child’s table. They also worked perfectly for a regular sized circular table at the tea party reception; big enough to be seen decoratively, but didn’t take up any space around the edges of the table where food an drinks were placed.

The basic design consists of:

One large circle doily at the center
Four large circle paper doilies forming a square shape around the center at the edges
Four small circle paper doilies evenly spaced in between each large doily around the center
One large circle on top of center paper doily
For tiny beige doilies in the center of each large circle doily around edge

Other Paper Doily Ideas

There are other ways to get fancy with paper doilies if you already have a lot going on with the tablecloth or centerpieces. Get creative! The only extra thing I needed was some jute twine for a garland; or add a little daintiness with a two layer paper doily coaster.

Tips

Use Elmer’s Washable School Glue – Disappearing Purple so you can see the glue and attach the doilies more easily (the purple really does disappear)!
Glue on top of a plastic surface that you can wash easily. The glue WILL gather in clumps when gluing over the part of the paper doily with holes.
Do two rounds of gluing. First round: glue all the pieces together where you like so they don’t move. Second round: glue along all edges touching each other to keep them down and create a whole piece look (or don’t if you like them to look more loose on top of each other: I did it both ways).
Let dry a few minutes before picking up from your surface, but DO NOT let them completely dry where they are. They WILL adhere to your surface and rip when pulling them off.
For the paper doily garland, use a heart on each side of the twine. Use a small circle folded in half over the twine and glue the edge only so you can adjust the placement as needed.
You get A LOT of doilies so don’t worry about messing up. Have fun with it!