Touting both a rich history and perennial popularity, heirloom lace is unwavering in its versatile appeal. Make use of its enduring splendor with our inspiring ideas for creating home décor, your own accessories, and more.
The universal allure of lace spans centuries and continents, but here in the South, our appreciation for the elegant fabric often falls a bit closer to home, engrained in a love of bequeathing beautiful things to the next generation.
If not inherited, quality lace can be found at estate sales, auction houses, secondhand stores, flea markets, and even online companies like Etsy. Mariana Barran de Goodall, founder of Houston-based Hibiscus Linens and an enthusiastic lace collector, advises searching for “something unique, shapes you don’t find often, and at the end of the day, something that makes you happy.”
Give an antique glass tray an understated adornment with a doily or handkerchief. Use a piece that’s a comparable shape and size, but don’t fuss over exact measurements. An imperfect fit adds to the heirloom character.
Lace can boost the beauty of functional items, such as a pincushion and coordinating scissors cover. A clear, hollow ornament lendsitself to lovely fabric fillings.
Transform trimmings of lace with special meaning into wearable mementos. You can fill a locket (right) or find these pendants with a curved glass center (left) in the jewelry section of most crafts stores. Flood the flat metal base with hot glue, place the lace atop it and then attach the glass while the glue is still very hot. These simple creations are a great way to gift snippets of a wedding gown or veil to daughters and granddaughters.
