Dough bowls are a classic home decor piece that harkens back to days gone by. Whether you have a dough bowl from long ago or you’re looking for something new, dough bowls make classic home decor pieces that are effortless to work with. Here are ten ideas for decorating with dough bowls in your home simply and stylishly.
Dough bowls are a timeless and versatile piece of decor that can easily be used in any space. Whether used as a centerpiece, hung on the wall, or placed on a window sill, it will make a beautiful addition to any room. Learn. more about dough bowls in my post about the history of dough bowls and shopping tips.
Dough bowls come in different sizes so you're sure to find one or more that will perfectly suit your needs. They also come in different shapes like simple round bowls and the long trencher bowl. There are many ways to fill and feature a dough bowl that will add charm and interest to your home.
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Decorating with Dough Bowls FAQs
How do you decorate with a dough bowl?
There are endless and easy ways to decorate with these rustic bowls. We're going to touch on many in this post but just a few include: centerpieces on dining tables, candle holders on coffee tables, fruit bowls in the kitchen, or you can leave it empty on a bookcase, under a table or leaning against a wall.
What do you put in dough bowl decor?
Dough bowls are great for displaying holiday or seasonal decor, natural elements like greenery or flowers, candles, fruits, or you can just leave it empty. I'll show you some great options and simple ways to decorate in this post.
Where can I get dough bowls?
Here are a few places where you can find dough bowls:
- Large antique wooden dough bowl
- Round dough bowl
- Antique trencher dough bowls
- Petite dough bowl
- Handmade & antique dough bowls
Decorating with Dough Bowls
I'm going to split this post into three sections:
- Where to Put Dough Bowls
- What To Put in Dough Bowls
- Decorating with Dough Bowls for Holidays
Let's get started decorating with dough bowls!
Where to Put Dough Bowls
Incorporating Dough Bowls as a Centerpiece
When creating a French country table setting, I used a dough bowl as a centerpiece. In the dough bowl, I tied a bouquet of lavender with a pretty white ribbon. It was perfect! You can read more about it in my French country table setting post or watch my YouTube video here.
Coffee Table
This year, my daughter and I decided to use a dough bowl in our spring decorations. We put it on the coffee table and filled it with beautiful speckled color eggs. You can combine a dough bowl with other spring or easter elements as we did here with these books and a rabbit candy mold.
Kitchen Counter
You might recognize the dough bowl on my kitchen countertop here from the picture above. It is the same one and it usually stays on my kitchen counter year round and is a beautiful way to display fruit.
Hanging on a Wall
Here you can see how I hung my niece's amazing dough bowl on the wall. It's such pretty farmhouse-style decor.
Leaning Against Wall
This is one of the easiest ways to display your dough bowl and I absolutely love it. I leaned my niece's large dough bowl against the wall next to the fireplace. It adds a nice bit of warmth to the room. You can also nest them or place them side by side if you have multiple dough bowls.
Window Sill
If you have a deep enough window sill, this is a great place to display wash cloths, hand towels or bottles. It's cute to display them with other things like you see here. Bottles for cotton balls, swabs, and dried flowers are great choices.
Under Furniture
Here is a clever tip for storing your dough bowl and using it as a decoration. You can put your dough bowl under furniture as I did here. Paired with this cute vintage rabbit, it's a wonderful spring display.
Fireplace Mantel
My daughter came up with this fantastic idea while we decorated for spring of leaning this smaller dough bowl against the wall on the mantel. It's more stable than I thought and is so cute.
On Top of Furniture
This vintage dough bowl belongs to my niece, the third-generation owner of this beautiful dough bowl. I love how she placed it on top of a hutch and then used it to display dishes.
Bookcase
Consider putting your dough bowl on a bookcase. There are a lot of different things you can display in your dough bowl here. You can see here I displayed a pumpkin for the fall season.
Outdoor Decor
Consider using your dough bowl for outdoor decor. I was visiting a friend in Missouri we hosted an ice cream social for the family. We used my round dough bowl to house napkins and spoons for people to use with their ice cream. Just remember they can get dry depending on the weather, so use them outdoors but don't leave them out in the elements all the time.
You can see how we put together the ice cream social in this post, or watch this video.
What To Put In Dough Bowls
Using Dough Bowls as Plant Arrangements
Plants are a fun way to use your dough bowl. Here, I used olive branches and mini white pumpkins to make a lovely table centerpiece. Even pine cones would be a great way to mark the fall season.
Flowers
A lot of people use flowers in their dough bowls. Here you can see how I displayed lavender in my long dough bowl for my French country table setting.
Here's another example of how pretty fresh flowers flow from a dough bowl. I used fresh flowers, but you can also use faux greenery or flowers for a long-lasting display.
Books and Magazines
Here you can see how I used my dough bowl to display books. This worked out perfectly with some Shakespearian books and ink well I found while thrifting, and then paired with it, my Grandmother's bible opened to the story of easter.
Holiday Decor (Easter and Halloween)
Here is another popular option – decorating your dough bowl with holiday decor. I nested a pretty candy mold and Easter eggs in some easter grass.
I placed jute pumpkins in the dough bowl displayed in my living room for Halloween or fall decor.
Dishes
Dough bowls are a lovely way to display your pretty dishes.
This dough bowl belonged to my niece by marriage who go it from her mother who got it from her mother. We estimate it to be nearly 100 years old.
Lanterns
Here I put a lantern in the middle of the dough bowl and surrounded it with fresh wild wisteria I picked from around my neighborhood.
Candles
I love artificial candles. They're safe, pollution free, and last a long time.
For this display, I filled the bottom of the dough bowl with rice, placed the candles in the rice, placed cypress around the candles, and wove a velvet ribbon through the candles and let it hang out of the bowl on each side.
Fruit
A dough bowl is a great place to store and display your fresh fruit. Or, you can display faux fruit in your bowl. It will brighten up your counter or kitchen island.
Towels and Linens
Towels and linens are perfect to contain and display in your dough bowl. At the ice cream social I mentioned earlier, we put all the napkins in spoons in the dough bowl. It kept everything neat and easy to access.
In our guest bathroom, a dough bowl is home to hand towels and wash clothes for our guests.
Empty or other Stacked Dough Bowls
My friend from The Vintage Breadbox took this picture at an antique store and I love this idea. This stacking of dough bowls is a beautiful display and a piece of art in itself.
Decorating with Dough Bowls for Holidays
- Use dough bowls as a centerpiece for festive tables
- Create a garland to adorn dough bowls
- Fill dough bowls with winter greenery
- Store holiday wrapping paper and supplies
- Transform dough bowls into sophisticated table displays
Decorating with Dough Bowls for Holidays
Use Dough Bowls as a Centerpiece for Festive Tables
I love to create a dough bowl centerpiece during the holidays. Like this Easter centerpiece that only needed three things: an Easter candy mold, eggs, and artificial grass. Learn more about how I created this table setting for Easter at this post.
You can also use fresh flowers to create a stunning centerpiece. This is a perfect complement to spring decor.
Create a Garland to Adorn Dough Bowls
This is an antique toolbox with a Christmas bell garland and mistletoe garland. It is not a dough bowl but you can use the same concept.
Fill Dough Bowls with Seasonal Decorations
I love to add seasonal decorations like these wheat stalks or the jute Halloween pumpkins you saw earlier. You could also use moss balls or faux succulents between holidays.
Use Dough Bowls to Serve During Holiday Events
How pretty do these naturally dyed eggs look in nestled in a towel in my round bowl. And it makes them easy to serve around the table. You could also use them for serving rolls, muffins, or other items.
Transform Dough Bowls into Sophisticated Table Displays
Your dining table will an art display with the beautiful decorations you create. You can create sophisticated and stunning table displays with a few simple but elegant items. Pro tip – If you want to display something that stands upright like the artificial candles pictured below, fill the bottom of the bowl with rice and nest the candles in the rice for added stability. Once it's covered with greenery or whatever you choose to use in your display, no one will be the wiser.
Final Thoughts
Dough bowls can be a classic and effortless way to make a statement in any room in the home. They are a perfect addition to your farmhouse style or most any decor style. Whether buying a vintage or antique dough bowl or creating one of your own, the possibilities for decorating with dough bowls are endless. They will be a great addition to your inventory of versatile decor items. Use these ideas as a starting point for incorporating dough bowls into your own home for a timeless and effortless look.
For more ideas and inspiration on adding dough bowls to your home decor, be sure to check out our blog for more information.
Happy Decorating!
