A method of making a belt-creped absorbent cellulosic sheet, the method comprises: compactively dewatering a papermaking furnish to form a nascent web having an apparently random distribution of papermaking fiber orientation; applying the nascent web to a translating transfer surface that is moving at a transfer surface speed; belt-creping the nascent web from the transfer surface at a consistency of from 30% to 60% characterized by utilizing a generally planar polymeric creping belt provided with perforations through the belt, the creping step occurring under pressure in a belt creping nip defined between the transfer surface and the creping belt, the belt traveling at a belt speed that is slower than the transfer surface speed, wherein the belt geometry, nip parameters, velocity delta, and web consistency are selected such that the web is creped from the transfer surface and redistributed on the creping belt to form a wet web on the belt, the wet web having: (a) fiber-enriched regions of a relatively high local basis weight, the fiber-enriched regions including: (i) hollow domed portions, and (ii) pileated fiber-enriched portions adjacent to the domed portions, each pileated fiber-enriched portion having a cross machine direction fiber orientation bias, the pileated fiber-enriched portions being interconnected with (b) connecting regions of a relatively low local basis weight; applying a vacuum to the creping belt while the wet web is held on the belt in order to expand the wet web and to merge the domed portions and the pileated fiber-enriched portions; and drying the wet web to form the absorbent cellulosic sheet, wherein the papermaking furnish is selected and the steps of belt-creping, applying the vacuum, and drying are controlled such that the sheet has: (a) fiber-enriched hollow domed regions on an upper side of the sheet, the domed regions having a relatively high local basis weight; (b) connecting regions forming a network interconnecting the domed regions, the connecting regions having a relatively low local basis weight; and (c) transition areas with consolidated fibers that transition from the connecting regions to the domed regions. compactively dewatering a papermaking furnish to form a nascent web having an apparently random distribution of papermaking fiber orientation; applying the nascent web to a translating transfer surface that is moving at a transfer surface speed; belt-creping the nascent web from the transfer surface at a consistency of from 30% to 60% characterized by utilizing a generally planar polymeric creping belt provided with perforations through the belt, the creping step occurring under pressure in a belt creping nip defined between the transfer surface and the creping belt, the belt traveling at a belt speed that is slower than the transfer surface speed, wherein the belt geometry, nip parameters, velocity delta, and web consistency are selected such that the web is creped from the transfer surface and redistributed on the creping belt to form a wet web on the belt, the wet web having: (a) fiber-enriched regions of a relatively high local basis weight, the fiber-enriched regions including: (i) hollow domed portions, and (ii) pileated fiber-enriched portions adjacent to the domed portions, each pileated fiber-enriched portion having a cross machine direction fiber orientation bias, the pileated fiber-enriched portions being interconnected with (b) connecting regions of a relatively low local basis weight; (a) fiber-enriched regions of a relatively high local basis weight, the fiber-enriched regions including: (i) hollow domed portions, and (ii) pileated fiber-enriched portions adjacent to the domed portions, each pileated fiber-enriched portion having a cross machine direction fiber orientation bias, the pileated fiber-enriched portions being interconnected with (i) hollow domed portions, and (ii) pileated fiber-enriched portions adjacent to the domed portions, each pileated fiber-enriched portion having a cross machine direction fiber orientation bias, the pileated fiber-enriched portions being interconnected with (b) connecting regions of a relatively low local basis weight; applying a vacuum to the creping belt while the wet web is held on the belt in order to expand the wet web and to merge the domed portions and the pileated fiber-enriched portions; and drying the wet web to form the absorbent cellulosic sheet, wherein the papermaking furnish is selected and the steps of belt-creping, applying the vacuum, and drying are controlled such that the sheet has: (a) fiber-enriched hollow domed regions on an upper side of the sheet, the domed regions having a relatively high local basis weight; (b) connecting regions forming a network interconnecting the domed regions, the connecting regions having a relatively low local basis weight; and (c) transition areas with consolidated fibers that transition from the connecting regions to the domed regions. (a) fiber-enriched hollow domed regions on an upper side of the sheet, the domed regions having a relatively high local basis weight; (b) connecting regions forming a network interconnecting the domed regions, the connecting regions having a relatively low local basis weight; and (c) transition areas with consolidated fibers that transition from the connecting regions to the domed regions.