A method of making a belt-creped absorbent cellulosic sheet that has an upper surface and a lower surface. A papermaking furnish is compactively dewatered to form a dewatered web having an apparently random distribution of papermaking fiber orientation. The dewatered web is applied to a translating transfer surface. The web is belt creped from the transfer surface at a consistency of from about 30% to about 60% utilizing a generally planar polymeric creping belt having a plurality of perforations. The belt-creping step occurs under pressure in a belt creping nip defined between the transfer surface and the creping belt. The belt is traveling at a belt speed that is slower than the speed of the transfer surface, and the web is creped from the transfer surface and redistributed on the creping belt to form a web.