How to Make Plate Displays
Whether you collect souvenirs on your travels or have inherited antique china, your kitchen, dining-room and other decor can be enhanced by plate displays. Let the artistry inherent in china and stoneware plates add to walls and shelves, not just on the dinner table or inside the china cabinet. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Plates
- Small wooden easels
- Stain or paint, if needed
- Hanging plate frames
- Felt squares or floral clay
Instructions
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Group plates by color, pattern, shape or decorative theme. Several sizes of plates in the same shade of celadon can add an Asian touch to a plant-filled sunroom. White plates with fluted or scalloped edges can add a classic or country aspect to an unadorned buffet. A variety of square and rectangular plates modernize a wall. Your fondness for birds can turn a simple shelf into a small art gallery.
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Use small wooden easels to show off plates on a shelf or other flat surface. Available in craft or art supply stores, plate easels can easily be painted or stained to highlight a color in the plates themselves or coordinate with other decorative elements. Gild them to highlight heavy gold rims; stain them to coordinate with dining room furniture.
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Use metal plate hangers to display plates on a wall. These are often made with springy wire to accommodate plates of different sizes. Small flanges hold plates securely, and hanger loops can be secured to the wall with picture hooks.
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Provide support for plates displayed on open or glass-enclosed shelves. Line shelves with felt squares or make small anchors with floral clay, to prevent chipping when plates are displayed sitting on edge. Even the vibrations of frequent foot traffic can cause tiny chips with time.
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Tips & Warnings
Check flea markets, yard sales and antique stores to augment a budding display. Single plates or the few remaining dinner, salad or dessert plates from a once-grand table set are frequently low priced; you may also find plates that celebrate the centennial of a local church or landmark
Plates break. Seek professional decorating advice if you plan to hang an irreplaceable treasure. This may help preserve your heirloom platter for future generations. In addition to access to secure display equipment, advice can also help you choose a safe location you may not have considered.
