How To Create A Plate Wall

I love using plates when decorating and one of the prettiest ways is to create a plate wall. Making a gallery of plates used to be a trial and not that easy, especially if you like symmetry and straight lines. But things have changed since plate walls came back into vogue and now it’s easier than ever. The only danger is plate wall overkill! Below are my three easy steps to creating the perfect plate wall every time.

Why A Plate Wall?

Let’s face it. Most lovers of vintage decor love old china. There’s a danger of having too many stacks of plates in your home that never get used. Plates that sit around and create clutter.

A plate wall is a bold feature that utilises your love of plates and showcases the prettiest or most fragile ones that you might not want to use. Hanging these plates means you get to love on them every time you walk past.

Another good reason to have a plate wall is cost. Unique art for your home can be costly. A collection of garage sale finds or hand me downs can be curated into a plate wall at a fraction of the cost.

A plate wall allows you to show off your individual style in a different way. Types and styles of plates and wall creations are so varied, the possibility of your collection looking like one in your friend’s home is almost impossible. (Unless you totally copied your friend, of course). In the past, plate walls were mostly symmetrical grids or rows but shout alleluia to the person who decided random plate placement was a thing. It makes the creation of a plate wall so much easier. Not to mention, a random plate wall looks stylish and can be added to as you collect more. No more unsymmetrical gaps in your display.

How To Fix the Plates to the Wall

The options for fixing your plates to the wall are many. Back in the old days, we used to use wire plate hangers. I still have a few of these ridiculous things in the drawer but I doubt I would use them except for a heavy plate. If you want to use these they can be purchased from Bunnings (if you live in Australia). Wire plate hangers come in different sizes but I always found they never fitted small plates and they made the plate stick out from the wall.

My two preferred options these days are a paper clip glued and taped onto the back of the plate or Command Strips. I buy mine when I’m at the super market and they work extremely well for light plates. I’ve never had a failure yet.

Three Steps to Create A Plate Wall

Step 1

To create your plate wall, gather the plates you want to hang and arrange them on the table or floor. Move them around until you get a layout you are happy with. A good option is to take photos of each layout. After you’ve exhausted your ideas look back on your photos to see which one you like the best. Quite often looking at the photos will trigger other ways to arrange your plates. It will also confirm which arrangement looks best for your wall.

Step 1A

Optional to this step is to create paper templates for each plate. You can do this by tracing around each plate and cutting the shape out. Try out your templates on the wall before you hang. If you’re using plate hangers and nailing holes into the wall this is probably a good idea. I skip this step however, as I don’t nail into the wall. Plus, I’m a lazy decorator. I just like it to be done and I trust my eye.

Step 2

Now start with your centre plate, or the one that will be closest to the centre. Turn it over and place a Command Strip on each side of the back of the plate. If the plate has a rim, it’s a good idea to place the strip on the rim. I’ve found that with most plates the strips are deeper in depth than the rim when stuck together so an option is to stick the strip close to the rim. Be sure to use bigger strips for the bigger plates. The strips can also be cut in half for smaller lighter plates.

Step 3

Stick the hook part of the second strip that will affix to the wall onto hooks of the first strip. (Not onto the wall. Bad idea!) Peel off the sticky backing and press the plate firmly into position. Hold it for a second or too. Repeat this step for each plate, working your way from the centre out. Once your plate wall is complete, stand back and give yourself a pat on the back for being so creative!

Have you tried to create a plate wall? Why not join the Facebook Group and share your ideas? We’d love to have you.

If you’d like more ideas on types of plate walls you can create, check out this post from Pretty Designs