Plates: Off the Table and On the Wall

Who says plates are just for the table?  They’re actually a wonderfully inexpensive way to add some charm to your blank walls. And, if you’re in the market for plates (whether for the wall or the table), Goodwill is your go-to source.

I recently added some plates to the bare walls in my kitchen.  The doorway was without trim and looked a little bare. Using a mixture of plates I found at Goodwill and a few I already owned, I created a more welcoming entrance into our dining room:

Want to guess how much this entire display cost? Even if I hadn’t used any of my own plates and bought everything at Goodwill, I could’ve created this wall for less than $5!

Unbelievably, you can find a beautiful selection of plates at Goodwill for just $0.49 each.  I decided to go with all white plates for a cleaner, more modern look, but a fun, eclectic mix of patterns can be a great look, too:

It’s Good to Be Home via Flickr

And, they’re not just for kitchens and dining rooms. Plates are a great solution for filling large walls above a sofa or even a bed.

Country Living

The Nesting Place

Other tips for creating a plate grouping of your own:

• Use wire plate hangers (they usually come in two sizes for small and large plates and are available at most stores in the hardware section).
• For maximum visual impact, hang the plates closer together.

• Personalize a plate or two in your grouping by adding decals with your initial or house number. (Etsy.com is a great source for these.)

The Lettered Cottage

• Make it more interesting by mixing dinner plates, saucers and even big platters together.

CasaSugar

• There’s no right or wrong arrangement. The great thing about using plates is that you can use them in any formation to fit any wall space. Experiment and have fun creating your own masterpiece!

-Emily A. Clark

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Stop by our Contributors page for more about Emily, or or read her other posts here.