How to create a Plate Wall hanging for less than $30

I recently styled some photos for a photo shoot for a furniture company. I love these projects because I have no client and I get to be as creative as possible! We take pictures in a photo studio usually which means blank walls. I like to add inexpensive art to make it feel more like a home and help the furniture shine.

This time, I knew we’d have a gorgeous navy wall and all I could think was how cute white plates could look on the wall. So I gathered some inspiration photos:

inspiration

Source. Kelly Wearstler’s plate wall at the Viceroy hotel in Santa Monica

Source

But then came the question- how will I hang these? I have used the standard plate hangers in the past, but they are around $5 each and I wanted to hang 15 plates- too expensive! Plus, I don’t like the hardware that shows.

Another option are these adhesive plate hangers. They are 4 for $10- getting better, but still a bit pricey. I do love that they are just a big sticker which makes them super easy to use.

supplies I used

I was shopping at the hardware store and found some d-rings and figured I could glue them to the back of the plates. They were $7.50 for 14. I grabbed some Gorilla Glue for $4 for adhering them on.

I also used some command hooks since I needed the display to be temporary. Small nails will work if you are hanging at home and will cost you less than $1 for a box. The Command hooks are nice though because if you mess up on the placement, they are super easy to change without any damage to your walls. (I used the metal hooks)

I went to my local thrift store and bought 14 white plates and platters. My goal was to find white plates with interesting shapes, sizes, and textures. They ranged in price from $0.50 to $2.00 each. I spent $15 on plates for this project.

gluing time!

I took them home and glued the d-rings to the back of the plates and let they dry. I glued them 24 hours before I planned on hanging them to the wall.

I’ll be honest, when it came time to install this scene, I was nervous. Would the command hooks hold up the plates? Was the glue strong enough that I used (click next to see the after photos!)