I am a plate lover! They’re so fun to collect from thrift stores. They look adorable hanging on the wall. Even hanging outside on an exterior wall! So I figured, why not use them for a wreath?! But after doing research, I saw that lots of people use glue that damages the plates when doing this project. So here’s how to make a DIY plate wreath with no damage!

how to make a diy plate wreath

If you want to make a plate wreath too, start looking for random mismatched plates that are small- dessert size, butter pats, doll plates, and teacup saucers all work great. Look around your house, go thrifting, or stop by the antique store to see what you can find. All of my plates ended up being 5″ or smaller in diameter.

While looking, I suggest that you stick to a color palette. I went with pinks and golds for mine. I also found a few small ceramic objects to add.

Where to put the DIY plate wreath? It will work best for a door, cabinet, bookcase or on top of art or a mirror where it won’t be moved a lot. So a high traffic front door that gets a lot of use won’t be the best fit since the plates will be moved a lot. Which isn’t great for a fragile, potentially breakable object. Mine is going on a door we rarely open, so that’s perfect!

One of the fun parts about this wreath is that because the plates are attached with a plate hanger, the plates can easily be switched out for other seasons or color schemes. Or you could even try a different vibe- blue and white plates could be fun!

SUPPLIES

12-14″ Wreath (I’m using an old 12″ wreath I had on hand)
Small Wire Plate Hangers
Floral Wire and Wire Cutters
Double Sided Mounting Tape– Heavy Duty
Wired Ribbon or a Bow
Faux flowers

step 1- Attach the plates to the wreath

Start by figuring out the layout. Place the plates on the wreath to see how you want them situated. Move them around until you like the placement. I ended up liking the plates layered with smaller plates or porcelain objects.

Attach a wire plate hanger to each plate that will be touching the wreath. For my 12″ wreath, that’s 5 plates.

Then flip the plate over and attach a piece of wire to the middle of the plate hanger. Use floral wire cut to 24″ long. Place it on either side of the tension springs on the plate hanger in the center. Make sure there’s equal amounts of wire on each side. Cross the floral wire over itself in an x. Cinch it until the springs touch.

Place the plate where you want it on the wreath. Then flip the wreath over and wire the plate in place from the back. Cross the wire over itself and keep rotating the wire until it’s nice and tight on the wreath. Usually 3 rotations. To make it extra firm, you can wire the top and bottom of the plate hanger to the wreath as well. I did this and it feels very secure.

Repeat the wiring process for each plate.

step 2- Layer Objects on the wreath

Next, we’re going to take our other porcelain objects, like smaller plates, a teapot, and a cup and attach them to the wreath. To do that, use some double sided mounting tape. Cut it to size and apply it to the back of the object.

Then remove the backing on the mounting tape and place it on top of the desired plate.

Tip: Before using mounting tape on a vintage or valuable piece, test it somewhere inconspicuous first. Some finishes may be more delicate than others.

If the porcelain item you’re using has a handle like a teapot or teacup, you can also use wire that’s twisted onto the handle and wire the item to the wreath. Or you can use the mounting tape- whichever you prefer. I used mounting tape because that seemed simplest to me. Though wire is probably a bit more secure.

step 3- top it off

And now, to finish off the wreath, top it off with a bow! I made this bow from a thrifted pillowcase. I think it’s super cute and so I’m wiring it to the top of the wreath. If you’d like to make a bow like this too, I have a tutorial on this blog post.

If needed, add faux florals to the wreath. My wreath is an old one I’ve been using for years so it’s a little bare. When I was thrifting I bought some florals for $1. They work nicely to add more volume to the wreath. I just tucked them into the base of the wreath where needed. You can also use hot glue to attach the florals.

step 4

Finally, now that the wreath is complete, take it to where you want to display it and hang it up. For me, it’s my front door that’s rarely used because it heads into a bedroom. Make sure all the items are secured properly. Also verify that you have a heavy duty screw or thick nail for hanging the wreath because it’s heavy!

after

I’m VERY pleased with how the wreath turned out!

I hung it up and thought- is this the cutest thing I’ve ever made?!

It’s a very fun project because you can use thrifted items and give them a new life!

price breakdown

For this project I spent $10 on florals and plates. The plate hangers were purchased for $10. I had the wreath on hand already. So I spent a total of $20 on this wreath. I think it’s adorable and looks much more expensive than $20!

time spent

It took me about an hour to put the wreath together. Once I had all my supplies, this was a very “instant gratification” project, which makes it fun!

I love how this little DIY plate wreath turned out, and I think it would be such a fun way to use pretty thrifted dishes you find! The best part is that you can easily switch out the plates whenever you want a new look or color scheme. So next time you spot a cute little plate at the thrift store, grab it- you might just have the start of your own wreath!

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