Isn’t this pic just yummy??
This pic from Southern Living (June 09) makes me want to go out and immediately start a collection of THIS color plate and recreate this! I love this pic. It’s funny how colors just go around and around in a circle and come back into vogue again, since this color was very hot in the 1950’s and now has made a resurgence once again. I used seafoam green back in the 80’s, but this is way better. And I love the subtle differences in color with each of these. I just might have to look for some this color. Anyway, I digress. Today, we’re talking about how to hang plates.
I forget that some of you don’t know anything about hanging plates and how to do it, since I’ve been asked a lot about hanging plates. I take it for granted, since I’ve been doing it in my house for a long time. So, this is Hanging Plates: 101, for those who are new to decorating and don’t know all the tricks.
My dining room wall with all my collected and thrifted creamware. I have always used those wire plate hangers that you can get at any of the craft/hobby stores like Hobby Lobby or Michaels. And they work beautifully and are almost invisible.
You can buy several sizes, to accommodate a regular dinner plate up to platter size, so be sure and get the right size so it will stretch, but not be too tight on there. The nicer ones have plastic things on the ends that wrap around the plate to keep from scratching. You just bend out one of those little V’s on one side and hang it from a long enough nail. Easy! Doesn’t take much of a nail to hang these plates, since they are not too heavy.
And this is what it looks like from the front side.
I have a few really small pieces that the stretchy plate hanger don’t work so well on, so….
I tried out these little discs (from Hobby Lobby) on this one and even had to cut part of it off to keep it from showing. You wet the back and it has glue that holds it in place. Let it dry well and hang it from the ring on a little nail. This one really is invisible.
I’ve even been known to spray paint the tips to blend them in better, as with this black tole tray.
And that’s how to hang plates, in case you didn’t know these tips! Plates have always been in my arsenal of decorating goodies and I enjoy hanging them everywhere, even in my guest bathrooms.
Code for new Technorati: bi5zk42t7v
Rohda, Those seafoam green plates are terrific. I love your plate vignette! Great tutorial. I didn’t know about the disc hangers. I’m going to have to see if I can find some here, maybe Michael’s or Beverly. We don’t have Hobby Lobby in Ca. *sniffle*
Love your new addy! Smooth move! 😉
Tina
Yours could be in a magazine photo too, so pretty!
Rhonda, do you have any suggestions on how to really anchor a plate (or 5) firmly to the wall? I have a set of provencal style plates I would love to put on my wall, but it is next to the door to the garage and when the door is slammed – frequently (small children and teen) I am afraid they would come crashing down. This happened to plates on the other wall of my kitchen near my stackable washer dryer. Ideas?
Rhoda: Great post! I love hanging plates too, but I have never seen the adhesive hangers. I am going to look for some in my Hobby Lobby!
Have a great day…
Lou Cinda
really beautiful. i love your creamware collection, it looks so chic arranged and on the beautiful white shelves and hanging.
I love both of the plate displays. That green is so unusual and eye catching.
I like those rings, and will look for those. I always envision the springs attacking me, so I make my husband stretch them across the plates. He also has to open Pop ‘n Fresh dough, or I freak when the can explodes.
We need houses with hundreds of rooms, then we could create every look that we love. Okay, back to reality. I will settle for our small home being done…still climbing the walls while we wait. Looking at your beautiful ideas does help. Thank you, Rhoda for fueling my dreams.
Hi Rhonda, Those turquoise plates are gorgeous and so are your white ones. Thank you for the plate hanging tips. Thanks also for fixing my link. It appears that I don’t know the proper way of adding my link and I just can’t figure it out. Could you please tell me how you fixed it, so I can do it correctly in the future? Thank you, Mary @Boogieboard Cottage :O)
Rhoda, I did a post on hanging plates, too, as it was my first time to do it and I hoped others could find my “learning curve” useful! You can read it at http://katandgray.blogspot.com/2009/02/sunday-afternoon-project.html . I love those fabric plate hangers that glue to the back of the plates, too! I never knew about them until I started this project.
Thank you for the info, I love showing off dishware!
Love plates on the wall and have at least one in almost every room… I blogged about those adhesive hangers too, aren’t they great!
TO MARJORIE: I had the same problem with my two very favorite plates hanging on the common wall with my daughter’s bedroom closet doors (not to mention the threat of earthquakes!) so I used conventional stretchy plate hangers, hung them on picture hooks (not just a nail), and then tightly wired the plate hanger to the loop in the top of the hook. Tricky to do that in such a tight litle space (stand up on a chair so you look down at the back of the plate to do the wiring) but I didn’t worry about them anymore!
Your new “home” is nice. You settled in well. Love the plates!
Hi Rhoda….
Well, wasn’t that just a “slap myself in the head” moment….you know, where you ask yourself “why didn’t I think of that”???? I have hung plates for years and years and have about 25 tole trays all hung with plate hangers, but have NEVER thought about painting the tips. Dang, that’s a great idea. I love your creamware collection too. Years ago a I saw a picture of ironstone platters hung backwards…just toooooo darn cute and clever.
Blessings,
Spencer
oh gosh! i love that first photo…the color of those plates are to die for!
great idea on the adhesvie hangers!
Hi Rhoda,
I have limited my love of plates to the dining room where I only have 6 plates on display. I really like your creamware collection so I’m thinking I may need to start a similar one for my kitchen area. TFS! Sheila
I love that picture! Your plate display is so pretty too! I don’t have any plates hanging, but I’d love to find some to hang!
Ahhhh I love the green plates. SO pretty!!!! I just saved that image in my idea file. Thanks. I actually bought some of these stretchy plate hangers at a yard sale a couple months ago but haven’t used them yet.
P.S. I am really loving your new comment form. 🙂
I love to use the adhesive discs. They have worked wonderfully with all my plates that I have hung!
I also love plate hangers! Love the seafoam blue plates.
Hi Rhoda,
I live in the Bham area too (Hoover) and have been reading your blog for a couple of weeks. I love seeing all the treasures you’ve found and how you have transformed them. When I go to yard sales or to GW, I think “Now, what would Rhoda do with this?” Yesterday, I found a cheese plate w/ glass dome at GW (for only 99 cents) and immediately thought of you. I haven’t been brave enough to hang anything on my walls, but I am itching to buy some Heirloom White and black paints and start transforming some things I have around the house. Maybe I’ll run into you at a yard sale one of these days! 🙂