Vintage plates are topping the chart on the most in-demand, stylish, heritage-oriented, and aesthetic wares in the market. With their timeless charm and nostalgic appeal, vintage plates offer immense decorative potential beyond just dining ware.
These plates can be used in a lot of creative ways to add personality to any area, from beautiful wall art to chic garden decor. Want to learn more about the different things you can do with old plates? This piece talks about why vintage plates are appealing and how to use them in new ways. Let’s get started!
The Timeless Allure of Vintage Plates
Vintage wares are not just dishwares. They go even as far as adding style and beauty to wherever they’re placed. The patterns of their design oozes charm and elegance, which are eminent in majolica oyster plates.
Many people who like to decorate their homes have a soft spot in their hearts for old plates. Their patterns, colors, and designs have a vintage look that gives modern rooms instant warmth and character.
A study by HomeGoods found that 65% of homeowners think that adding vintage items, like plates, is the best way to make a house feel like a home.
Vintage plates bring back good memories and add visual interest that shows how the owner likes things to look. Many people like to show off these plates because it’s a way to honor family heirlooms and keep traditions alive. With their charm and draw that can’t be denied, it’s no wonder that vintage plates are still popular in home decor.
6 Innovative Ideas to Display Their Beauty
1. Wall Art Masterpieces
Look at your walls. Almost all of them have wallpaper or art on them to make them look nice. But have you ever tried to hang old plates on your walls or thought about doing so? Vintage plates look great on display, but one of the most popular ways to show off their beauty is to hang them on the wall.
The fact that the number of “vintage plate wall decor” pins on Pinterest has gone up by 50% in the past year shows that these plates are becoming more popular as wall art.
When hung creatively, old plates can turn a plain wall into a striking focal point. When you mix plates of different sizes and patterns, you get wall art that is both bold and well-balanced. Group plates by color or make geometric designs for the best visual effect. Make sure to use picture hooks that are made for plates to hang your old wall art safely and without damage. This work of art is sure to turn heads and leave people in awe.
2. Functional Yet Stylish Serving Trays
Vintage plates aren’t just on walls anymore. They’re also on eating tables, not just as dinnerware but also as serving trays that look good and work well.
In the past two years, searches on Etsy for “vintage plate serving trays” have gone up by 30%, which is in line with this trend. Vintage plate serving trays add a touch of art to parties, whether they are used to serve meat, baked goods, or coffee. An interesting base for food displays is a mix of plates with different floral designs or themes on them.
Attach felt pads to the bottom of the plates before putting food on them to make them stable. Using vintage plates as serving trays makes it easy for hosts to mix old and new when setting up modern, welcoming tables.
3. Unique Garden Décor
The appeal of vintage plates goes beyond the home and into places like the yard where people like to spend time.
The National Gardening Association says that 40% of gardeners have used non-traditional items like old plates in their gardens. This shows how popular these items are as outdoor decor. Plates hung on shepherd hooks, or posts add a nice touch to a yard.
With their bright colors and plant names carved into them, they can also be used as seed marks. Put plates of different sizes on an outdoor wall to make an interesting mosaic. Make bird feeders or bird baths out of big plates for a useful touch. Plates with edges that are sunk into the ground make flower beds clear. Vintage plates add charm and personality to fields.
4. Crafty Home Décor Projects
With a little imagination and do-it-yourself energy, old plates can be turned into a variety of home decorations. For example, if you like to decorate your room or home on your own and you want to add a unique touch to your style this time, vintage plates can help you do that!
You can utilize techniques like:
- Decoupage, painting, and stenciling allow crafters to customize and upcycle old plates.
- Attaching a plate to a candlestick to make a quick yet stylish candle holder.
- You can even glue plates to wooden shapes to form decorative wall hangings.
- There’s no harm in arranging fragments of plates on picture frames for an artsy mosaic effect. The flat surfaces also work beautifully as jewelry dishes or trinket trays when adorned with decorative accents.
Overall, the simplest of DIY projects, like tying ribbons around plates to hang as ornaments, adds vintage personality, gives you that unique touch, and radiates it’s charm into your home
5. Vintage Plate Clocks
You might not know this, but there are things called “Vintage plate clocks” that you can buy. Vintage plates can even be used as clock faces, which is the most useful thing you can do with them. How? To do this, the middle of a plate needs to be carefully cut out so that the clock hands and mechanism can be connected to the back.
You can find full instructions for putting together plate clocks on the internet. Small decorative plates that have been turned into clocks look great on mantels or tables.
Also, big dinner plates that have been turned into clocks are a great way to make a room stand out and start a talk. The plate’s original form is interesting to look at, and its new use as a clock makes it a stylish piece of home decor.
6. Statement Jewelry Pieces
Vintage plates are even more trendy now that they can be turned into jewelry in creative ways. Isn’t that cool? Instead of throwing away broken old plates, you can collect the pieces and turn them into trinkets. This gives the pieces of old plates a second chance at life.
Pieces of colorful plates made into necklaces and pendants give a quick vintage look. In the same way, plate bits covered in resin can be used to make unique earrings.
Before putting clear resin on plate parts, glue on decorative pictures, buttons, or beads to make brooches and other accessories. By sanding the sides, any rough spots are smoothed out. You can wear vintage plate jewelry with both relaxed and dressy clothes. DIY jewelry made from plates makes great gifts, especially if you use plates that have special meaning to you.
This means that old plates, whether they are whole or broken into pieces of different sizes, have something special to offer.
Get Crafty with Vintage Plates
Vintage plates are a great source of ideas because they have a romantic feel and come in many different styles.
Whether you hang them on the wall or use them in a DIY project, you can show off their past while giving them a new purpose. With a little imagination, you can use old plates to make your home or yard look better.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I ensure the vintage plates I use for crafts aren’t valuable antiques?
Before reusing old plates that might be valuable, find out what they are marked with, who made them, how old they are, and what designs they have. Experts in antiques can tell you how much a plate is worth. For simple crafts, choose cheap plates with few or no flaws.
What’s the best way to securely hang plates on walls?
Use plate-specific heavy-duty picture hooks and screw them into wall posts for the best support. Plates can feel heavy in the front, so hooks that go deep into studs keep them from sliding and slipping.
Can vintage plates be safely used for serving food?
If the old plates don’t have any chips, cracks, or worn-out paint, they can be used to serve food and look nice. To avoid the chance of lead or other impurities, however, you should only use new dinnerware for everyday use.