How to Make Plate Hangers (Cheap But Good)

Use these instructions to make inexpensive DIY plate hangers for displaying decorative plates on a wall. Made from simple supplies, they are strong and long-lasting.

If you don’t want them on the wall, you can also use old plates to create garden art flowers.

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Make Plate Hangers For Wall

I have this small collection of blue and white plates that I wanted to display in our freshly-painted dining room. I had not purchased plate holders in many years and was a little distressed to see how ridiculously priced they can be.

At our local shops, metal plate hangers are $4.99 each. That would be $70 plus tax just to hang some plates!

I scoured online shops and the best I could find was 10 for $14 at Amazon. But that would be for one size only and my plates are a range of sizes.

Next, I searched for ways to make my own. There are quite a few ideas out there, but I eventually went back to a reliable solution I use for hanging garden art outdoors on the fence.

This does involve applying adhesive to the back of the plates to secure wire in place, so some may not like this idea. I have no problem with it because it’s super cheap, strong, and lasts forever.

Materials

• GE II silicone sealant (works like adhesive)
  If you have not used this product, you can read more about it here.
• 16-gauge wire
• Command hooks (removable) – be sure to get ones that can hold the weight of your plates
  They come in sizes ranging from .5lb (half pound carry weight) and up.
  I like to wait until stuff like this goes on sale because the regular price seems a bit absurd to frugal me. 
• Wire cutters and needle-nose pliers to bend the wire.

The Plan

• We are going to attach U-shaped pieces of wire to the backs of the plates using GE II Silicone sealant.
• These U- shaped hooks will attach to command hooks on the wall.

Assembly

• Plan your plate arrangement on floor or large table first and photograph it.
• If your plates have a top/bottom in the design, beware of this when attaching the wires so they are positioned how you want them.
• Cut wire long enough to create a U shape that fits around the command hook with enough extra to secure in a dab of silicone sealant.
  Place the silicone sealant/wire ends down toward the middle of the plate, so the wire and hook won’t show on the wall.
• Read the silicone sealant label for drying time. I allow a few hours.
• Follow instructions on command hook package for attaching hooks to wall.
  Refer to photo you took of arrangement if you lose track of what should go where.

Tips

• If possible, weigh your plates so you know which hooks to use. Some of my larger plates weigh nearly 2 lbs each—more than the smaller hooks can manage.
• For a heavier plate, you can use a stronger hook or combine two or three together and use an extra loop of wire to fit over them.
• To get the design just right on the wall, some people trace each plate on paper, cut them out, and arrange them on the wall. I didn’t want to go to that trouble, so I just started with the middle plate and worked my way from there, adding the top one next, then bottom, then sides, and so on.

While I wish command hooks were less expensive, it’s still a lot more affordable to use DIY hangers and hooks, rather than pay for a whole bunch of metal plate hangers.

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛