How to Hang a Plate

Co-authored by Jason Phillip and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: August 17, 2020 References

Plates can be a beautiful wall accent in any room, but you may be worried about your favorite flatware shifting and breaking in the process. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to decorate with plates while keeping security in mind! Take a few minutes to figure out a design plan for your wall so you can hang and display your plates with the hook or adhesive of your choice.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Positioning the Plates

1
Find some open wall space where you can fit a few plates. Look through your dining room, bedroom, or other living space where you can fit some plates on the wall. You can use any kind of open wall space for this, whether it’s above a door directly above a sofa. Use whatever decisions you have on hand—you can make a simple, minimalist statement with just 1 hanging plate, or you can hang up a collection of decorative plates to create a fun design scheme.^{[1]
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- For instance, you can display some fancy china on 1 wall in your dining room, or you can create a fun decorative accent over your bed.
- You can alternate different plate patterns on the wall, like a large plate with a fun rim and a small plate with an intense pattern.
- Plate shape is also important to consider when you’re displaying flatware! You can make a serving plate the centerpiece of your design with several smaller plates placed around it.
2
Trace the plate on a sheet of craft paper. Flip your plate upside down so the curved portion is touching the craft paper. Lightly sketch around the edge of the plate with a pencil so you can get an idea of how much space it’ll take up on the wall.^{[2]
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- Any kind of scrap paper can work for this, like printer or paper or newspaper.
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3
Cut out templates for all the plates you plan on hanging. Set the cut-out circle or oval aside, then trace and cut out a template for your other plates as well. Repeat this process for all the flatware that you’d like to hang up in your living space.^{[3]
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4
Tape the template on your wall. Find a spot on your wall where you’d like your plate to go, then secure it in place with painter’s tape. Arrange the other plate templates along your wall, using painter’s tape to hold these in place as well.^{[4]
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- Templates help you figure out where your plates will go before you actually hang them up.
5
Rearrange your taped templates until you’ve decided on a place to put them. Take a few steps back and examine your handiwork. Check if the plate templates seem centered, or if they need to be moved around a bit. Space your plates 2 to 3 in (5.1 to 7.6 cm) apart so your design looks really cohesive and uniform.^{[5]
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- For instance, you can position your plates in a diamond shape if you have a lot of space.
- Alternate different plate shapes and sizes to give your display a more unique look. For instance, you can use an oval-shaped serving plate as your centerpiece, then arrange small circular plates around it.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Securing the Plates to the Wall

1
Attach a nail or hook to your wall that lines up with the center of the plate.^{[6]
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Jason Phillip
Handyman
Expert Interview. 2 July 2020.} Examine the paper plate template on your wall to get an idea of where the nail or hook should go. Remove the template and place your hook or nail where the upper middle section of the plate would be.^{[7]
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- You don’t want the hook or nail to be visible behind the plate after you hang it up.
2
Use an adhesive plate hanger to make your plate look like it’s floating. Create a seamless design with an adhesive plate hanger, which looks like a circular piece of yellow paper. Dip your fingers into some lukewarm water and rub the back of the hanger to get it sticky, then center the adhesive hanger on your plate with the metal loop straight up. Rub your fingers along the back of the adhesive for several seconds so it stays on the plate. Once the adhesive is in place, dangle the metal loop over a nail or adhesive hook. ^{[8]
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- Adhesive plate hangers look like a large circle attached to a metal loop. You can find them online.
3
Invest in spring-style hangers as a sleek way to display your plates. Go for an elegant display with a spring-style hanger, which holds your plate in place with springs and hooks. Place the spring hanger on the table with the hooks facing up. Hold the plate face-up and slide it beneath the top 2 hooks. Secure the bottom of the plate along the bottom 2 hooks. At this point, place the hanger on a hook so your plate can be on full display.^{[9]
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- You can find spring-style hangers online. The hooks are easy to adjust after you’ve secured them around the top and bottom edge of your plate.
4
Hang your plates with hot glue and safety pins as a budget option. Grab a closed safety pin and arrange it along the back, bottom portion of your plate. Hot glue the thicker end of the safety pin to the top of your plate, then place the circular part of the pin over a hook or nail on the wall. Double-check that the glue is completely dry and that the safety pin is sturdy, or else your plate may shift and fall.^{[10]
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- This is a good solution if you don’t have any other plate hanger on hand, but you may not want to use it with your finest china and flatware.
Warning: Tap on the safety pin to make sure that it’s sturdy. If the pin fidgets at all, peel away the pin and dried glue and try glueing the pin in place again.