Hand-Painted Blue & White Plates + HouseBeautiful.com Feature!

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the email from HouseBeautiful.com come through asking if I was interested in participating in their new series, The Inspiration Files, highlighting some of their favorite DIY bloggers. I mean, what an opportunity! After doing a spirited (Carlton-style) happy dance, I got to work on a DIY plate wall project that I’ve had dancing around in my head for awhile involving thrift shop plates and blue paint. Inspired by Japanese ceramics, I used a combination of 3 “painting” techniques (detailed below) to create a cohesive plate grouping that conjures the look of a curated vintage plate collection.

Check out the project’s sneak peak and a little Q & A over on HouseBeautiful.com (!!!), as well as the full tutorial below. Thank you to HouseBeautiful.com for such an amazing opportunity!

Materials:

• 10-12 white, round mix-and-match plates in various sizes. I picked up mine up at a local thrift store for a total of $7!
• Adhesive stencils + fine tip oil-based paint pen in blue
• Cardstock roughly 3″ x 10″ in size
• Adhesive silk screens + high gloss acrylic paint in indigo + foam block or pouncer
• 10-12 gold plate hangers + nails for hanging

Adorn the Plates. Decorate the plates in a variety of geometric, linear, and organic designs.

Geometric Patterns. Use adhesive stencils and ceramic paint pens to create geometric designs on the plates. Simply apply the stencil to the desired location on the plate and press down firmly to adhere. Use the paint pen to fill in the stencil’s design. Allow paint to set a few minutes before removing the stencil to avoid smudging.

Linear Designs. Linear patterns can be achieved with a strip of cardstock and a ceramic paint pen. Use the cardstock as a guide to create clean, straight lines radiating out from the center.

Organic Patterns. Use adhesive silk screens and acrylic paint to create highly detailed lace and botanical designs. Position the silk screen on the plate and press down firmly to adhere. Apply paint over top of the screen using a foam block or pouncer. Remove screen before paint dries. Flat plates (without pronounced ridges) work best because of the intricacy of the silk screens.

Install on the Wall. After adorning the plates to your heart’s desire, allow them to dry completely, and hang on the wall. Clip a plate hanger to each, and arrange them on the floor first to sort out the arrangement before transferring onto the wall. Space the plates roughly 2-3″ apart in an asymmetric cluster. The paint will air cure over 21 days becoming semi-permanent and wipeable. Plates are for decorative purposes only.