Wall art is one thing that’s easy for anyone to DIY. It can be as simple as framing something you printed off the internet or hanging an unexpected item on the wall. Pretty, simple, unique, and best of all, cheap.
This is one of the shelves in our favorite thrift store that’s always full of random plates and platters. Do you spy the inspiration?
I picked up several platters, plates and bowls. Some were old silver plate, some were plastic, and all of them were under $2 each.
I decided to group them together to hang on my living room wall, but first I wanted to give them a new finish that would work better with my decor and make them cohesive. Here’s a before pic of one of the platters.
And here’s what it looked like after a couple coats of Annie Sloan chalk paint “Old White”.
Next I went over it with dark wax. It ended up a little darker than I wanted though, so I added more “Old White” chalk paint over top to tone down the dark wax. I just dry brushed a little on then used a rag to move the paint around and remove the excess.
Here it is with dark wax:
And after a little more paint to tone it down.
Isn’t it pretty? Here’s a few more finished pieces.
I used E6000 to glue sawtooth picture hangers on the back of the plates.
This isn’t the best picture, but I thought you might like to see how they look hanging in my living room.
Have you DIY’ed any of your own wall art? If so I’d love to hear about it. I still have several empty walls in my house and I’m always looking for inspiration. Be sure to stop back on Thursday when we’ll be sharing a new furniture makeover.
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Such a creative idea and fantastic makeover! Don’t you just love the power of paint? These look great hanging on the wall – love it!
Thank you! And yes, paint makes everything better :).
Love how they look! I need to try this at home! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you, Lucy!
So cute, I see trays like that all the time in thrift stores but I never thought about painting silver! I will definitely have to try that!
Oh my goodness, ladies, these turned out great! I would love to feature them on RoadKill Rescue, if you’d like to submit? 🙂 Have a great day!
Such a great idea and very cute! I would love to do this:)
Thank you, Beth!
Get out of town! I had no idea you could make those thrift store trays looks so awesome. Fantastic job! Thanks so much for sharing your creativity at the The DIY Collective this week! Please come back next week to show off your latest project!
Brilliant idea! There’s going to be run on all the old plates and platters at all the Goodwill stores throughout the country! ? Really love the way they turned out.
I love these Amy! These are so pretty…such a great simple project that turned into a great gallery wall!
I love this idea! It’s totally fabulous. I have a trip to my favourite thrift store planned this afternoon and I might just make this my new weekend project in my kitchen!
XOXO
Did you know that you can “erase” the dark wax by using the clear wax? I use plain old Johnson’s Paste wax for a clear finish and keep it nearby when using Annie’s dark wax. If it goes on a bit too dark, I just wipe it off with another cloth using the Johnson’s. It has saved many repeat painting!
I’m a new subscriber and look forward to many of your creations!!
Fabulous idea and very clear tutorial. You are resourceful and clever, as well as artistic. Thank you for your post.
Thanks so much, Melissa!! xo