Plate flowers

 

Many years ago my sister Lynn, not her first name, bought a few plate flowers at a craft bazaar. She has them by her back patio at her home in Ohio. I have always been crazy about them, and have never seen them in Texas to purchase. So, I decided to make my own. The flower above was made using some of my most expensive dishes. A large ceramic dinner plate, an ivy covered salad plate, a cabbage bowl and a flower topped ceramic salt shaker. I have this flower in a potted plant in my craft room currently.

Picture disclaimer: I have to apologize on the quality of my pictures, especially placement and background. These pictures were originally taken to send to my sisters and I had not planned on posting them. Then years and months later when I decided to blog about them, I had given the flowers away and these were the only pictures I had of them. Lesson learned: Always take a picture like you are going to publish it.

Lynn's plate flowers

Lynn sent me some pictures of the plate flowers in her yard, and pictures of the plate flower's front and back sides. I looked them over and made a list of the supplies I would need to make my own flowers.

The fronts of Lynn's flowers. 

The back of Lynn's Flowers.

 First I needed to do some antique shopping for tableware and other glass items. I put price limits on my purchases, based on the size of the item. It takes a good eye and a lot of shopping to find the items that will work well and not cost a lot of money. Items I looked for were dinner plates, salad plates, small bowls, cups and saucers, punch cups, glass coasters, candy dishes, candle holders and salt & pepper shakers, to name a few😉. 

My currant stock pile in my craft room hording closet.

My next stop was Lowes. I needed PVC pipe & caps and clear silicone caulking. Then, I went online and bought tomato plant stakes that were metal and coated with green plastic. The diameter of the pipe is determined by the diameter of the stake.  You want the pipe to fit snuggly onto the plant stake. My sister's plate flowers are hanging on a piece of rebar. I tried to find rebar that I could use, but between the rust and there being no easy way to cut them, I went the plant stake route.

The plant stakes I use for the stems of my flowers.

This is the original size of pipe and cap I used. 

This is a picture of the original pipe size on the left and the new pipe on the right. The original pipe's opening was 3/4 inch in diameter, and the new pipe's opening is 1/2 inch. 

The new size pipe with the cap.

This is one of the brands of Silicone I use for the plate flowers. 

This is what the plate looks like on the stake. The silicone is a bit messy on this one.

Over the last few years I have collected a stock pile of tableware. I have made plate flowers for friends, family and I have also sold a few, so the stockpile has been refurbished a few times. The best part of the process is picking the tableware combinations to put the flowers together. I put all the items on my dinning room table, and then I start matching colors, sizes, shapes and textures to build some pretty cool flowers. I found some plates that were shaped like sunflowers and pansies on sale and I think they are some of my favorite plates.

To put the flowers together, I start at the bottom, put a large amount of silicone on the bottom of the second plate and put in down in the middle of the bottom plate. Then you continue on until you get to the center piece. I let the plate sit for 24 to 36 hours to dry. I cut the pipe into 3 to 4 inch pieces, put the cap on it, and using a large amount of silicone on the back of the largest plate, I push the pipe and cap onto the silicone. I sit the flower on its face, pipe side up, to dry for another 24 to 36 hours. The plant stakes can be cut to what ever height you want. I use a pipe cutter and score the stake then just snap it at the score mark.

If you want to add some color in the middle of you flower you can add a broach, button, stone or mosaic glass gems in the center. Just be creative.

I do suggest, especially in Texas, that you take the flowers in during high winds, ice or hail. Oh, and maybe anyone with a weedwhacker, speaking from experience.  

Happy flower making!