In trying to discover the history of paper plates, I came across an amazing amount of information about how to use the product in a myriad of new and inventive ways. Just so you know, paper plates were first used in 1904, as a food service product. Paper plates are made from plant fibers. After these fibers, which usually come from trees, are separated and washed, the mixture is forced through screens making a liquid pulp. It is then made into thick sheets of paper called paperboard. It can either be used to make boxes or paper plates. There is even a machine called the “Intelligent Paper Plate Machine” that makes the plates various sizes. Obviously, the most conventional uses for disposable plates is in food service. They make the job of clean-up so much more efficient. They are relatively inexpensive, and most people have them as a staple in their pantry.
One of the next, most common uses for them is in crafts. There is something so enjoyable for kids to use these round discs to create anything from clocks to windsocks. Kids seem to be content just to color the fluted edges. Figuring out how to cut a perfect hole in the center without damaging the sides of the plates is an excellent challenge for children, and adults as well.
Have you ever considered using a smaller sized one as a “flash” plates instead of flash cards? If you are teacher or a parent with a child who is struggling to recall some basic addition, subtraction, or multiplication facts, put a new twist on the old standby of flashcards. Do addition facts on one side, and subtraction on the other side of a plate, to save money. Make a stack of multiplication flash plates, and see what your results are after a few weeks of practice. Some research suggests that our brains identify best with something round. I know mine does. Cookies, doughnuts, cake and the list goes on.
Anyway, here are just a few suggestions on how to use these round inventions that you may not have thought of before. Get a stack of them, and enjoy the meal and easy cleanup, or start using them in some new, inventive ways.