Do you have some rarely used plates lying around your house? Whether its antique china handed down from your grandparents, a decorative tray you picked up at a flea market or just too many dishes to use, now you have something to do with them. Hang them on a wall. Hanging plates provides a thrifty yet beautiful way to cover bare walls. You can hang plates with racks, holders, or frames, but most people use wire or adhesive plate hangers. Here we discuss and compare them.
Wire plate hangers, the most common type, fasten to plates with springs and four hooks. Springs firmly hold the hooks to the dish. Some have decorative hooks that add character to dull plates. Use a standard picture hook to attach a wire hanger to the wall. Spring loaded wire hangers come in a variety of sizes. They support 3-30 inch plates or trays and hold up to 6 pounds. Manufacturers make them in many materials and colors, including brass and white. You can easily remove and reattach them, in case you want to use them for entertaining. They are fast and easy to install. Many local hardware, variety, and online stores sell them. Small wire hangers start at $1.25, while large ones cost up to $12.00.
Unlike adhesive plate hangers, wire hangers sometimes chip or scratch the back or rim of china. To avoid damage, the hooks often have clear plastic covers. Wire hooks often distract from the items you want to put on the wall. Many times, they prevent your displays from laying flat against the wall. Springs sometimes hide writing on the back of collectible items. Earthquakes can loosen the hanger so the object falls or chips. Odd shaped decor and knick-knacks do not work with most wire hangers.
Adhesive plate hangers, also called disc or invisible plate hangers, have either a glue or sticky back. You can stick them to dishes, trays, chargers, and three-dimensional objects, such as spoons, canes, or trivets. In general, sticky back hangers hold less weight and do not remove easily. They cost less than the glue hangers cost, but do not bond as well to heavy objects. Stick with the glue adhesives (no pun intended). Only use the sticky back hangers for small and inexpensive items.
Disc hangers work by wetting the glue, and attaching the wet hangers to the plates. Let them dry overnight, and pull them firmly the next morning. This ensures a good bond between the plate and hanger. Affix it to the wall with a picture hook. The discs are easy to install and you should not see them when you hang your item. Unlike the wire, they do not distract from the decor. These adhesive hangers allow your display to lay flat against the wall. They do not chip plates and work great in areas affected by earthquakes. You can easily remove them with warm water. Stores sell them in a few sizes from 1.25-5.5 inches, and they fit decor of most any size and shape. Combine two or more for larger items or platters. You can exhibit heavy tiles, crafts, wood and trays on the wall by stringing picture-wire between two or more hangers. When combined, they can hold over 20 pounds. String wire between two small hangers on each side of a plate so you can view all print on the back. Dishes hung with these hangers have remained up for over 30 years. Small adhesive plate hangers start at $1.50, while large ones cost up to $7.00.
Unlike wire plate hangers, you cannot easily find these disc plate hangers at local stores. They take longer to install than wire hangers. If you install them incorrectly, what you hang can fall and break. Objects made with plastic, melamine, or vegetable oils (such as oils in some wood), will not stick to them. Unfired dishes with painted backs will not bind to them, but they work on all painted fired substances. Do not use them if you plan to place them in very moist area, such as bathrooms with a shower. If you plan to entertain with the items you display, do not to get the hanger wet or hot.