DIY tutorial: decorative vintage plates

It’s a welcome change that in recent years more of us have begun to see the value in re-using and recycling. But I like to see the old and the new mixed up; to modify vintage pieces for our modern world.

So in this DIY tutorial, I’ve added bold type letters to charity shop china ~ these three pretty plates were just £1.50.

This project has already been kindly shared on Florence Finds {blogger Rebecca doesn’t normally post DIYs but she said these “looked like something straight out of Living etc” ~ big smile!} and Chloe from Adore chose it as one of her favourite DIYs.

1. Start by creating a stencil for your letters by printing your text onto thick paper or card. The font I used was Bodoni MT in 400 point, but the size of your letters will depend on the size of your plates. My plates were 16cms in diameter which meant the letters were 7cm high. Cut out the text with scissors and a craft knife.

2. Position your stencil in the right place on your plate and draw round it using a ballpoint pen.

3. Go over the line with a fine point Sharpie permanent market {it helps to use a ruler for the straight edges} and fill in.

4. Let the first coat dry overnight, then you might want to do a second coat to get a dense, even finish.

Please let me know if you do your own version of this project!

Note: It gets a bit pongy {not to mention toxic} so make sure you do this project in a well-ventilated area, and once done these plates are just for decoration, not eating from.

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