Silver Plate Tray Chalkboard Wreath Idea

Create a festive and welcoming door wreath for Christmas using a silver plate tray or platter. Paint it with chalkboard paint and decorate it with Christmas greenery. Add a fabulous ribbon hanger as the final touch.

I have a thing for silver-plated dishes. Back in the day, I didn’t like them because I felt they were old-fashioned. My how times have changed.

Silver plate is back in style. If you don’t believe me, just check out any home decor magazine, trendy shopping places, or online shops. There are tons of DIY ideas for vintage silver plate on Pinterest. If you prefer going the easy and throw-away route, you can find shiny plastic silver trays at Dollar Tree.

I went on a search this week for a silver plate tray to make a wreath. I saw this wreath idea on another website and I’m copying the idea. Not exactly though! Anyway, in my search for silver plate pieces, I didn’t find any until I hit the third store, where I went a little wild.

I purchased a whole bunch of trays, mainly because they were packaged in packs of 3 or 4. I think I paid $27 for the whole bunch, which is more than I was planning to spend. But the scalloped shell tray will probably sell for between $30 and $60 so I didn’t lose any money.

The project idea came from Dinah, DIY Inspired. That chalkboard-painted silver plate tray hanging from burlap ribbon is so elegant looking. I fell in love with the wreath at first sight. So, I created my own version.

I selected one of the silver plate trays with the decorative filigree edge and the cutout details around the sides.

The only chalkboard paint I had on my shelf was a slate gray color. So that is what I used.

I brushed three coats of chalkboard paint onto the tray. The slate gray is almost black. 

I’m glad the JTS and I got all my Christmas stuff down from the top of the shed last week and put it in the workshop because the JTS fell a couple of nights ago and broke his ankle. So far, we have had two ER visits and are now waiting on an appointment with an orthopedic Doctor. I’ll keep yall updated.

I wanted the Christmas stuff down so I could work on DIY projects like this one. I pulled a few branches of greenery and some mini ornaments, and other Christmas decor out of the boxes that I thought might work for this project.

Then I went to my ribbon stash to see what I had to work with.

While the chalkboard paint was drying, I selected some greenery pieces and wired them together.

Next I inserted the two ends of the wire between the handy dandy holes on the side of the tray and twisted them tight to the back side of the tray. I left the bare spot in the middle of the greenery for some festive Christmas decor. I just wasn’t sure what.

I tried out various items and finally decided on several miniature ornaments. Keeping it simple. The ornaments came in a box lot of auction stuff I bought a couple of years ago. I never throw anything away because it might come in handy.

I used hot glue to adhere them to the greenery and the tray. The reason I selected these greenery branches was because of the tiny green and turquoise-colored berries. Green and red can get a little tiring after a time. The pink ornament adds the perfect third color to the mix.

I needed another pink element in the design, so I chose a pink ribbon for the hanger. I cut the ribbon and adhered it to the back of the tray using black duct tape. It’s strong enough to hold the tray and can be removed anytime.

The last step in making a chalkboard is to season it by running a piece of chalk, long side down, over the chalkboard paint. Wipe the chalk off with a dry paper towel. If a chalkboard isn’t seasoned, whatever you write on the board will be burned into it and there will always be a slight shadow of the writing on the board.

The silver plate tray I chose for the project also had a raised design in the middle flat portion of the tray.

I knew it would be apparent even after painting but I didn’t mind. It adds character to the piece. I really like those miniature ornaments with net-like coverings over them.

I can write whatever I like on the chalkboard wreath. How about “welcome.”

Or maybe “Merry Christmas”. After the holidays, I will change the greenery to something fitting for Winter. Then I can replace that with Spring flower sprigs and so on throughout the year.

My handwriting isn’t really great so I made a pretty picture by adding text to this photo in my editing program.

I love Christmas with all the sparkle and shine. We visited The Biltmore a couple of years ago in October, and they were beginning to put up the Christmas decor.

This is one of the many Christmas trees on the estate. I would love to return this Christmas when it is all decked out. Maybe!

If you missed the earlier post and need more ideas for upcycling or repurposing silver plate pieces, see it here….13 Silver Plate Repurpose Ideas

As always, thanks for being here, Kathy

Kathy Owen

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Author: Kathy Owen
Kathy Owen is the founder of the home decor blog Petticoat Junktion where she shares tutorials on painting furniture and upcycling thrifty finds into unique home décor. Her DIY projects have been featured on the Home Depot Blog, Plaid Crafts, Behr Designer Series, and in numerous magazines. Kathy’s newest website is HappyHomeDIY.com