Today, I want to share all of my best tips to finding plates for decor for a steal! if you love thrifting then you’ve come to the right place. I’ll be sharing some of my best thrifting tips today.

Are you a new thrifter and ready to learn the ropes? Then this post has some great tips to get you started off one the right foot.

Today, I will specifically be talking about my tips and tricks for finding plates as decor for a steal fo a deal. Maybe even free! However, many of these tips will apply to thrifting in general. Especially if you have something in particular you are looking to find.

Why Use Plates for Decor?

Firstly, I challenge you to find a cheaper decor item! Plates can be so incredibly inexpensive if you know where to look for them. ( And I’m talking a dollar or less or free sometimes!)

However, the fact that you can get them at such a low cost does not reflect on the beauty and quality of the plate. This is the budget friendly beauty of plates for decor! Plates are just easily cast off once they are a used item, even if they were once high end or expensive.

Secondly, plates for decor create so much visual interest in a space. My favorite thing about them is that they offer a different shape than the typical art you hang on the walls. You get roundness from a plate, an oval shape from a platter, or scalloped edges or geometrical edges. These details keep things simple giving the eye a place to rest, but all while maintaining visual interest in a space.

Third, they add instant character and charm! Especially if you are using vintage plates, your space can go from generic to character instantly. They are the perfect decor for the vintage decorator!

Plates on the wall for decor also fits most design styles -traditional, classic, farmhouse, bohemian, grandmillenial, english cottage, cottagecore, costal, ect. The key is being sure that the plate itself fits the design style you are trying to achieve.

Professional Tip on Plates for Decor

I sought out the advice of professional designer, Sarah, from the blog and youtube channel She Holds Dearly. She said she would agree that plates for decor fit in most design styles except for modern and mid century modern.

Sarah also advised to air on the side of using your plates for decor in rooms where you would actually want to eat. This would mean the dining room, the kitchen, and possibly a family room or a hallway. This would mean keeping plates as decor out of bathrooms or bedrooms as a general rule. Although she admitted, as do I as well (see photo below), to breaking that rule from time to time.

Thrifting Tips to Finding Plates for Decor

There are 3 key elements of thrifting that will keep you finding treasures over and over:

• Go often and be ok leaving without something.
• Know what you are looking for.
• Get good at the quick scan.

The hardest part about going often, if you love the thrill of the hunt like I do, is leaving without something. If you don’t find something you truly love or that has a place in your home, it’s not worth the extra effort it will eventually suck from your life. Trust me!

To know what you are looking for you needs know your needs. Ask questions such as:

• What is the general color palette of your home?
• Where do you plan on hanging these plates?
• Do you want just round plates or also oblong platters?
• Patterned plates or plain?

In part one of my 3 part series about how to decorate with thrift store finds, I talk more in depth about finding your color palette so you know what you are looking for while thrifting.

The quick scan comes with practice. The more you go thrifting and discover a treasure the easier and easier they will be to spot. Like an old friend. 😊

If you are going to the same thrift shop often, the quick scan will also become faster because you can quickly skip over things you saw last time. As with any skill, you get better at it over time.

What to Look for When Finding Plates as Decor

First of all, think beyond plates. I love the oblong look of a platter on the wall! I have also hung a smaller oblong gravy boat saucer and love the dynamic look of the varying shapes. You can hang ceramic lids from soup tureens and even bowls on the wall for more dimension.

I tend to look for white or neutral plates for decor and here’s why:

I love using white plates and platters on the wall because they create visual rest in a space while still maintaining interest.

By that I mean, a simple white shape can provide a break from any other busyness that may be going on in the space. However, you still create some interest and dynamic with the shape and detail of the white plate. Maybe there are scalloped edges, fluting, crackling and patina, or delicate etching in the plate.

White plates and platters create such a simple and sophisticated beauty. I often find that If I have a lot going on in a space that adding or replacing something with a white dish is just the simple ticket the space needs.

The Best Thrifty Places to be Finding Plates for Decor

1. Thrift Stores

There is never a shortage of dishes at thrift stores. It may take some digging to find the beauties, but that can be half the fun! Because thrift stores are often overloaded with dishes, they will also often put the dishes on sale. So if you want to be extra thrifty, wait for the sales!

BONUS TIP: unpriced dishes (this is just plates, cups, and bowls as far as I know) at Goodwill will ring up at the cash register for 99 cents. They often price individual dishes a few dollars higher than that, so I consider it a huge score when I find a beautiful unmarked dish at Goodwill because it will be less than a dollar!

2. Garage Sales

Again, you may be digging but these can be the cheapest prices of all! Look for garage sales that are held by the older generation if you are looking to score vintage or antique dishes. Don’t be afraid to group things together and make an offer!

3. Estate Sales

I would say estate sales are the surest bet that you will find vintage or antique dishes. They may not be as cheap as garage sale prices, but you can make an offer. I often find the cheapest plates and platters in the kitchen, garage or the basement of an estate sale. Often the dishes that they have on display in the main room where the cashier sits will be the most expensive.

BONUS TIP: Often, all items are half off on the last day of an estate sale. If you are looking for the best deal, hold out until the last day (often a sunday or saturday) and see what you can snag!

4. An Older Relative’s Basement or Garage

This is how you can get plates for decor for FREE! The white plates that hang on my wall next to my antique pie safe are vintage pfaltzgraph dishes that I found in my parent’s garage! It was right after we moved into our current home after living for over a year with unemployment during early COVID times. The beautiful pearly white of pfaltzgraph was just what I needed and at the absolute right price – FREE!

So give it a shot. See if your relatives may have some dishes they are looking to get rid of because you never know what you may find!

PIN FOR LATER

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Stay Tuned for My Post Next Week Where I Plant to Share Many Ideas for How to Use Plates as Decor in Your Home!

Thank you so much for stopping by Loving Grace Home today! I hope this post brought you some new ideas and inspiration. I certainly hope you feel better equipped to head into the thrift store confidently!

See you next week when I share my best ideas for for using plates and dishes in your home for decor!

Until then, have a lovely day!