Forget Traditional Front Door Wreaths: The Cuter DIY Using Plastic Plates

Curb appeal matters, and not just when your home is on the market. Setting the stage to welcome guests (and yourself) into your home is a way to express your creativity and personal style. Even just using the right colors can help your front door stand out enough to get noticed. While some people spice up their entrance with a traditional wreath, there's a new trend that turns plates into beautiful bespoke decor with a simple DIY. You could, of course, purchase a premade wreath, but that could set you back up to $130. Instead, creator Julie Oxendine of Julie's Wreath Boutique has shared an inexpensive and more durable solution: a wreath that features plates covered in patterned paper and attached to a ring of foliage alongside a large bow.

While it might look like this wreath features ceramic plates, it doesn't. You don't need to raid that stash of fine china in the back of your kitchen cabinets or worry about the possible breakage that could result when a wreath made of thrifted ceramic plates is hung on a heavily used front door. Crafter Oxendine decoupages 7-inch plastic plates (like these NatNarr White Scalloped Dessert Plates) with napkins patterned with pretty blue-and-white china designs. These Lsyahcyy Assorted Blue Floral Decoupage Napkins would work well. It's the perfect faux-china disguise! The entire plate wreath can probably be made for less than $20, depending on what you already have on hand. Plus, with a few simple tweaks (and perhaps some extra affordable craft supplies), you can style this wreath for any season or occasion.

Start by gluing small sprigs of assorted greenery to the interior and exterior edges of an 18-inch grapevine wreath ring. The ring doesn't need to be fully covered because the plates will take up quite a bit of room. Separate the top decorative layer from the napkins, then coat each plate with Mod Podge designed for outdoor use. Carefully lay the napkin on top of the Mod Podge. Starting from the center, gently pat and smooth the napkin with your fingers or a round sponge brush  to remove any bubbles or creases.

Glue the overhang to the back of the plate, then give the plate one more coat of Mod Podge before setting it aside to dry. Affix some floral stem wire to the back of the plates with glue, then cover the attachment points with spare felt or fabric before tying the plates onto the wreath ring. If possible, vary the designs so no two patterns sit next to each other. Fill in any empty spots with more greenery, but leave a little space at the top of the ring for a voluminous bow.

Use 2½-inch-wide and ⅞-inch-wide ribbons in complementary hues to make a double-layered bow, fastening it with cable ties concealed beneath a final wrap of wired ribbon. Affix the bow to the wreath using the wired ribbon to secure it at the back, then trim the bow tails to your desired length. Your faux china plate wreath is ready to display! Once you have the technique down, you can take this DIY project in many other directions, depending on what materials you have access to.

You can probably already think of any number of variations on the look of this wreath. It's as simple as changing out the napkin designs to fit the season. Since the plates and bow are attached to the wreath ring with wire rather than glue, you can easily change their designs and colors — think red and pink hearts for Valentine's Day, shamrocks and verdant greenery for St. Patrick's Day, or pretty pastel flowers for a spring-themed wreath. Consider reducing the number of plates and adding in a few bunnies, carrots, colored eggs, or butterflies so they peek out among the artificial foliage.

You can also vary the wreath ring material based on the season. Use preserved moss for spring, straw for fall, and pine or cedar at the end of the year. Once again, you can switch out a few of the plates for mini pumpkins, fall leaves, sprays of bright berries, or pinecones for extra adornment. Seasonally themed napkins and ribbons complete the look. You could even make small versions of any of these wreath designs with teeny appetizer plates. Use them as cabinet wreaths to decorate your kitchen year-round. Wherever you put them, whatever colors you use, and however you style them, these faux china plate wreaths are a fun and inexpensive way to add some DIY seasonal chic to your home.