How to make a Dish Christmas Tree with lights
When is a Christmas tree not a tree?
When it’s a stack of dishes, or a pile of scrap lumber, or melted crayons?
Is it a tree simply because of the shape?
If you add a star on top does that make it a Christmas tree?
I say…
Yes, yes, yes and yes!!
Click to see amazing holiday ideas…
Dish Christmas Tree
I have the privilege to be a HomeTalk DIY blogger. If you don’t know HomeTalk run, {or click over real fast} to visit and join for free and be blown away by all the inspiration. As a member of HomeTalk, you can share your home projects, even if you don’t have a website. Plus ask questions to home bloggers and professionals about anything home. Psst…Country Living Magazine is on HomeTalk too!
Today a talented group of Hometalk bloggers is gathering at the end of our posts to share Home for Christmas posts. Make sure to visit each and everyone along with me. 🙂
Home for Christmas is hosted by Hometalk and Country Living.
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My Home for Christmas starts with a pile of dirty dishes. It will end with an even larger pile of dirty dishes, but that just part of the holidays, right?
This pile of dishes is special because they came from thrift stores and yard sales. The most expensive dish was $3.
The idea for this project started forming in May. I found the star-shaped dish at our Humane Society thrift store and thought, “what a great topper for a Dish Christmas tree.”
I used peel and stick type hooks to hang the dishes. Tip: Make sure to stay very close to the wall as you pull the tab to remove the hooks.
Extra Tip: You can also hang small plates using a straight pin. I chose the peel and stick since some plates are larger and platters.
For hooks on the dishes, I used paper clips and hot glue. The hot glue will simply “pop” off like my falling leaves on our glass front door. Yes, as I’m writing this post the falling leaves are still on our front door!
I gathered my favorite thrifty dishes and started laying them out in a tree shape. I arranged and rearranged. Then moved a couple around. Next switched out a few. Added others I forgot about. Rotated platters one way then back once more.
When an arrangement appeared that I loved…I snapped a picture. Tip: When laying out arrangements of anything take a picture of the final arrangement. You will have a map to go by later.
In my final arrangement, you will notice the plates are laying on the back side of Christmas wrapping paper with the square cutting lines. Isn’t that a fabulous idea for wrapping paper?
I thought it would be a good idea to mark on the paper where the hooks should be since the plates are different sizes. I marked each spot. Hung the paper with painters tape. Pushed through the paper with a pencil to mark the wall. Next, I hung the hooks following my marks.
Then as I hung the plates…
I moved a couple of hooks a few….okay several times. 😕 It would have been easier to start from the star and hang plates down the center. Then hang the side plates.
You might have noticed the dish Christmas tree is lit! 😀
Here’s how I added lights…
Each dish has a “pocket” on the back made with painters tape.
Inside each pocket, I added a little battery light. I found these lights HOSL 60 Pack White LED Party Lights Decoration light For Paper Lanterns Balloons Floral
I can not take a good photo at night! But here’s the dish Christmas tree lit in the evening. We enjoy the light so much each evening I’m planning a similar project that’s permanent and not so holiday. More on that soon!
To help make the tree a tree…I added my faux fireplace logs to a vintage styled bucket for the trunk. I placed a forlorn ornament next to the bucket.
Yes, this stack of dishes is a Christmas tree, just like a stack of lumber or melted crayons are Christmas trees.
Now join me and visit other Home for Christmas ideas below.
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How sweet! I have fallen in love with it!!! I’m an avid DIYer and always try to be busy with some new projects. Was searching for a unique idea to start. The Dish Christmas Tree made me stop and crazy to make it asap! In a hurry to start. Wish me good luck,! 🙂
Wow. I love this sort of thing. I tried thinking of things to put on the wall to make a “tree” but it didn’t happen this year. Your tree came out GREAT. Pinning also. Best wishes for a wonderful Christmas. Linda @Crafts a la mode
This is so clever Jeanette! So awesome to meet u!!
Julie, I thrilled you stopped by. I’ve enjoyed your website and projects for awhile.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea of plates as a tree.why not I decorate my entire house with plates.there is not a piece of art in my home my art comes only from my plates I am going to find a wall and replicate on a smaller scale than yous so inventive and beautiful well done.Susie
Thank you Susie. I haven’t hung a plate on the wall in a long time, but this was a blast to do. Thanks for visiting.
This is the most creative tree we have ever seen! This was so smart and clever…well done! So fun to share the hop with you. Merry Christmas!
Oh Wow! Thank you so much. This is the best blog hop ever! Only now I don’t have enough time to get all the additional projects done!!! But pinning for next year.
You KNOW I LOVE this! Especially with the lights. What a lovely idea. Perfect for Christmas. I am excited to share it with my followers and friends.
xoxo
Meegan, I was thinking about you as I was hanging the plates!!! 😀
Jeanette, you come up with the most clever ideas! LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea and especially the added touch of backlighting them. Pinned to share 🙂
Thank you sweetie for visiting and pinning!
Hi Jeanette – Visiting as a fellow participant from the #HomeForChristmas blog tour. What a clever idea to display your plates for the holidays! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours. Hugs, Holly
Thank you Holly! I adore your porch and I’m your newest stalker, uh make that follower! 😕
That is clever, Jeanette. I love the sink too! : )
Vanessa, the sink is actually in Mike’s potting bench. It’s making a fun photo prop!
What a beautiful Christmas tree Jeanette! I love the white, unique plates and to make a tree like this is a beautiful idea. I’ll start collecting and hunting down plates of all kind right now! I love this! Happy Blog Hopping!!! 😉
Thank you so much for stopping by Katrin. It’s all the creativity on the hop so inspiring???? Have a wonderful holiday.
I love your creativity Jeanette! Such an original idea! I would love to see how the plate tree looks in the daytime, without the lights. I am sure it would look just as pretty! ;o)
Lucy, thank you for visiting and your compliment. I just scrolled through the hundreds of photos I took of the dish tree and not a one had the lights off. I’ll take one and add it as soon as the sun come up. 😕