Things You'll Need
Wire hanger - measuring about 47 inches when straightened
Needle-nose pliers
Ruler
Newspapers
Gold spray paint
Clear spray paint * optional
Adhesive felt pads - 1/4-inch in diameter or smaller
You can make a professional-looking, homemade plate stand using common household items in very little time. Best of all, your plate stand is inexpensive, and you can custom fit it to the width of your plate. For the purposes of this article, a 9-inch plate was used for the stand measurements.
Step 1
Use a pair of needle-nose pliers to untwist the wire hanger. Use needle-nose pliers to straighten the twisted metal at the base of the hanger "hook."
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Step 2
Align the ends of the straightened hanger. Bend slightly in the middle. Using the needle-nose pliers, twist the ends together so they overlap 2 inches on each end. Twist the ends tight to form a wire loop.
Step 3
Measure about 7 1/2 inches from the twisted ends and bend the wire downward. Measure another 7 1/2 inches from this bend, and bend the wire upward to form the left support "leg" of the plate stand.
Step 4
From the second bend in Step 3, measure 1 1/2-inches and bend the wire up and toward the right. Measure about 5 inches, and bend the wire down. Ensure your bent wire has a 7 1/2-inch-tall triangular support "leg" with a wire in front forming an angle, a straight wire across the front and the start of another downward angle (this is the front of the plate stand where the plate rests). Note that the 5-inch section of straight wire in the front will go across the front bottom of the plate to hold the plate into position, and the back of the plate will rest against the 7 1/2-inch tall triangular bends.
Step 5
Measure down the wire 1 1/2 inches and bend the wire up. Measure upward about 7 1/2 inches and bend the wire down about 7 1/2 inches to form the right "leg." Straighten the remaining portion of the wire so that it is straight and rests against a tabletop or other flat surface. This is the back bottom or support of the plate stand.
Step 6
Test your plate on the stand. Use the needle-nose pliers to adjust by bending the front 5-inch section from Step 4, if you need a better fit. Use the pliers to deepen or widen the angle.
Step 7
Cover a ventilated work surface, such as a garage floor, with newspapers. Place the stand on top.
Step 8
Hold the spray paint nozzle 12 inches from the stand. Spray the stand with gold paint. Allow paint to dry. You can cover the gold spray paint with a clear gloss spray paint if desired.
Step 9
Peel the backing from four adhesive felt pads. Place a pad, sticky side against the wire, in the four areas where the stand rests on the tabletop.
Warning
Always use spray paint in a ventilated area.
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