I’ve paired up with a group of talented ladies to bring you a monthly Thrift Store Decor Upcycle Challenge. Each month we will create a new home decor piece from an item(s) we’ve found at a thrift store, yard sale, resale shop etc. There is no budget or specific theme so we are free to let our creativity run wild! Last time, I shared my DIY Aloha Seashell Sign and this time I’m sharing a simple License Plate Wall Art.
Amanda | The Kolb Corner Chelc| Inside the Fox Den
Erlene | My Pinterventures Kim | Made in a Day Sara | Twelve on Main
Debra | Shoppe No. 5 Shirley | Intelligent Domestications
Marie | DIY Adulation Lindsay | Crazy Organized Michelle | Our Crafty Mom
Julie | Live From Julie’s House Dru | Polka Dot Poplars
Maureen | Red Cottage Chronicles Pili | Sweet Things
Colleen | Life on Kaydeross Creek Ann | Duct Tape and Denim Sherry | Savvy Apron
You can also follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!
License Plate Wall Art
This project is sooo simple that I didn’t take a lot of pictures – sorry. But I promise, even without the pictures you’ll be able to make this License Plate Wall Art. This super easy project can be done a day and is a simple way to frame a license plate with little effort.
I’ve been slowly working on a small shelving area in my kitchen/dining room and adding decorative touches that remind me of Hawaii. For my first Thrift Store Upcycle Challenge, I created a DIY Aloha Seashell Sign and hung it above the shelves. Next, I added a DIY Seashell Pineapple Jar, but I still felt like the area needed a little something more. That something extra came when I found this Hawaii license plate and decided to use it for a License Plate Wall Art to finish off the area.
[Tweet “Simple License Plate Wall Art #repurposeit @pinterventures”]
Supplies:
- Wood – scrap from 1″ x 10″ x 6′ wood
- License plate
- paint – I used Apple Barrel Red Flag
- paint brush
- baking soda (optional)
- screws
- sawtooth picture hangers
- hammer
- sandpaper
- ruler
- saw
- pencil/pen
- wood stain – I used Danish oil
- clear acrylic spray
Directions:
- Measure and cut the wood piece to measure 9.25″ x 14″.
- Sand any rough edges.
- Mix 1/4 cup paint and 1/8 cup baking soda to make a homemade chalk paint – add a tiny bit of water if too thick. You can skip this and use the paint as is, but I wanted the rough look of chalk paint. Use this paint to paint the wood piece. Let dry.
- Sand the edges of the painted wood piece to ‘weather’ it.
- Spray the entire piece with clear acrylic. Let dry.
- Screw on the license plate to the front of the wood piece (I may change this out to prettier nail heads).
- Add sawtooth hangers to the back of the wood piece.
- Hang it up!
And there you have an easy License Plate Wall Art!
Be sure to check out all of the other creative upcycle projects my fellow bloggers have come up with!
Find more repurpose ideas on my DIY: recycle, repurpose, and reuse it Pinterest Board
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What a fun and simple way to add nostalgic touches to your home! I’ve considered adding some Vegas decor to our house, but haven’t thought of how.
Thanks Megan. Vegas touches would be so fun – lots of lights and glitter 🙂
Your license plate wall art is a nice addition to your shelf area. I used the license plate from my Mom’s car to make a bird feeder. Now I wish we had more. I like your idea.
Thanks Shirley. I thought about doing that too or making a crate with a license plate on the front.
By putting the license plate on the wood it really finishes it off so nicely. It has become a piece of artwork.
Thanks. It’s funny how mounting it on a scrap piece of wood can make it pop.
Amazing project! I have a whole collection of license plates. I’ve just tacked them up in my studio before but now I’ll be looking for a board that they’ll fit on! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you. Your license plate collage must look fabulous.
OMG I’m loving this! I have lots of license plates that I’ve held on to from the different states I lived in growing up and I keep telling my husband that SOME DAY I’m going to figure out how to display them. I’m totally stealing this idea 🙂 Love it!
How fun to be able to have something from each state you’ve lived in.
I so often see old and unique license plates at auctions and flea markets and never know what to do with them! This is an easy and expensive way to display them that looks great too!
Thanks Maureen. I love license plates, especially if they come from Hawaii 🙂
Good idea Erlene! We have all of our old license plates from the multiple states we’ve lived in. Your new artwork looks great with those shelves and vignette!
Thanks Amanda. It’s so cool to have a reminder of places you’ve been.
This came out great! I love how it looks in your home! Pinned & tweeted!
Erlene, I love this wall art, and I need to find a license plate now. I did not know that you can make chalk paint with baking soda. I will have to try this. Great upcycle!
I use the baking soda chalk paint for small projects, but haven’t tried it on a large project. It’s a bit more grainy than regular chalk paint, but does the trick to quickly get the look using acrylic paints.