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Vintage Church Plates

I've been collecting vintage church plates for almost 16 years. But, of course, in true Kristi fashion...I just hung them up last week. In my own defense, I'm one who whole-heartedly believes a collection isn't something that happens overnight. And I wasn't quite ready to display all of these in a partial format (although, this may be partial in itself...is a collection ever really finished?).

Vintage Church Plates | Fun and kitchsy vintage church plates are budget-friendly collectables that look beautiful displayed together.
Today is also the July edition of the Thrifty Style Team. 
All of my friends have some fantastic, budget-friendly posts to share, too.

Vintage Church Plates | Fun and kitchsy vintage church plates are budget-friendly collectables that look beautiful displayed together.
All of their awesome links are toward the bottom of this post...be sure to check them out!



Vintage Church Plates | Fun and kitchsy vintage church plates are budget-friendly collectables that look beautiful displayed together.
I'm not sure I know of anyone else who collects church plates...it's a bit random (as am I). This collection started with one single plate left to me in a hope chest by my great aunt when she died.
After that first plate, I couldn't stop collecting them. I stick to my plate rule when purchasing these (I use this on all of my plate collections)...I won't spend more than $5 per plate. I have some pretty awesome friends and family, too. My friend Bethany and my cousin Janice always seem to grab one of these church plates when they find them, as well (Bethany is my partner in junkin' and Janice works estate sales...they both have a great eye for these). When I received the recent plates that my cousin mailed me, I was ready to put the nails into the walls and hang these up!


Vintage Church Plates | Fun and kitchsy vintage church plates are budget-friendly collectables that look beautiful displayed together.
I had planned to display these in my dining room all along...but Bethany's recent visit inspired me to get going a bit faster in this room (it was looking pretty womp-womp). And this corner in the dining room that juts in was just screaming for something to wrap around it.


Vintage Church Plates | Fun and kitchsy vintage church plates are budget-friendly collectables that look beautiful displayed together.
As I mentioned above, my very first church plate was in a hope chest that my Great Aunt Margaret left to me when she passed away. That hope chest had so much stuff in it, that I kind of went through it a little at a time. I received it when I was in college and it sat in my parents' storage unit for several years. This hope chest was truly enormous and as a college kid and then young adult, I truly had no place for it. Thankfully, the hope chest's contents were emptied into boxes and sent to live with me after I got married. Sadly, my parents' storage unit was broken into shortly after that and the hope chest was taken. It still makes me sick thinking about it. That unit contained both my great aunt's items and my uncle's items from when we cleaned out his home after his death. Not a lot was left after it was broken into...and there were so many beautiful family heirloom furniture pieces in there.

I am thankful, however, that I had the actual contents of the chest. It had several antique furniture scarves, several afghans, wall art, old framed family portraits, Blue Spode china, a transferware sake cup collection (cheers, Aunt Margaret), and this one blue and white church plate from the Mount Lebanon Methodist Church in North Carolina. While my aunt Margaret never lived in North Carolina, she was a member of the Methodist church. I'm not completely sure how she ended up with this plate. But, I'm delighted that she basically fueled a life-long dish collecting phenomenon for me. 

I adore the scalloped edge on this particular plate...and the blue and white is so pretty!


Vintage Church Plates | Fun and kitchsy vintage church plates are budget-friendly collectables that look beautiful displayed together.
Another fave is one from my cousin, Janice. This red and white transferware-style plate from a cathedral in Nevada is just gorgeous, y'all. I pretty much squealed when I unwrapped it. Gorgeous. Having a cousin that works estate sales (and knows my "needs") is the coolest.


Vintage Church Plates | Fun and kitchsy vintage church plates are budget-friendly collectables that look beautiful displayed together.
A lot of the plates I have are actually from local churches. They end up in thrift stores all the time. I frequent one particular thrift store in Belton that Bethany and I refer to as the "plate store"...I can always count on them for a good local church plate.


Vintage Church Plates | Fun and kitchsy vintage church plates are budget-friendly collectables that look beautiful displayed together.
This particular one from a church in Nebraska is so pretty and colorful!
It's the only one I have that has this many colors in it.


Vintage Church Plates | Fun and kitchsy vintage church plates are budget-friendly collectables that look beautiful displayed together.
I love to think about all of the lives that have been touched by these sweet churches.


Vintage Church Plates | Fun and kitchsy vintage church plates are budget-friendly collectables that look beautiful displayed together.
If I'm on this side of the table, I love to see the reflection of the plates in my mirror. This mirror goes hand in hand with the dining table. They both belonged to my mother who gave them to me when they downsized about 12 years ago. Before my mom, these pieces belonged to her late brother, my Uncle Butch. Both my mother and uncle enjoyed the reflection of family and friends packed around the dining table and always had this mirror on a dining room wall. 


Vintage Church Plates | Fun and kitchsy vintage church plates are budget-friendly collectables that look beautiful displayed together.
This photo isn't plate related...but I did want to share a little more of the progress on the dining room. I found my shade of aqua drapes on clearance at Homegoods recently. I like having these open most of the time, but my middle schooler does his homework in here during the school year...sometimes into the late night. It's nice to be able to close these for privacy during those times. 


Vintage Church Plates | Fun and kitchsy vintage church plates are budget-friendly collectables that look beautiful displayed together.
Be sure to check out all of my friends' posts this month, too, for even more thrifty ideas: 



Vintage Church Plates | Fun and kitchsy vintage church plates are budget-friendly collectables that look beautiful displayed together.
What kinds of things do you like to collect?





32 comments:

  1. You probably don't know this about me.... I have a plate collection but not for display. I smash them for mosaics. I'm sure I must have a few church ones in the plate piles, but even if I don't I have to tell you I see them by the truck load all summer long at garage sales. A great collection, let me know if you want to cover every wall in your house and I will start picking them up.

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    1. You know...I may just take you up on it! I have a bare wall on the other side of the doorway! ;) And I love that you make mosaics with broken plates...so fun! Thanks so much!

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  2. This just might be the neatest collection that I've never seen... until now! I love it!!!

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  3. Kristi I LOVE your collection!! They all look so perfect in your dining room and add even more charm into an already very beautiful and charming room. And when they all have a story behind them it makes it even more perfect!

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    1. Thank you so much, Vanessa! I so wish we lived closer...we could sit here and have coffee together, friend!

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  4. I love your church plate collection, Kristi! It looks great going around the corner...that's making me want to try it. I have to go find a corner!

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    1. Thanks so much, Julie! I kind of just went with the room's shape, I was so happy it turned out okay! ;)

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  5. Kristi, I enjoyed the back story on the start of your church plate collection. It is a most unusual collection but I love it! As you said, think about all the lives touched by those churches.

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    1. Thank you so much, Jane! I sure appreciate that!

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    2. I agree! So neat and looks beautiful in your cheery dining room!

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  6. How unique! I've never known anyone who collected church plates before, like you say. They look pretty on your wall, and I'm sure they are great conversation starters. The things people collect are quite interesting! Me, I like post offices...weird, huh?

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    1. Thank you so much!! And post offices sound so fun! HA! My uncle was a post master years ago so that is right up my alley. I am so happy you stopped by today!! xoxo

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  7. These are so awesome, Kristi and they look great in your pretty dining room. My whole family belonged to the same church when I was growing up (as most families do) and each one had a plate from our church. I'm not sure what happened to them all. Probably sold at a garage sale. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. This is a great collection and we love your sweet story! We love how you have built your collection. Even more we love your creative display - we never would have thought to wrap them around the corner. So eye-catching. Thanks so much for sharing!
    Vicki and Jenn
    2 Bees in a Pod

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  9. What a great idea. I really like your collection of church plates, how unique. AND the idea of carrying the gallery wall around the corner? Brilliant! Always impressed when I visit your blog, Kristi. Have a great week.

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  10. what a great collection kristi. now, if and when I see church plates out and about, i know who to send them to. love how you have displayed them.

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  11. I love plates on the wall!! Your bright colors always make me smile!! You do them so well.

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  12. You are killing me! I see those plates all the time when I'm out thrifting and I never once thought to use them like that! I will never just pass them by again :)

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  13. This is soooo lovely! Outstanding!!

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  14. They look so pretty on the walls; I have seen plates like this and wondered who would part with them! Your dining room drapes are beautiful.

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  15. What a unique collection and what stories those plates could tell!

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  16. I didn't know there was such a thing as church plates, but now I want to look for them, too. Also, I met my husband in Belton when we were going to UMHB. Love that such a special little town got a shout-out!

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  17. I just saw your collection in the Flea Market Home & Living magazine and found this on your blog. I collect church plates as well!! I also thought no one else did, LOL. I try and stick with only NC churches or cities I have visited, that's kinda of my rule with them. Back when I blogged, I wrote about mine and thought you might also like to see my wall (I've since added more), link below. I love these plates and love how colorful yours are!
    http://heartsdesiresathome.blogspot.com/2014/08/church-plates-new-collection.html

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  18. I’d love to send you a plate for your collection if you’re still accepting them! I’ll send you a picture of it first to make sure you don’t already have it - my email address is my full name @gmail.com (don’t want to write it out in cae spammers troll comments like this)

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  19. Kristi, an amazing church plate collection I enjoyed just now. My pleasure I was in search for learning about church fundraising ideas on google and fortunately the title of your article drew my prompt attention. So, just clicked on the title and discovered myself in your cool collection world. Many people have many types of collection hobby but your collection idea is really unique and brilliant. All the images of your plate collection are very alluring and mind-blowing. Thank you very much for taking your time to share for your readers. Church fundraising ideas

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    1. Hi Laura! I'm so glad you enjoyed my collection! Thank you bunches for stopping by and sharing your kind words! xoxo

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  20. Hi Kristi- I just found your site recently, and I want to tell you I love your style! I, too, collect church plates. I don't have many, maybe three, all from churches my husband and I have had connections with, and one square trivet from my childhood church. They do not hang yet, but we recently redecorated the dining room and it might be time to hang the church plates! My husband is a church music director and organist, and he's a P.K., so we have A LOT of church stuff around! Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your site, and admire your display of church plates. - Your new friend, Virginia

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    1. Hi Virginia! I'm so glad you stopped by! I love how each plate carries it's own special story. It sounds like yours do as well! I'm sure they will look lovely in your dining room. <3 It's so wonderful that your husband serves in the church! I hope to hear from you again soon! xoxo Kristi

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  21. I loved your plate wall. I recently took down my dusty basket collection from my kitchen soffit (over the cabinets) and put up an uneven row of blue and white plates that I collect. You have to smile when you look at a collection that involves gifts from friends and relatives, don't you?

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    1. Thank you so much, Kathy! I LOVE blue and white plates! <3 I'm sure your collection is lovely! And I absolutely agree. I love the memories each piece holds!

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  22. Very glad to find your plate pic, as I’m preparing to hang about 50 in my garage-soon-to-be-studio. I love their beauty and life-inspiring vibe!

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