Silver Trays Make Great Plate Chargers
2 Materials
$3
30 Minutes
Easy
We have a great idea for your holiday table. And the best thing is that this little trick is easy to do, very affordable, and if you like a good hunt, it's even better. Plus, it will add some sparkle and shine to your table setting that will be sure to give you compliments from your family and friends. Use thrifted silver trays and silver-plated trays as plate chargers. They will work for any holiday, but especially for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
If you shop at thrift stores, consignment shops, and garage sales, then you already know that they almost always have a stack of tarnished silver-plated trays stuck in among the random plates and mugs. Occasionally there will be a pure silver tray, but they aren't as plentiful as the silver plated ones.
Why don't you grab a bunch of them, polish them up (we like Wright's silver cream polish) and use them as plate chargers? They usually only cost a few dollars which is about what a plastic charger from a big box store costs. Wouldn't you rather have some silver and shine than plastic? Don't get me wrong. I've used my share of plastic plate chargers and have even added chalk paint to them, or spray painted them a festive color, and there's not a thing wrong with that. But for special holidays, using silver plated trays is a nice way to go.
The trays don't have to match. The charger that you see in the photo was a wedding gift, and I have mixed it in with various trays that I thrifted. Many have a different pattern around the edges, and that's okay. It's another way to add some interest to the table.
There's still time to get this done before Thanksgiving next week. Other great sources for these trays are ebay and Everything But The House. Happy Hunting!
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