Decoupaged Passover Plate

The first night of Passover is Friday, April 6; here’s an idea for your family seder matzoh plate or for a pretty hostess gift if you’ll be sharing the night with friends. If you don’t celebrate Passover, switch it up with your favorite springtime or Easter papers!

You’ll need:

a plate or platter in your desired size. I used a clear plate ($2 at Target) in a simple square shape, but any size or shape will work. You could even go thrifting and choose a plate with (ugly) decoration you’d like to cover with paper! You want the plate to be fairly flat, though, for ease in attaching the papers.
printed digital papers and elements. I put all mine on a 12×12 canvas in PSE and had them printed as one sheet. (I was able to fit 2 projects’ worth of pieces on one sheet!)
Mod Podge or Acrylic Medium Golden Regular Gel Matte 8 oz and a sponge brush

To create your digi decor, first measure the areas of the plate you plan to cover. I found that the center, flat area of my plate was 4×4, so I started with a 4×4 canvas in PSE and created my background and cluster in that size. I mixed two wonderful kits from The Digi Chick boutique: ViVa Artistry’s 8 Nights, and Family Meals by Dawn by Design.

(Tip: If you’re using a round or oval plate, use the Marquee Tool to create your shape in the correct size, then use that as your background clipping mask!)

Once you have your printed sheets in hand, cut out all the pieces and, if desired, ink around the edges.

I ordered photo prints of the digi designs because I wanted to have that nice sharp color, but the heavy, waterproof paper made adhering it to the plate a bit of a trick. Here’s what worked for me: after trimming all my pieces, I started at one corner and peeled the paper into two layers, removing the back layer of the photo paper.

Be careful that you don’t tear the VERY top layer of your print, which is the actual print/color itself! That is a thin, almost translucent layer and it will be very tear-prone and difficult to work with. The paper should peel more or less “in half,” leaving you a less-thick photo print with a non-slick back.

Now use your Mod Podge or gel medium to adhere your designs to your plate. Here are a few tips:

If you are NOT using a clear plate, adhere the designs on top (obviously). If you ARE using a clear plate, you can choose whether to adhere on top, or underneath so they show through the plate. If you choose to put your designs on the bottom of the plate, brush the FRONT of the print with adhesive before putting it in place. (This may require more drying time.)
You can layer your designs if desired, and cover as much or as little of the plate as you want, but be aware of the surface texture of the plate. If you plan to use it (instead of just display and admire!) you may want to maintain a fairly smooth surface; too much layering may make it bumpy.
Avoid trying to place large sheets on curved areas of the plate. I wanted a backing mat behind my center block, but the curves of the plate made it difficult to get the larger paper to lay flat. If you have curves on your plate, try working with smaller collaged pieces instead.
If you decorate around the rim, place your edge designs just under the rim of the plate. Mine had a small but defined ridge around the rim; I placed my word boxes right under that ridge.

After adhering each piece to your plate, hold a folded paper towel firmly over the piece, and rub or burnish firmly with a fingertip to press it smooth. This should help eliminate air bubbles, and will help make sure all the edges and corners of your paper are flat. Just be careful not to shift your papers while the adhesive is wet.

Give your papers a few minutes to dry, then brush a finishing coat of Mod Podge or gel medium over the top of each piece.

The adhesive will dry clear, so you can brush it over the entire plate if you wish, but expect some brushmark texture and possibly a matte finish (depending on whether you’re using a glossy or matte Mod Podge or gel medium). I preferred to keep the glossy, clear glass as much as possible.

Don’t worry about getting adhesive on the glass or ceramic part, though; just use a folded paper towel to clean up the edges while the adhesive is still wet. Once it’s dry, you can also use a damp paper towel and a bit of elbow grease to remove excess adhesive.

Add a second topcoat if desired, and let dry thoroughly.

A couple of notes:

If you adhered papers on top of the plate, you should use it only for dry foods (like matzohs!), so the plate can be easily brushed off, rather than requiring deep cleaning.
Even if you adhered your papers on the bottom of your clear plate, it is a hand-wash only item, and should be wiped off gently (not submerged, soaked, or scrubbed!).
Or don’t use it at all, just find a prominent place to display it, and enjoy!

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday weekend for all your springtime celebrations!

Decoupaged Passover Plate

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