Tin Plates

Smart Design : Episode SDN-206 -- More Projects »
PHOTO

Figure A
Tin plates (the notoriously lightweight dinnerware best known in its solid,unembellished form) have found a new role decorating walls and tabletops everywhere. Designers are now taking advantage of the functional attributes of tin and see it as a blank canvas waiting to be adorned.
  • The unbreakable and inexpensive aspects that make tin plates good for camping also appealed to the English masses in the 1700s (plentiful tin mines made them inexpensive and accessible to everyone).
  • Flowers, checks and fruit designs decorating tin plates and serving items today are a far cry from the plain blue and white speckled print of the past. Still practical, these are also beautiful. Tin plates can look like formal china and ceramic while others are whimsical or traditional (figure A).
  • The enamel powder coating on top of the tin makes it safe for dishwashers and knives. It looks like ceramic and most tin plates are perfectly safe to eat off of and can withstand the same treatment as ordinary plates.
  • Tin is an alternative to ceramic because it's much more durable but just as versatile. The practical advantages of tin over standard ceramic plates make them great for children and buffets since they're unbreakable and lightweight. Mix and match different items for a great tabletop display.
PHOTO

Figure B
  • Tin is such a functional material that its uses reach far beyond plates. Since it conducts heat, tea and coffee pots plus complementary creamers, sugars, serving plates and cake carriers can be made out of it. Most tin is oven-safe so it can be used to keep something warm until you're ready to serve it.
  • Reproductions of traditional china are the newest trend in tin plates. These designs were originally found in England as china patterns from different queens' dinnerware (figure B).
  • PHOTO

    Turn an old tin teapot into an illuminating candleholder.
    Tin Teapot Candleholder

    Materials:

    tin teapot
    votive candle
    metal hole punch

    Steps:

    1. Fill the teapot with water and allow it to freeze.

    2. Punch holes in the desired design and remove the ice/water when finished.

    3. Insert votive candle.

    Resources
    tin plates - Home Grown
    Home Grown
    393 W. Lancaster Ave.
    Haverford, PA 19041
    Toll-Free Phone: 800-356-7416
    Guests
    Elizabeth Bloom
    Owner, Home Grown
    393 W. Lancaster Ave.
    Haverford, PA 19041
    Toll-Free Phone: 800-356-7416
    Also in this Episode