Sure! Melamine plates make great dish flowers. Really, you can use just about anything! Believe it or not, my very first dish flowers were made from plastic and melamine plates. Silicone or epoxy (possibly even E-6000?) should work just fine, though you may have to experiment a bit. I discovered that Melamine does tend to fade over time out in the elements, but there should be several good years. Let me know if you have further questions. Have fun!

Wow…thanks so much! I really appreciate the feed back; helps me know if I’m on target.

In the article, I state that I do not use, nor recommend the hockey puck nor any gluing method. Some people have success with them, though. That’s why the others (bottle,spoon etc) are provided…but only as OPTIONS and alternative methods people could try if they didn’t want to drill. Since I have never personally used that method, I don’t know. But glue fails are common b/c of the weight of plates and glue softening in hot summer climates. (Do NOT use E-6000. This I know for sure!) Lots of people are intimidated by drilling (I was, too, at first) fearing broken glass, or not having the right tools. The hockey puck photo is used with permission from another source. I have no idea what glue was used. I have heard that many glues do not stick to the rubber that pucks are made of. It could be the heat of hot weather. You could try a 2 part epoxy, or silicone for exterior. You could research on-line for a glue that bonds to rubber or ask someone at the hardware store.

Do you use the same silicone glue on glass to attach the dish to the hockey puck ? Also, do you drill a hole on the puck to put the rebarb in?

Yeah, dishes are all made a little differently. Some don’t have a rim on the bottom at all, they are flat. So I buy plates I can use as spacers to have on hand if I need one. But I don’t always like the look when a plate is elevated. So I’ve learned how to grind the hole enough along the upper inside edge so the screw head sits flush. The alternative way to use a bolt is to insert it from the back to front and secure with a cabinet knob. You’d have to use a bolt the same diameter as the knob.

Hi Kris;
Thanks for the quick response! I was able to use a file to widen the hole abit. I think I can make it work. The problem is that the second plate has a shallow rim and is slightly concave down. My other plates seem to be fine.
Thanks for your help!

Your problem is one that happens from time to time and is probably the only downside to drilling. There are essentially two ways to work around it (unless you want to try a different top plate) 1) use a spacer plate between the two (the lowest rise one you can find). I have sometimes used a smaller, shallow-rise saucer or small dish face down over the top of the screw; then glue it all the way around with silicone. A clear glass saucer plate (if it’s a glass flower) OR white ceramic saucer for a ceramic flower. What this will do is make your dish flower 3D…more separation between the two plates. You just don’t want a huge gap, so look for a shallow rise dish of some kind, smaller than the diameter of the 2nd plate so it’s hidden behind it and not noticeable. 2) Counter sink the screw. This simply requires a bit more drilling (grinding) around the inside edge of your hole so the screw sits lower down in the plate almost flush..providing it’s thick glass or thick ceramic- like stoneware. Carpenters use this technique. It’s kind of a pain, but I have done it and it’s a good solution. Let me know how it goes, ok?