{"id":2998,"date":"2019-09-26T19:51:03","date_gmt":"2019-09-27T03:51:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/makeitagarden.com\/?p=2998"},"modified":"2022-09-12T17:48:23","modified_gmt":"2022-09-13T01:48:23","slug":"how-to-drill-a-plate-for-garden-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/makeitagarden.com\/how-to-drill-a-plate-for-garden-art\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Drill a Plate for Garden Art"},"content":{"rendered":"
At craft shows, people always want to know how I attach my dish flowers to the stake. On display, they are only visible from the front. So, I turn the art piece around to show them how the plate is “drilled” and attached to the stake with a bolt. The word “drill” is rather shocking, so their next question is: “how do you do that without breaking the plate?” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Good question and precisely why I put this together for you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you’ve always wanted to make a dish flower for your own garden, or to sell at craft shows, this article gives you tips and tricks to drill a plate and the confidence to give it a try. I promise you it’s not as hard or complicated as it may seem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ll let you in on a little secret. I was terrified of drilling plates when I first started making dish flowers. I did a ton of research and was convinced it was the method to use. But I was afraid of breaking glass and cleaning up a mess. I didn’t know anything about tools either, and it seemed a little daunting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But my desire to make a pretty dish flower like the ones I had seen on Pinterest compelled me to keep looking around on the Internet and learning from others until I felt comfortable enough to give it a try myself. I happened across a few brilliant creators with a treasure trove of knowledge. I would have their names right here in lights, but at the time, I was years away from having this blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are several methods crafters use to attach a dish flower to the stake. Each artist has his or her own preferred method and reason for doing so. There’s no ‘right or wrong’, per se. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even so, I prefer the drill method. Why? Because all those glass or ceramic plates are heavy. Drilling allows the weight of the plates to rest on the bolt. The bolt is thick and it rests in two places –an entry and exit point– of a metal pipe giving more balance and security to the art piece. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep in mind that dish flowers are sculpture…not whirly gigs. The nut and bolt firmly hold the dish flower head piece in place so it doesn’t turn or sway from side to side in the wind, which could potentially damage it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That being said, there is more time and cost involved with the drilling method. Depending on the make up of a plate, it could take up to 20 minutes to drill a hole. Then you must drill a hole through the metal pipe to accommodate the flower head. It’s faster, easier and cheaper to just glue something like an upside down bottle or spoon to the backside of the plate to hang it on a pipe or piece of rebar. I include this for your consideration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To drill a plate requires a specialty drill bit. Also extra time and effort on your part to drill the hole. It requires extra hardware to attach the flower head to the post. Then drill a hole through the pipe. Therefore, at the craft market, my dish flowers may cost a bit more than those sold by another vendor, and that cost, as you will see, is justifiable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I used to use a 3\/16″ bolt when I first started, and it performed well enough. But now I prefer the thicker 1\/4″ bolts and think they handle the heavy head piece a little better. Especially when I use the larger diameter platters. Whatever you decide, just make sure that the bolt size matches the size of the drill bit you choose.<\/p>\n\n\n
Warning: This tutorial is only for a battery-powered drill. DO NOT use an electric<\/em> drill in or around water! It’s very dangerous. For this craft project use ONLY a battery powered drill.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n