The Easiest DIY Plate Chargers Ever: No Sewing or Painting

Make 4 fabric chargers for less than $10 and in under 15 minutes – seriously the easiest DIY plate chargers you will ever make!

Fall tablescape in blue and white with orange tulips and DIY plate chargers made of fabric.

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The Easiest DIY Plate Chargers Ever: No Sewing or Painting. Make 4 fabric chargers for less than $10 and in under 15 minutes. Learn how on penderandpeony.com

This fall I could not find placemats or plate chargers that I liked for my fall tablescape. It was one of those supremely annoying moments where I knew the look I wanted but couldn’t verbalize what that was or figure out how to achieve it. Then I stumbled into the cake baking aisle in the craft store!

Suddenly, looking at the cake boards it came to me – fabric covered chargers! The cake boards were the perfect size, and I knew just the fabric I wanted to use. In fact, I already had it at home in my fabric scrap bin.

These are seriously the easiest DIY plate chargers you will ever make!

Featured on Hometalk.com

gold fabric DIY plate charger on blue and white autumn table.

See how the autumn tablescape turned out here!

Materials for the DIY Plate Chargers:

  • 1 Yard of Fabric
  • Iron
  • Pack of Cake Boards – you can get a pack of 8 from amazon!
  • Scissors
  • Hot Glue Gun and Glue


Steps to Make the DIY Plate Chargers:

No. 1 Iron Fabric then spread on flat surface and layout cake boards.

No. 2 Cut fabric around each cake board, allowing about 1 inch of fabric to fold over and glue.

No. 3 Heat up hot glue gun and glue fabric to cake board. Start with 4 points: top and bottom and each side. Pull fabric slightly to stretch evenly across board. Don’t pull too hard or you will bend the board or crease the edges.

diy-plate-chargers-step-3

No. 4 Next glue down 4 points in between previously glued spots. Then move around circle gluing fabric down.

diy-plate-chargers-step-4

No. 5 Clean off any glue strings, and you are done! Seriously, that’s it!

diy-plate-chargers-step-5

 

Cost: 4 Chargers at $9.84 ($2.46 per charger)

  • $5.99 Cake Boards- 6 count
  • $5.00 Fabric
  • $3.99 Mini Glue Sticks- 18 count

As you can see, I left my chargers clean and simple, but you could easily dress them up by adding a ruffle or fun trim to the edge.

See how I used these DIY plate chargers in this fall tablescape!

Autumn tablescape with budget friendly pumpkin centerpiece, Mason's ironstone, striped table runner, glass hurricanes, fall florals, and copper mugs.

Seriously, these chargers are so versatile, I used them again on this glam Halloween table!

Glam Halloween table set with copper mugs, leopard print runner, dramatic orange and yellow florals, glass pumpkins, and spooky crows.

 

Pin this for later:

supplies for DIY plate chargers, steps to make, and finished chargers.

 

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30 Comments

  1. Set an Elegant Autumn Table - Pender & Peony on October 6, 2016 at 10:55 am

    […] what is under that linen and how easy a DIY this was, but I’ve got my steps to make them in a post here! No worries non-crafters this is the DIY for you – there is no sewing! Two words for you: […]

  2. KayC @ The Falling Feather Farm on October 6, 2016 at 3:06 pm

    What a great idea! I’m going to have to try to make these chargers for my Christmas tablescape. Thanks for the inspiration.

    • Katherine on October 6, 2016 at 3:12 pm

      Thanks KayC! These are so simple, I cannot believe I didn’t think of this sooner! Have fun with your Christmas DIY.

  3. Lauri M on October 6, 2016 at 3:09 pm

    Great DIY — and the possibilities are endless! Thanks for sharing.

    • Katherine on October 6, 2016 at 3:14 pm

      Seriously endless! I’m already planning on doing this again, and I have to add a fun trim to the edge this time.

  4. Victoria @DazzleWhileFrazzled on October 7, 2016 at 9:36 am

    LOVE this idea! Chargers is the one thing I never got on my wedding registry all those years ago and I’ve never gotten around to purchasing them. I love this idea to cheaply make chargers for all sorts of occasions. Visiting from Remodelaholic.

    • Katherine on October 7, 2016 at 9:47 am

      Thanks Victoria! You can find reasonably priced ones out there, but these are so cheap, easy and customizable!

  5. Sam @ Raggedy Bits on October 8, 2016 at 11:56 pm

    What a brilliant idea!! These turned out fabulous Katherine! I love that they were so simple to make and you can do anything with them! Possibilities are endless!!

    • Katherine on October 9, 2016 at 11:33 am

      Yes, I think that is the best part, and it doesn’t take much fabric!

  6. […] Pender & Peony shared how she made these lovely plate chargers.  No painting or sewing required.  Stop by to pick up the tutorial. […]

  7. thededicatedhouse on October 12, 2016 at 9:36 am

    What a great idea to use cake boards! Thank you for sharing. You are one of the features at The Round-Up from the Before & After Wednesday party at The Dedicated House. Here is the link to The Round-Up. http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2016/10/round-wednesday.html Happy Fall day to you! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

    • Katherine on October 13, 2016 at 9:03 am

      Thanks, so excited to be featured!

  8. Host a Halloween Dessert Party - Pender & Peony on October 20, 2016 at 10:07 am

    […] I couldn’t resist making my DIY chargers again. They are made with fabric and cake boards. Learn how to make these chargers here. […]

  9. Nancy Pierce on October 23, 2016 at 2:17 pm

    or mod podge paper napkins on for all the different holidays

    • Katherine on October 24, 2016 at 8:47 am

      Oh! I like that idea!

  10. Becky Jones on October 23, 2016 at 2:36 pm

    I am going to take this one step further and cover my cake board with clear plastic wrap over the fabric. I donate cakes for a local school fall festival every year and they are auctioned off. What a great way to make my cake stand out!

    • Katherine on October 24, 2016 at 8:48 am

      Great idea!

  11. Bonnie on October 23, 2016 at 5:45 pm

    I love it but I am so frugal that I will cut circles out of corrugated boxes.

    • Katherine on October 24, 2016 at 8:48 am

      Thanks Bonnie! Go for it. I would never be able to get an even edge.

  12. Carol Matthews on June 6, 2018 at 2:25 pm

    Brilliant! Thank you!!!

    • Katherine on June 7, 2018 at 5:38 am

      Absolutely Carol. Thanks for visiting!

  13. […] actually made the fabric chargers. See how in this post no sewing or painting […]

  14. […] DIY Chargers – that’s right I made the chargers! […]

  15. Lisa B. on November 10, 2018 at 12:14 pm

    So now everyone knows my closely held secret to custom charger plates! LOL! I will often glue a ribbon ruffle to the outside edge, or trim with upholstery gimping, braiding, or ric rac. I use spray adhesive to glue the top surface to keep the fabric from shifting and then glue the edges of the fabric to the back using clothes pins to hold it in place as I glue around the edges. I have also covered boards in pretty pastel colored fabric and then covered them again with lace -very pretty for a bridal shower charger. One year for Thanksgiving I base painted the cake boards in copper colored spray paint, then covered them in burlap and added a natural hemp rope around the outside edge for a very rustic look over my deep brown tablecloth.

    • Katherine on November 11, 2018 at 6:52 am

      Wow! Lisa those all sound like really pretty chargers! Thanks for stopping by.

  16. […] idea is from Pender and Peony. For more tips & the original tutorial, check out her post here […]

  17. Vanessa on January 24, 2021 at 12:41 am

    Hi there! What size were you chargers and how many fit on 1 yard of fabric? Making my on wedding chargers! Thanks for your post! -V

    • Katherine on January 25, 2021 at 8:41 am

      Hi. I made 4 chargers with 1 yard of fabric. Each charger is 14″ diameter. Best, Katherine

  18. Frances on January 2, 2022 at 12:41 am

    This is such a great idea! I can’t wait to make some chargers.

    • Katherine on January 19, 2022 at 5:57 pm

      Thanks! Enjoy!

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