DIY Cannabis Leaf Plates

I’m not super into going thrifting but I‘ve managed to find a few places that I can check out on a regular basis when I’m in the market for things to get crafty on. During one of my trips I found some clear plates and serving trays. I immediately thought of the cannabis leaves I had dried and knew they would make a great accent to the plates.

This project only works with clear plates because the mod podge that you’ll use to adhere the leaf to the plate can go on the underside. With your decorative addition on the bottom, you don’t have to worry about it coming into contact with your food. There may be food safe options, but I think this way is the safest bet since you won't have to worry about the seal breaking down and compromising the food on it. Now let's get into how to DIY cannabis leaf plates!

In addition to the clear plates, you'll also need dried leaves. I used some cannabis leaves that I dried after I harvested my grow, but any leaves you can get your hands on will work. If you've got a clear serving tray and some colorful leaves, that would make for some excellent autumnal decor. If you need any guidance on exactly how to dry your leaves, you can check out the Highly Crafty blog post here: https://www.highlycrafty.com/post/diy-dried-cannabis-leaves it has all the steps you'll need to get your leaves dried and ready for craft projects.

Once your leaves are all dried you can start planning your design. The size of your plates and the size of your leaves will determine the design options you have. My plates were smaller and most of my leaves were small, so it worked out to one leaf per plate. You can always do a collage of leaves or some other design, just be sure to test out options before you start adding your Mod Podge so you're not locked into something you don't like.

After you've decided on a design, you're ready to start the Mod Podge process. I wanted to make my plates as durable as possible, so I used a fairly thick layer in my application process. I started of with a layer of Mod Podge, then I added the leaf I wanted by pressing it firmly into place and letting it dry (if you don't press the leaves down firmly enough then you might end up with air bubbles like I did!). Once it was dry then I went back over the leaf with a few more coats of Mod Podge, letting each coat dry before putting on another. Be sure to use nice neat strokes and try to keep them even so that you're not left with clumps.

Once you've glued all your leaves, then you're pretty much done! After they're totally dry you have the option to add a sealer, but it's not a necessity. Since the design is on the bottom and has multiple coats, it can easily stand up to a hand washing, but if you want it dishwasher safe you might need to look into a special sealant. I plan on mostly using my plates for parties or dinners, neither of which I host very often, so they don't need to be super durable. If you want them to be your everyday dinnerware then I would definitely suggest researching ways to make it stand up to more wear and tear. Let me know if you try this project, I would love to see the different leaves and designs you come up with!

Happy Crafting!