Light Switch & Plug-In Plate Covers: How to Create Unique Vintage Styles

There are lots of guides for making creative switch and plug-in plate covers, but there's a quick and easy method that does not require artsy-crafty know-how, artistic ability, or expensive supplies.

In fact, you probably already have all the items you'll need to create unique, beautiful switch plate covers for gifts, to sell, or simply and wonderfully for your own decorative purposes.

Below are a list of things you'll need, some ideas, and finally, directions for making vintage style plate covers.

Supplies

Pencil

Light switch/plug-in plate covers

Vintage paper

Mod Podge

Paintbrush (craft size)

Old credit card or similar object

Scissors and fingernail scissors

Before I give you the instructions, I have some notes about the supplies. First, let's talk about the light switch plate. This method will work on any type of plate: single, multiple, or dimmer plates. It also works with plug-in covers. The directions herein apply to any of these types of plate covers.

Just make sure the cover plates you choose are completely smooth, flat, clean, and made of the standard plastic. If you are using your own existing switch plates, note that older types are often rigdged, deckled, metal, or otherwise textured. These types cannot be used with this method. Luckily, Home Depot sells 10-packs of plain switch plate covers (including all hardware) for under $4.00.

Next, the vintage papers. This is the best and most creative part, because there are so many possibilities. My personal favorite source of vintage papers for plate covers are Life Magazines from the 1940s. The advertisements are a goldmine.

It is possible to make several dozen switch plates from just one of these old magazines. Vintage ads for contemporary items like Ritz Crackers, Crisco, Campbell's Soup, Green Giant canned vegetables, and the like are gems. Also frequently found are ads for 40s-era films, toiletry products, furniture, lingerie, photos of celebrities, etc.

Other ideas include old fold-out maps, dictionaries and encyclopedias, wrapping paper, sheet music and very old paper record covers, cookbooks, and old novels with decorative endpapers, frontispieces, illustrations, or just pertinent literary passages. Children's books and illustrated Cherry Ames and Nancy Drew-style young adult books are another goldmine, as are any classic children's books with images.

Vintage ephemera such as handwritten letters and notes, business ledgers, receipts, envelopes with old postmarks and stamps are also great sources of papers to use. Many of these items may already be in your possession, but if not, can easily be found in thrift stores, yard sales, and flea markets for next to nothing. And, these ideas are only a beginning-nothing is off limits.

The most important thing about selecting your paper is that it is not too fragile, thin, thick, or brittle. When selecting vintage papers, the ideal paper thickness is that of regular printer paper-but a bit thinner or thicker will be suitable.

Mod Podge is a type of decoupage glue that is easily found in craft stores and craft sections of stores like Wal-mart and Target, and costs under $5.00. It comes in glossy or matte, and either type is suitable, and just a matter of preference. I prefer the matte when working with vintage papers.

Directions

On a flat surface, place the switch plate over the exact area of the vintage paper you wish to use. Using the pencil, lightly trace the entire outline of the switch plate, including the middle section (the place for the actual switch.)

Cut this shape out of the paper, using the regular scissors for the perimeter. For the smaller switch area, begin cutting by making a hole in the middle of the area, and then cutting the borders with the smaller fingernail scissors. Ignore the areas where the screws go-don't cut them out.

When finished cutting, you should have a representation of a switch plate shape. It will be slightly larger than the actual switch plate, which is desirable.

Next, on a flat working surface (covered with newspaper-it can be a little messy) brush on a thin coat of Mod Podge onto the switch plate. Make sure you cover the entire front, and the edges-the outer perimeter, and the inner edges in the switch area.

Now, apply the vintage paper cutout. You will be able to move it a little once it's touching the switch plate, to ensure an exact placement. Once it's in place, use the credit card (or similar bladelike implement) to flatten the paper, getting rid of any air or glue bubbles.

Next, using your fingers, fold the corners down (in the same manner in which you get the corners smooth when wrapping a box with wrapping paper) and tuck the slightly overhanging paper edges over the switch plate edge. Use this same technique for the inner switch or plug area. The paper may very slightly tear a bit-this is normal, and will usually not be visible.

Now, apply a coat of Mod Podge over the surface of the vintage paper. Use the same technique again, at the edges and corners-folding the corners and tucking the paper under. This is usually the trickiest part- and sometimes takes a bit of extra care and manipulation.

Allow the glue to dry completely on a non-paper surface, because any residual glue will dry and possibly adhere to whatever surface it is drying upon. The bond will not be very strong, so a metal, wood, or plastic surface will not be a problem once dry. If it is stuck, use a butter knife to gently pry it off.

The switch plate can now be considered finished, but I recommend a second coat of Mod Podge for added stability and durability. Simply apply another coat of the glue and let dry as before. This time, you don't have to worry about folding the corners and tucking.

To insert the screws, simply poke them through the paper from the back of the switchplate, so you see exactly where to place them from the front. If there are tiny pieces of paper hanging from the 'poke', simply cut them away carefully with the fingernail scissors before placing the screws in. My experience, however, is that the paper from the hole gets 'trapped' between the plate and the screw, leaving it safely in place and unexposed.

If you are making the plates to sell or as gifts, you may either affix the screws to the plate or leave them loose. Either way, some sort of small bag will be in order, since the screws could fall out of the holes. If you leave the holes unpoked, directions for doing so will be in order.

The last step is obvious--attach the fabulous vintage-style plate cover to the wall over the fixture. That's it!