License Plate Decor Ideas: Two Easy DIY Projects Using Vintage Vanity Plates

If you’re looking for unique and easy license plate decor, these two simple DIY projects are full of charm and sentiment.

I repurposed a set of vintage vanity plates—my dad’s old “Tennis Anyone” tags—into a fun indoor hat rack and an outdoor wall display for our backyard.

These quick license plate display ideas are a creative way to add personality and a little nostalgia to any space.

Vanity License Plates with Sentimental Style

What Are Vanity License Plates?

Vanity license plates—also called personalized or custom plates—are specialty plates that allow vehicle owners to display a unique combination of letters and numbers. Whether it’s a name, hobby, or witty phrase, these plates turn an ordinary vehicle tag into a creative, personal statement. And in my case, they’ve become the foundation for some of my favorite vintage decor DIYs.

DABBLING: A Vanity Plate for Our Vintage VW Fastback

Our appreciation for vanity plates extends beyond home decor. On our 1968 VW Fastback, we proudly display a personalized antique plate that reads DABLING—a playful nod to the name of this blog and the vintage lifestyle we love so much. Whether we’re cruising to antique shops or photographing flea market finds, this little detail always makes us smile.

10SNE1: My Dad’s Vanity Plate Legacy

While cleaning out an old shed on our property in coastal Maine, I stumbled upon a pair of my father’s vintage vanity license plates—1-0-S-A-N-Y-1 and 1-0-S-N-E-1. If you’re wondering what they stand for, I’ll let you guess for now… but tennis lovers might catch on quick! My dad was an avid tennis player, still hitting the courts into his mid-80s, so discovering these plates was a joy.

Why I Created This Post

This project started with a discovery: my dad’s old “Tennis Anyone” vanity plates, tucked away in a shed on our Maine property. As someone who loves decorating with meaningful, vintage pieces, I knew I wanted to find a way to honor his memory and love for tennis through something creative. These license plate decor projects are more than just DIYs—they’re about weaving personal history into the fabric of our home in a way that’s both charming and sentimental. And now a license plate decor DIY was in the making.

Looking for vintage plates for your own DIY project? This site offers a great selection of old license plates by state and style.

How to Make a License Plate DIY Hat Rack

Looking for a unique way to repurpose an old vanity plate? This license plate DIY hat rack is an easy and meaningful project that adds charm to any room. I created it using one of my dad’s vintage Maine plates, a few cottage-style hooks, and a painted backboard to tie it all together.

Hat Rack Hooks

To start, I searched Etsy for the perfect vintage hooks—and found a lovely set from Parkwood Treasures that had just the right white, cottage-style vibe. Even better, they came with their original mounting screws, which made installation a breeze. These antique wire hooks add so much charm and authenticity to the finished rack.

There are so many vintage wire hooks available online—you can find everything from ornate brass to painted cast iron. It’s a fun little hunt!

Paint a Backboard

For the base of the hat rack, I used an old wooden board and painted it in a custom antique blue to match the bedroom trim. The color feels both coastal and classic—a perfect complement to the red, white, and blue tones of the Maine Vacationland vanity plate I used.

I’ve included the custom paint formula here if you want to duplicate it. It’s a beautiful shade of antique blue. Painting the board adds a clean, polished backdrop that lets the license plate and hooks shine.

Looking for more vintage-inspired bedroom decorating ideas? Here are five favorite posts that will help you bring charm, character, and cozy style to any bedroom space:

Mount the License Plate Decor and Hooks

Once the vintage hooks arrived, I attached the vanity plate to the center of the painted board and spaced three of the four hooks evenly below it. It came together quickly and easily, and the combination of metal, paint, and aged patina gives the whole piece a vintage Americana feel.

This step is totally customizable—you could use more hooks or add a second plate if you want to go bigger.

Hang Your License Plate DIY Hat Rack

To hang the rack in our guest bedroom, I used two sturdy Command Strips to avoid any wall damage (and for easy repositioning later). Just like that, the hat rack became a piece of functional wall art—ready to hold baseball caps, straw hats, or even a sun visor or two.

The final touch? A cheeky nod to the plate’s hidden message:
Tennis anyone?

License Plate Wall Decor DIY with Twine: An Easy Outdoor Project

How to Make Hanging License Plate Wall Art

After creating the DIY hat rack, I found two more decorative vanity license plates tucked away in my dad’s old shed—this time featuring his initials: KVC. With three plates now in hand, I decided to turn them into a hanging license plate wall decor piece using nothing more than twine and a few simple knots. This is a flexible project—you can use two plates or even five depending on your collection—and it’s a great way to repurpose license plates into nostalgic outdoor art.

DIY Instructions

Here’s how to make your own license plate wall hanging:

Once finished, I hung this DIY license plate wall decor on the old cedar shake siding just outside our back door. It’s been proudly hanging there since July 2022—nearly three years!—and has weathered the seasons beautifully. I especially love how the plates pop against the natural texture of the cedar shakes.

If you’re a fan of that classic New England look, check out this post all about restoring old cedar shake siding for more inspiration.

I love the contrast with the old cedar shakes.

I hope today’s post gave you some fresh inspiration for license plate decor DIY projects—whether you’re displaying a piece of family history or just love the vintage vibe. Our vanity plate hat rack and license plate wall hanging are now daily reminders of my dad’s legacy and the little stories tucked into the details of our home.

Tennis Anyone~

Feeling inspired? I’d love to see how you’re repurposing old license plates into home decor. Share your project in the comments or tag me on Instagram—let’s keep the creativity rolling!

Pin forLater!

Shop This Post

This post may contain affiliate links, which won’t change your price but will share some commission.