Porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates were prepared by a two-step aluminum anodic oxidation process. Nanowires, microspheres, and hexagonal nanoplates of PbO were successfully prepared by an improved sol–gel method combined with AAO templates. On the anodized external surface and the surface-dissolved barrier layer of AAO, hexagonal nanoplates of PbO with a diameter of 2 μm and a thickness of 100 nm and microspheres of PbO with a diameter of 400 nm were obtained, respectively, where hexagonal patterns and circular patterns of the external surface appearance of AAO acted as templates. Nanowires with a diameter of 80 nm and a length of 10 μm were also synthesized within the pores of AAO, consistent with the diameters and thicknesses of the pores. All of the samples were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction pattern.