I'd been looking for a great cupcake stand that I can use for any party at all, so I came up with making one with thrift store finds, like a lot of bloggers have done in the past.
I found 3 circular glass plates and tried getting three that would go "together" but weren't matching. The bottom plate is very big, over 16" in diameter. I toyed with the idea of spray painting the stand pieces different fun colors but in the end decided that I wanted the cupcakes and their details to be front and center on the stand, so I left the stand clear glass.
First, I had to try out Gorilla Glue. This stuff is so easy to work with. I love the screw-on cap *Gorilla Glue didn't pay me to say that, by the way. I just love their stuff!
The directions say to dampen the boding surfaces. So I wet a paper towel and lightly passed over the bottom of the plates and the bottom of the candlestick. I am putting the candlesticks upside down, which gives the added benefit of leaving more space for the cupcakes on each tier.
Then I put the thin layer of glue on the candlestick bottom, and put that down on the underside of each plate. They say to use a thin layer because the glue will expand as it dries. A little goes a long way. Then I also followed the directions and used a weight to press down on the candlestick so that it would bond better. In this case my weights were kitchen pantry items. Sorry I don't own a set of flat free weights. Hahaha!
Now the waiting begins: 3-4 hours for it to set up. I decided to only glue the candlesticks to one plate, so that I can take the stand apart and store it more easily.
One lesson learned, Gorilla Glue does not dry clear. I don't mind it since I could easily put a colored napkin on the top and middle plates to cover the ring, and of course cupcakes will also be displayed. But if you are meticulous and can't handle the off-white ring, then use super glue.
And, for reference, these candlesticks separates the tiers quite a bit more than the average cupcake stand, which I love, because I can pile up icing and make little cupcake toppers. Ooh, cupcake toppers, I can't wait to show you those!
Here's more about the Up, Up, and Away Party:
1: Airplane Ticket Invitations
2: Pretend Passport Activity
3: Airplane Glider & Crocheted Kite Party Favors
2024 Holiday Gift Guides
4 hours ago
Sam | June 14, 2012 at 10:06 PM
I need this for Alyvia's birthday!!
I can't believe I lost your blog - so glad to have found you again :) Millie is adorable! I can not wait to see how her first party was. And I love the reusable items (kite banner, table cloth). I want to get some of these things made so we can have a Happy Birthday stash to keep reusing :)
Rebecca | June 15, 2012 at 8:32 AM
Thanks Sam! It really was so easy to make :) Glad you found me again too. And I'm really working up the energy to keep posting and get the rest of the pictures online! I'm so slow!!!