First Birthday Party - 4 - Cupcake Stand

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