5 Temporary Cake Stand DIYs

If you are the kind of person that loves to throw a party, then you most likely have some sort of "party box" or shelf in your closet that's devoted to party supplies. I had a party shelf, then a box, then two boxes, then more shelves, so I decided it was time to downsize a bit and keep the size a little more manageable. One thing that was taking up a lot of space was serving dishes for cakes/desserts. So I thought it would probably be a good idea to have a few temporary cake stand ideas on hand so I could still have display options for gatherings, but keep less items in my party box the rest of the year. Here's a few of my favorites:

Make a stand out of cardboard and paper: For this stand I bought two sizes of round cardboard cake boards (in the baking section of most craft stores) and used a glue gun to attach scalloped bulletin board border trim around the edges. Then, I cut 2 pieces of round foam (one shorter for the bottom and one taller for the top), covered those in the same color paper and glued them onto the cake boards to create tiers. 

Use a scalloped pie or tart pan: If you love cake stands with frilly edges, try using a tart, quiche or wavy-edged pie pan as the top of your cake stand. Just pick up an inexpensive candlestick holder at your local dollar store for the base and paint it to match whatever color your pie pan is. Use some museum putty to create a strong (but temporary) bond between the two while you use it as a cake stand. Then you can separate the items and use them for their original purpose again once the party is over.

Make a plastic cake stand: One trip to the dollar store and you can snag a plastic wine glass (or margarita glass for a larger base) and plastic plate or charger to temporarily support your cake masterpiece. Just hot glue the base of the glass to the underside of the plate, spray paint if desired, and you're ready to add your treats on top!

Use terra cotta pots: For this stand, choose a small, but tall, terra cotta pot and glue it to the underside of the saucer for a much larger pot (you can flip the saucer over or use it right side up if you want ridges on the sides of your stand). You can leave the natural finish on the terra cotta, or you can paint the pot with a white primer spray first and then paint it any color you wish.

Turn items you already have into a cake stand: Since you can use a removable adhesive like museum putty (or even sticky tack works pretty well) to temporarily join items, try using a plate that you already own (maybe with a pattern or picture) as the top of your cake stand. You can attach it to an upside down jar, cup or candlestick holder, and then return all items to their rightful place once the party is over. Nice!

Just remember, if you are serving something that's not already in a wrapper (like a cupcake), you may not want to put food directly on non-food safe surfaces. So just use wax paper or something else underneath the food when serving. And once the party is over, be sure to recycle any parts of  your stands that you're not keeping.

I'm so glad that there are lots of cute options for quick and temporary cake stands. Now I can have a little more breathing room in my party supplies without having to compromise on style when the next party comes around. Have you made cake stands out of anything unusual? xo. Laura

Credits// Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess Actions.