DIY Cake Stand

Finding a gift my my mother is never an easy task.  So, when I come up with something - it's usually fantastic!  (Because I have spent months thinking about it!)

This year for my moms birthday I wanted to make her a cake stand.  Most of her serving pieces are in storage, and a cake stand is just something she has never had - at least not a nice one.  Then one day while walking through Kroger (of all places) trying to find a snack for AWANA, I found it.  I found the perfect dishes for her cake stand.  

Why are these perfect?  Because they are (nearly) identical to the china she got from my great grandmother years and years ago.  I had found some on eBay about eight years ago, and helped to expand her collection. These ones are clearly updated, but when all of the new and old dishes are on the table together, you can't tell which is which.  

I bought two plates - one is about 6", the other is about 8".  Then I got an inexpensive dollar store candle stick.  The hardest part was figuring out what to use to hold this project together.  I had found a similar project on Pinterest and someone recommended an epoxy glue.  The 'glue' section at Home Depot was an adventure in itself.  I ended up with an epoxy from Gorilla Glue.

First things first:  Using a large piece of paper, I traced both plates on a separate piece of paper, cut out the plate, and folded the paper twice - so I could find the exact middle of the plate.  Once the middle was found, I laid the paper template on the plate and pressed a sharpie into the center dot until it bled through to the plate.

I stuck the candle stick there to see if I liked it.  Then I mixed the epoxy.   The directions said to do it in something separate, but to keep the mess down, I used the candle stick itself.

Mix well so that the resin and other thing will hold well.

After letting it dry for about 30 minutes, I used my template and made my sharpie mark.  Then mix the resin in the other end of the candle stick and put the bottom plate on.  

HINT:  I am doing all of this 'upside down' so that gravity will help hold everything together and the glue is touching both the candle stick and the plate.  Use plenty of resin, and just quickly wipe up any that spills out - it does dry clear.

If you look close, you can see some bubbles, but the resin dries clear.  I am really messy, but didn't worry about leaving a big mess.

After about an hour, I thought about adding another candle stick.  I didn't like the way it looked, so I just left it off.

Allow to dry completely - overnight.  Not sure why this came out fuzzy, but it in person it looks fantastic.  Mom loved it as well.  When I gave it to her - cake on top and cupcakes on bottom at a surprise party - she was thrilled and loved that it matches her 'good dishes'.   

Now I need to make one for me!