DIY Cupcake Stand Tutorial!

So, I am totally stuck in Wonderland as I prepare Little Miss's Very Merry Un-Birthday Tea Party for her 5th birthday. I've been having a ton of fun trying new crafts and projects to put a handmade twist without breaking the bank.

I decided that cupcake stands would be a fabulous touch for our snacks and treats for the party! Like I said I was keeping cost in mind when doing this project and am happy to report that since I used most things from around the house, I only spent about $7 for all three stands (for the spray paint) and have most of the cans left!

I will also admit that this was a trial and error process, but with the help of DH we figured it out. I am sure there are several other ways to achieve the same end, some of which may make more sense, but this worked for us!

On to the tutorial....

Supplies you will need....

Wood (about a 1/2 sheet)
Closet Dowel
tape measure
jigsaw
miter saw
bowls (to trace circles)
hot glue gun
screwdriver
screws
primer
spray paint (your choice of colors)
Ribbon (your choice)


Step 1: Start by giving your DH a big kiss on the cheek and bribe him into helping you cut and assemble your project. If you are hand with power tools, you can skip this step.

Step 2: Measure dowels to your preferred height (I used 5 inches) this is personal preference but make sure it is tall enough to clear whatever you will be putting on the stand....no one wants a smooshed cupcake! Cut one for a two layer stand, two for a three layer stand etc.



Step 3: Trace different sized bowls on to your choice of wood to give you a template to go by for each level of your stand. We used plywood because we had some left over from DH fitting the windows for hurricane season (woo hoo South Texas) if I were to do this project again I would fork out the extra money for better wood, but this works for our $7 project!



Step 4 (not pictured): Use a miter saw to cut the wooden dowels, tell your DH to be patient as he teaches you to use it.

Step 5: Get DH to cut the circles with a jigsaw. Please note that my husband is extremely daring, and sometimes reckless. I don't recommend using patio chairs to balance the wood, or putting your hand in front of the blade!







Step 6 (not pictured): Primer and Spray Paint your stands in the color of your choice.

Step 7: Screw the bottom layers of your stand together. Do this by measuring to find the center of each piece.




Step 8: Hot glue the top layer of the stand to the top dowel (you can screw this in but we used glue to avoid an unsightly screw in the top.



Step 9: Hot glue ribbon around the edge of each layer of your stand. Again I used ribbon I had at home and may have chosen something else but I wanted to make this a cheap DIY project.



Step 10: Glue ribbon around each dowel.

Step 11: Give your DH another big kiss and thank him for his help with your project!



Linked at
DIY Show Off
Between Naps on the Porch
Making The World Cuter