Friday, October 12, 2012

Frugal Cake Plates for $2 or Less


Remember the cake plates I used in several post vignettes?
You don't?
Then hop over to: Thrifty Cloches

Every time I use pieces from my cake plate collection, I get emails from people wishing they, too, had those "beautiful cake plates"--but "just can't afford them". . . .Well, here's the good news. . . . You can!!!!. . . .

It's true the ones I used in the posts are real cake plates, but they are recent buys. . . .Before my collection, I made my own cake plates for baked goods and vignettes. . . for the kitchen, bath, and bedroom. . . . .
I decided one day this week to see if I still had the knack for it. . . .


The idea came to me when I was going down an aisle at Dollar Tree and saw the prettiest glass plate--something I didn't need--but I love pretty glass. Christmases Past flashed through my head, when I'd craft cake plates and candy dishes for homemade cookies and candy gifts from yard sale finds.

I  ended up purchasing the glass plate, a glass candle plate, and a glass candlestick for $1 each. At a local thrift store, I purchased two milk glass bud vases for 20 cents each, a glass candlestick for 25 cents, a vintage china plate for 50 cents, and a plain white dessert plate for 50 cents.  I was well on my way to four frugal cake plates. . . .

I'm sure if I checked my cabinets, I could have found plenty of parts and pieces,
but you have to remember--my kitchen is all torn up. . . .I can't get to those cabinets. . . .


I brought everything home, washed them in soapy water, rinsed first with a little vinegar water, and then with  just plain water. All I had to do was glue them together!  What could be simpler?

I used E6000, available at craft stores, but if you want a more permanent bond, I recommend you use the two part clear epoxy for glass. It will hold up much longer and you can safely wash the cake plate by hand. (If you plan to place a real cake on it, use the epoxy.)  Let the glue cure for a day or two before using. That's all there is to it! Trust me, no one will know you didn't pay $25 for your "beautiful cake plate"!


 These two are spitting images of a couple in my collection. . . .
Let's see. . . .the one on the left cost $2. . . .
the one on the right--with the pretty plate--totaled $1.25. . . .


 I added a cloche to the smaller one--a $1 cheese cover. . . .
That brings the total cost to $3. . . 
Not bad. . . .
Won't it be a pretty gift with fudge stacked underneath the cloche. . . .
and red ribbon tied around. . . .


 I thought milk glass and china might be a  pretty combination. . . .
When I spotted the bud vases in the thrift store, I decided to make a couple of white cake plates. . . .
Total cost for each--70 cents. . . .


 They would be pretty in the bedroom. . . .
I could use them to display gloves, jewelry, and other vintage items. . . .
Or, in the bath for soaps and toiletries. . . .


I think my favorites are still the ones of clear glass. . . .just can't beat that sparkle. . . .

You can bet I'll be looking for more possibilities as I go through boxes in storage. . . . In fact, I still have a few boxes to take to Goodwill from the summer. . . Maybe I should go through them again?

from my farmhouse to yours. . . .
The Farmer's Daughter

Sharing this post with : * Farm Girl Friday * Rural Thursday * Make It Pretty Monday * Homestead Barn Hop
* Mop It Up Monday

30 comments:

Unknown said...

I've made a few of the smaller ones using odd plates found while thrifting. I think I'll try the clear ones too. Yours look beautiful. Thanks for the inspiration.

Amy Kinser said...

I love your cake plates!!!

Carlene @ Organized Clutter said...

Great tip, Dru. The cake plates are fabulous in your vignettes.

The Cranky said...

What a brilliant idea; thanks for sharing!

Grandma Barb's This and That said...

The glass cake plates are beautiful, but I like the milk glass ones too!

Old Time Cindy said...

I also make cake plates. I started when I had a mix of unmatched glassware from an auction.

Deborah@Green Willow Pond said...

Your cake plates turned out so pretty! I like the clear glass best too, but the white is also nice. I need to make me some of these :)

Deborah

Unknown said...

These would indeed make such fantastic Christmas gifts!! If I can part with them that is :-)
Cheers, Gee

cynthia lee designs said...

Love your cake plates...so pretty!! I made one...it is a white ironstone plate and I glued it to a sliver candlestick. These are fun to do up and make wonderful gifts.
~Cindy

Anne said...

Beautiful cake plates! Such inspiration!
xx
Anne

Florida Farm Girl said...

What great creations!! I actually have a whole box of cake stands that I bought up in Door County, Wisconsin and NOWHERE to display them!!!!

Custom Comforts said...

Love your idea and what a great gift with a batch of cookies.
Cindy

Anne Birdsong said...

Hi, I’m Anne from Life on the Funny Farm (http://annesfunnyfarm.blogspot.com), and I’m visiting from the barn hop.

This is SO clever! Never would have thought of this, and they look fantastic! My hat's off to you...

Anyway, it’s nice to “meet” you! Hope you can pop by my blog sometime to say hi…

Casandra said...

I just love your cake plates! They are beautiful and such an easy project. I'm going to pin this---thanks for sharing and inspiring!

Lisa/Fresh Eggs Daily Farm Girl said...

New fan here! I just found you through Homestead Revival. I love this post and hope you will come share at my Farm Girl Blog Fest: http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/10/farm-girl-blog-fest-4.html

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson said...

Dru I too love making these cake stands. They are so versatile and fun. I have given quite a few to my girls. My oldest daughter just sprayed one black for Halloween. It turned out very cute.
Hugs,
Jann

JES said...

What a lovely blog you have! I love this idea :) and am partial to milk glass myself. Found you at Homestead Revival!

Heide at ApronHistory said...

I have seen this idea a few places and would love to try it! You are certainly inspiring me!

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

WHat an excellent gift! I'll have to keep my eye out when I hit the thrift stores!

Tanya Breese said...

you are so creative, what a great gift idea! the milk glass reminds me of my grandma :)
i'm going to pin this!

carol l mckenna said...

Sooooo creative and frugal ~ lovely work ~ (A Creative Harbor) ^_^

Anonymous said...

These are lovely.

Candy C. said...

These are FABULOUS!! Thanks for sharing! :)

Nancy said...

So crafty, clever and beautiful. xo

Kathryn Ferguson Griffin said...

Super pretty and super smart! Thank you for sharing this at my Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. You will be one of the features, so stop on by and pick up a button. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

akawest said...

Everything looks so pretty. I especially like the scalloped glass cake plate.
Your newest follower, Lisa
akawest.com

Pam said...

Your cake plates are absolutely wonderful!!! What great little gifts! Are they easily washed (by hand I'm sure)? Thank you so much for this great idea!! I go to thrift shops all the time, I will now be looking at the glassware more carefully!!
Pam

Unknown said...

These are absolutely gorgeous! I'm going to have to make a trip to the thrift store and see If I can get lucky. Where did you get the Dome? Was that also a thrift store find?

Rosemary and Thyme said...

What an amazing idea. The cake plates are just gorgeous... Glad I found you through The Dedicated House. Congrats on your feature.

Kathy Shea Mormino, The Chicken Chick said...

Hello! I’m stopping in to invite you to join us at the Clever Chicks Blog Hop this week!
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/11/clever-chicks-blog-hop-7-country-craft.html

I hope to see you there!
Cheers!
Kathy
The Chicken Chick

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