Welcome to this week’s lovely Guest Post. This week, Zoe from Playing By The Book shares her delightful “How to make a shabby chic cake stand that even Kirsty Alsopp might be proud of!”. Shabby Chic is all the rage these days and I think this plate stand is fabulous. I spotted it a few month’s ago, when she Zoe did a wonderful post on wolves and tea parties and I *knew* she would have to make another as a guest post for you! It is thrifty. It is upcycled. And it is gorgeous. And whilst I have your attention, do go and visit Zoe’s wonderful “Playing By the Book” blog. She was one of the first to inspire my Kids Craft section, by combining books and activities with her girls. She knows her kids literature and is wonderfully crafty. What more could you want? If she inspired me, will she inspire you? Over to Zoe!
How to make your own Shabby Chic Cake Stand!
What you’ll need:
1. Source your plates and sherry glasses – charity shops or carboot sales are great for this. Choose three plates that complement each other
– perhaps all floral, or all blue and white. The top tier of the cake stand could even be a small bowl rather than a plate. Our plates and glasses cost us a total of £3.
2. Use the china glue to attach the two sherry glasses to the underside of the smallest plate and the medium plate, taking care to position the sherry glass in the middle (or near enough) of each plate. You might find it helpful to place the glasses on the plates first and draw round them so you have a guideline for where to place the glue. If you’re after a quick fix, hot glue will work, but it won’t make a strong cake stand that can be reused lots.
3. Once the glue is dry, assemble the stand by gluing the top plate and glass to the middle plate, and then the middle plate and glass to the bottom plate. Once again it can be useful to trace the position of your glass on the plate with a pencil before applying the glue.
4. Leave your cake stand overnight and then hold a tea party!
At Playing by the book we’re all about having fun with children’s books so here are some super books to whet your appetite for a tea party:
Miss Spider’s Tea Party By David Kirk
Let’s Have a Tea Party! by Emilie Barnes, illustrated by Michal Sparks
Flossie Crums: The Fairies Cupcake Ball by Helen Nathan
We’re also fond of dancing at Playing by the book so here’s a selection of lovely music to jiggle to whilst you have your tea party:
Tea Party by Frances England
Cookies and Milk also by Frances England (you can listen for free here on Zooglobble’s blog)
Tea Party by The Jimmies (you can hear the entire song for free here on The Jimmies’
Myspace page)
If you’ve any favourite children’s books or songs about having tea parties, I’d love to hear about them.
You see? You see?? Isn’t Zoe simply marvellous!? She is an incredible font of book and music knowledge and really should be your first stop on any Kid Lit tour… Thank you so much Zoe for sharing your fabulous Shabby Chic Cake Stand. I love them both. And now I am scouring the charity shops for our very own plates!
Zoe says
Thanks for having me Maggy! I hope you and I get to share a real life tea party one day.
Red Ted Art says
Zoe you are very welcome! And it is a huge pleasure to have you here… I know finding the plates wasn’t the most straightforward!!!
Finger’s crossed we do get to have that tea party one day soon!
susie @newdaynewlesson says
That is a really clever idea. Am amazed I never thought of it and it is so easy!
HELEN says
I’ve always wanted to make one of these but whenever I remember to look in the charity shop for plates they haven’t had any really pretty ones. Thanks for the link for the glue, that’s very helpful to know which to use.
Zoe says
Hi Susie, it definitely is easy to construct. Hope you get to have a go!
Red Ted Art says
Helen – yes the challenge is to find the plates! Ever since I saw Zoe’s wolf comes to tea I have been on the look out!!! And Zoe had trouble finding extra plates too to do the guest post! But it is worth it in the end!
se7en says
Saturday morning catch up with my feed box and look what I find!!! Two of my have bloggers in one spot – fantabulous!!! Have to share our Tea Party fun from la–aaast year… tea parties never go out of fashion!!! We did crafts, books, and little people cooks… here’s the wrap up: http://www.se7en.org.za/2010/10/31/se7ens-virtual-tea-party-the-final-day-and-a-giveaway
PIP says
Great idea I could use some of these for my cake sales, thanks
Margot says
What a great idea!! Especially that I used my cupcake stand yesterday to make a Christmas tree with my daughter… and I won’t get it back till after New Year’s 😉
Red Ted Art says
se7en – what a terribly lovely comment to wake up to 🙂
PIP – ooh yes, these would be great for cake sales!!
Margot – hooray!
The Activity Mom says
You are featured in my 2011 Activity Advent Countdown. Thank you for continuing to inspire moms like me with your art and crafts. =)
Red Ted Art says
Aaah thank you so much for the feature 🙂 glad you like our Christmas Baubles 🙂
Jen says
Fabby idea. I love that tea parties have made a comeback. Reminds me of when I was wee.
Red Ted Art says
Oh yes, tea parties rock.. all WE need now is to find some plates, so I can make OUR cake stand.. I have been told car boot sales are the place to go!
Jill @ Junky Vagabond says
I never find such pretty plates at the thrift store…oh well, guess I’ll just have to keep going 😉 Thanks for the recommendation of the glue!
Red Ted Art says
Ha! Yes Jill, I have the same problem! I have been told to try at car boot sales…..
Barb @ A Life in Balance says
Love the idea! Here in the U.S. it’s easy to find nice size plates to make a cake stand like yours.