Create A DIY Cake Stand With These 2 Pieces Of Dinnerware From Your Cupboards

A cake stand has always been something that we've thought of as being a "nice to have, but not an essential." If you are constantly preparing layer cakes — like our recipe for an iconic chocolate layer cake or a towering seven-layer chocolate orange cake – you might have one (or be lucky enough to have a relative gift you one). But if you're only baking once in a blue moon, you may not need to get a separate cake stand at all. Instead, you can make a simple homemade cake stand with two components: a dinner plate and a mug.

You'll want to invert the mug (meaning the lip is facing down) before putting an upside-down dinner plate on top of it and affixing the two with superglue or crafting glue. That way, you'll have the lip on the bottom of the dinner plate helping you keep your cake in place. Some folks have also used pizza pans instead of plates — likely because they are larger in diameter — but these can be a bit too top-heavy, especially if they're balancing on a single small mug.

Mugs come in all shapes and sizes, so you have plenty of options when deciding which one to affix to your plate. If you have a pink plate (or can paint the edge), you can pair it with a cute floral mug and turn it into a cute Mother's Day gift. That said, if you are painting, make sure to use some sort of barrier between the cake and the tray — like a cardboard insert or piece of wax or parchment paper.

Another tip? Make sure that the glue has a chance to dry and dry well. You can put a heavy object on the plate to smooth it down on the mug and ensure that the glue has a chance to adhere to the plate. Another thing we love about this hack is that you can use it as a way to recycle a broken or damaged mug. Just make sure the mug is wide and sturdy enough to accommodate the weight of the cake — or whatever you plan on putting on it.