Cupcake Stand--an up-cycle project

UPDATE: Here is a picture of the cupcake stand at the party today.  We figured out we need a bigger base to make it sturdier, but it worked great!

Keep reading below to find out how I made the stand. :)

In 2 short weeks, our baby girl will be 5.  A few weeks ago, I started searching Pinterest for party themes & ideas.

Somehow, I started searching for & finding ideas for cupcake stands. I came across several, including one made out of an old chandelier. While this one was my favorite, I didn't have a chandelier to use, so I started to work on a different one.

THEN, I saw a post on my favorite FB resale page. An old brass chandelier for only $5!!  I bought it & got to work. Here is my first attempt at a tutorial. (The picture I pinned on Pinterest did not link to a blog or tutorial so I can't link it here. You can see the picture on my Party Ideas board.)

How to make a cupcake stand out of a chandelier.

(I bought the one in the front. I forgot to take a before picture once I got it home. First attempt at a tutorial and I forgot to take the first picture I needed, good grief.)

First, you need a chandelier. It was surprisingly easy to take it all apart so don't be afraid.

Take the glass globes off, you don't need them for the stand. 

Unscrew the top portion where the chain is that would hang the chandelier from the ceiling. This will expose the top part of the wiring.

Next, you need to unscrew the lightbulb sockets and pull the wires out. This was also easier than I thought it would be!

In the socket, there is a small screw. Loosen the screw completely. Use wire cutters to snip the wires. (On the top where that mass of wires is.)

Pull the socket out and wires will pull right out of the chandelier. Repeat that until all the sockets are removed.

The middle of the chandelier is one long screw with a decorative piece that goes over it.

I wanted the piece that would have capped the ceiling to be the support piece for the stand since it's bigger. That piece had a bigger hole in it than the screw. So I doubled the stand using the smaller piece that capped off the electrical top part of the chandelier since it had the smaller center hole.

Here is the stand so far. As you can see, my outer pieces curve down too much.  That was fine for a light, but they obviously won't hold cupcakes like that!

My wonderful husband helped me straighten the end pieces just a little so the plates I will be adding would sit level.

If you have to do this, be careful, the pliers will leave little marks on pipes.

All better and level now!!

Now I needed to find plates or pieces to add to the tops for cupcakes to sit on.  For my chandelier I needed small plates that were 6-7 inches wide and a center plate that was 10-11 inches wide. 

I searched Wal-mart and the Dollar Tree before heading to a thrift store. I would recommend a thrift store. Most likely things will be less expensive and you may find unique pieces that will be perfect for your stand. If not, Wal-mart has 7 inch wooden circles for 97 cents or the Dollar Tree has small & large plates that would work.  

In Memphis, we have a thrift store called Helping People God's Way. It benefits several charities. After not really finding what I wanted at WM & DT, I headed to HPGW.

I found a set of 5 small glass plates for $2.80. They are 7 inches wide and perfect. 

And a large glass plate for 50 cents that is about 10 inches wide.

At Wal-mart, I picked up the spray paint & primer I wanted. This the first time I have used this type and I LOVED it! The color I chose is called Lagoon. I had just enough using one can of each. You may need/want more than one can.

I took the stand apart and covered all pieces with primer.

(If you notice in the picture there is a small glass to the left of the top small glass plate. Ignore that for now. It was an idea I had that didn't work. I'll explain it later.)

After spraying both sides with primer (and allowing to dry as needed), I sprayed with the Lagoon color spray paint.

Once everything was dry (I waited a couple of days. Use your judgement & read the back of your spray paint can for directions), I put the stand back together.

I used this glue to hold the plates on.

I bought this at Wal-mart awhile back. I think it's their version of E-6000 glue. Use either one, they are super strength types of glue.  This tube even says--bonds forever.

Here is the stand with the small plates added.

The plate for the center was too low to just put right on the chandelier. I had purchased that small glass (from picture above) thinking it would fit down in the center and add height to the center plate. It didn't work. Undeterred, I searched our kitchen for a different option.

I found a small Pyrex custard cup. Ah Ha...new idea!

I decided to glue the custard cup to the bottom of the bigger plate. It fits right down over the top of the center part of my stand.  I decided to keep it as a separate, removable piece.

So here it is, a finished Up-cycled Cupcake Stand!

The only thing left to do is spray it with a clear coat to help seal it.

I cannot wait to use it at Savannah's party in 2 weeks!

(See how the custard cup fits down over the center piece? Perfect! Adds just enough height.)

Like I said it was surprisingly easier than I expected it to be. If you want to make one, don't be afraid!!

NOTE: Don't rush the spray paint process.  I always do & end up with bubbles. Slow, even coats. (You can only see them if you look closely, so don't.)

Each chandelier will be different, so you may have to tweak these instructions to fit your needs.