How to Make Mirrored Cake Stands

Sometimes you see something in a craft store, or a hardware store, and inspiration just hits.  When I saw the octagonal mirrors at Joann Fabrics, this project immediately popped into my mind.  Cake stands!  Sparkly, shiny, tiered cake stands!

I'm going to write this tutorial two ways--one incredibly easy, one a little more involved and complicated, but completely awesome.  

Simple Mirrored Cake Stands:

• Mirrors in graduated sizes.  I used 12, 10, 8, and 6 inch diameter sizes.
• Candlesticks
• E6000 glue

1) Turn the mirror over and find the very center (balance is important for cake stands!)

2) Use the E6000 glue to attach the candlestick to the bottom of the mirror.

Told you it was easy!

Now, I made it more complicated for myself.  When I found the crystal candlesticks I knew I wanted to use, I noticed that there were matching candlesticks in two different heights.  Wouldn't it be cool, I thought, if I could switch out the bases depending on how high I wanted the cake plate to be?  I had to figure out a way to do it.

How to Make Mirrored Cake Stands with Interchangeable Variable Height Bases:

• Mirrors in graduated sizes.  I used 12, 10, 8, and 6 inch diameter sizes.
• Candlesticks (in two different heights)
• E6000 glue
• super strong magnets
• Fimo dough, in white or silver

1) As in the easy version, first flip over your mirrors and mark the very center of the mirror.  Glue one of the strong magnet disks to the center of the mirror.

2)  Make a ball of Fimo clay, and create a plug for the candle holder.  Fuss around with it until it's just the right size.  Your goal is to make it tall enough to make a platform where you can glue the second magnet, so that it will touch the magnet you've glued to the underside of the mirror when assembled.

3) Remove the Fimo clay from the candlestick and bake according to the instructions on the package.  Once baked and completely cool, glue  it into place in the candlestick using the E6000 glue.

4) Glue another magnet on top of the Fimo plug.  Be sure you double check and triple check to be sure that you glue the magnet the right way!  You don't want the nasty surprise of finding that you've made a cake stand that repels itself.  Let the glue dry overnight!  You want it to be completely cured before you assemble your stands.  Those magnets are strong.  

There you have it.  Fabulous sparkling tiered cake stands with removable bases in two different heights.  This makes the set of cake stands incredibly versatile, and easy to disassemble and transport.  For the Secret Garden baby shower, I used the top three stands for the brush embroidery cookies.

And I used the 12" mirror without any base as a tray for the lemon tartlets.  

These cake stands would be every bit as gorgeous if you make them the easy way, but I'm utterly delighted with my versatile versions.