Dishing out another thrifty gift.

I first "dished" on this a bit back in July 2008, but I wanted to bring it back along with some new ideas for your thrifty holiday gift giving consideration.

This DIY dessert stand is not only easy, it's well under $5 US if you play your thrifty cards right.


Get yourself a good epoxy glue. I use Goop, and I have to say it lives up to its promise of being pretty amazing. It's available at most crafty stores (I purchased it at Michael's for a few dollars) but I've also seen it at my local hardware store.


The "bases" are glass candlesticks I find at yard sales, thrift shops, rummage sales, etc. I've never paid more than $1 US for a pair (OK, once I think I paid $2 a pair and was kicking myself over the expense later), and you can often find mismatched singles for much less.

Just make sure the top "lip" is flat, since that's where you'll be affixing it to the dish.

It seems every yard or tag sale in my area has fancy dishes. And when I spy one in decent shape for a good price, I rarely pass it up.

Wash everything in warm soapy water and let them dry thoroughly before you begin. I just run the glass candlesticks through the dishwasher.

Following the instructions on the epoxy you're working with, affix the candlesticks to the underside of the plate and wipe away any excess with a damp towel.


Let them set upside-down for 24 hours, and voila...a bevvy of dessert stands!

The final product is totally hand washable but should not be immersed in water.

If you really want to go nuts, you can bake treats to gift with your plate. Here's my favorite brownies (under the watchful eyes of my four grandparents):

I've been finding a lot a lot glass domes that have been separated from their cheeseboard companions. When they're $2 or less, I pick them up to make the stands even fancier. The total cost for all of the supplies in this one below was $4.49:


Dishes without stands can be gussied up to make nice gifts, too. Here's a three for $4 set I bought at a local yard sale:

I always save packaging and gift boxes that I receive (much to my closet's chagrin), and found the perfect "nest" for one of the plates. I added a silver knife ($1) that I polished up and a vintage postcard ($2) that had a remarkably similar pattern to the dish!

You could look for vintage holiday-themed postcards, or find an electronic image of one you like and print it on card stock. And again, you can pair this with homemade goodies or cheese and crackers for a complete holiday hostess gift.

Yesterday: Tie one on -- wine carriers from men's ties.

Tomorrow: Baking up a thrifty gift.

Looking for more thrifty inspiration? Head over to Bloggeritaville.