With wedding season upon us, why not make a beaded cupcake stand that’s almost as pretty as the bride?
Flea markets have the prettiest china. These one-of-a-kind plates seem destined for dessert with their gilded details, delicate floral patterns, and iridescent finishes. We stacked two on crystal candlesticks and embellished them with beaded nosegays. These beauties look as sweet as the treats and have less than half the calories!
Flea Market Materials:
1 China plate, 10½”
1 China plate, 7½”
2 Crystal candlesticks, 4½”
1 Mini bud vase, 3″
1 Clear candle plate, 4¼”
20 White pearlized shirt buttons
General Materials:
Assorted pink and blue flower beads
Green leaf beads
8 Pink octagonal chandelier prisms, 14mm
32 Pink faceted glass rondelles, 4mmx6mm
18 Pink faceted glass tube beads, 7mmx12mm
53 Clear round crackle glass beads, 5mm
106 Green round glass beads, 4mm
18 Clear round glass beads, 3mm
53 Green faceted glass rondelles, 4mmx7mm
21 Blue bicones, 8mm
12 Crystal AB bicones, 4mm
10yds. Light blue organdy ribbon, ½” wide
24-ga. gold-color beading wire
20-ga. gold-color beading wire
Additional Supplies:
Beacon Adhesive’s Glass, Metal & More glue
Round-nose pliers
Chain-nose pliers
Flush wire cutters
Ruler
Scissors
Instructions:
1. To assemble the cupcake stand, glue one crystal candlestick to the bottom of the large china plate with a thin strip of Glass, Metal & More. Glue the second crystal candlestick to the top of the large plate and let dry. Glue the small plate to the top of the candlestick.
2. To create loop hangers under the plates, cut a 1½” length of 24-gauge wire. Bend into a hairpin and slide through the holes in the front of a shirt button. Wrap one end of the wire twice around the other wire and trim. Make a wrapped loop with the other end of the wire. Trim the end. Repeat to make 20 loop hangers.
3. Turn the cupcake stand upside down. Glue the flat side of 8 shirt buttons to the underside of the small plate, evenly spaced. Glue 12 to the underside of the large plate. Let dry. Then turn the cupcake stand back over.
4. Cut a 1¼” length of 20-gauge wire. Use the round-nose pliers to bend into an S-hook. Repeat to make 20 of these S-hooks total.
5. Attach a pink chandelier prism to one end of an S-hook and hang the other end from a loop hanger under the smaller plate. Repeat to hang 8 chandelier prisms from the underside of the smaller plate.
6. To create a dangling flower, cut a 3″ length of 24-gauge wire. Feed 1″ of wire through the smallest pink flower bead and wrap the end around the other wire. Trim the end. Slide the largest pink flower bead onto the wire. Slide on 2 green leaf beads. Finish with a wrapped loop. Make a second dangling flower component. Then cut a 1½” length of wire and bend the end into a loop with the round-nose pliers. Slide the 2 flower components onto the loop and finish that end with a wrap. Trim the end. Slide a 4mm crystal AB bicone onto the wire and finish with a wrapped loop. Repeat to make 12 of these, half with pink flowers, half with blue flowers, or mixed color flowers, if you like!
Hang each flower bundle from an S-hook under the large plate.
7. To create the first beaded vine, cut a 28″ length of 24-gauge wire. Use the round-nose pliers to make a tight double-loop on one end. Slide on a mixture of flower beads, bicones, glass beads, and rondelles. Wrap this strand around the bottom candlestick, attaching the end of the wire to itself at the top to hold it in place. Use the same technique to make a 36″ vine to wrap around the top candlestick.
8. To make a bow, cut an 11″ length of organdy ribbon. Tie the ribbon around the “stem” part of the wrapped loop hanging from each shirt button. Trim the ends horizontally. Add bows to all 20 buttons.
9. Cut a 14″ length of 24-gauge wire and use the round-nose pliers to make a tight double-loop on one end. Bead the wire by alternating a pink tube bead and a clear round glass bead. Finish the other end with a tight double-loop. Wrap the strand around the bud vase securing it to itself. Cut an 18″ length of organdy ribbon, wrap it around the neck of the bud vase twice and tie into a bow. Trim the ends. To keep the cupcakes from tipping in the smaller plate, center the candle plate on top. Fill the bud vase with water and fresh flowers and set it on top of the candle plate.
Econo-tip: Look for $1 bags of buttons at the flea market. Vendors like to stuff these with shirt buttons.
Let Them Eat Cupcakes: Having a bigger shower? Add a third tier by gluing a larger china plate to the bottom of the cupcake stand!
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