fleurishment: DIY Tiered Server from Target Plates

3 Tier Server for a dozen cupcakes!

I love a cupcake. I was going to say "I love a good cupcake" but that would be misleading you, dear reader. I pretty much have never met a cupcake (good or not-so-good) that I couldn't gobble down in a jiffy. So, when it comes to a pretty and practical cupcake accessory, I say OH YEAH, BABY!

Whether you are hosting a party for ten---or a party for yourself...no worries, I would never judge---cupcakes, scones, cookies, tiny sandwiches and bon bons just look more special if they have their own multi-tiered server to tempt you from. Your delighted eye moves up and down, trying to figure out your plan of attack... and just which goody will be snapped up first!

But like many things that I choose to adore (er, obsess over), tiered servers are elusive and often have a price tag to match. Whenever that happens, I dust off my DIY radar and get to hunting on eBay and YouTube to see if I can "create" what I cannot find...for a much more reasonable price. The hardware for the server is readily available on eBay. With many styles (t-bar, ring, oval, heart, etc), in both silver and gold-tone...you can make a veritable forest of servers (if you so desired...say, for a large party or a wedding!) for around $5 per for the connector kits.

Should you wish to dust off your own DIY skills, I am going to make ONE and show you how to do it!

First you will need some parts and tools:

Tiered server hardware kit (for 2 or 3 levels) here is one on eBay: Tidbit server kit hardware

Melamine or plastic dishes (plates) for each level (optional bowl for base or top level)

Drill with a range of bit sizes

Masking or Painters Tape

Plates and Hardware Unassembled

Bottom Screw and Washers

Add painters tape and mark center for drilling.

Depending on the height that you wish to achieve (2 or 3 levels), you can vary they number of plates that you combine.

First drill small diameter "guide" hole

Now drill larger hole.

I wanted a 3-tier server, and I wanted to have the base level be up off the counter surface....So, I chose a bowl (to be used upside-down for the base) and then 3 different plates that descend in their circumference (one dinner plate, one salad plate, and one appetizer plate). Plastic plates can be found in many places, mine were from Target, but I have seen them in many other stores and in-season holiday and theme plates are not hard to find.

Elevate plate for drilling.

Simply find the center of the plate, mark it, then drill the holes in the plates and connect all of the hardware! I recommend using painters tape to act as a stabilizer of sorts, when you are drilling the holes. Melamine can crack and break off pieces (it is a brittle resin), so the tape helps to keep the hole from having too many chips around the edge of it. I also chose to first use a small diameter drill bit to make a "guide hole", so that it reduced the chance of breaking the plate in pieces...then I used the larger drill bit for the final hole size. (If you are drilling into porcelain or ceramic plates, please check the internet further as to how to do that safely for yourself and the plate...I think it might involve a special drill bit and water.) I recommend doing the drilling outside if possible. Probably not a bad idea to practice safe DIY-ing and wear eye protection and a face mask to prevent dust from getting in your nose and lungs. Be sure to hand wash all the parts in warm soapy water before using to serve foods.

Assembling the levels

You can dismantle the server to change out the plates (and to wash the plates in the sink after the party--be sure to air dry all the parts overnight before re-assembling) and store it when you are not using it with a minimum of space allocated. Note: when I used the bowl as the base, the bottom connector screw (from the kit; a size 6 machine metric) was too short...so I had to go to my local Ace Hardware to get one a little longer. Be sure to keep the shorter screw, though, in case you configure your server with no base---you will notice that you can change up the configuration depending on your needs! See the photos of all the ways you can change it up!