Make an Anthropologie inspired cup & saucer serving tower.

Today's guest post is from this fabulous blogger that I met on twitter, discovered we were both Southern California girls and decided to host The SoCal Social together.  We totally hit it off and I am so glad we're friends.  She is one of the nicest people ever, super duper creative, has fabulous jewelry tutorials, and I love the way she swoops in and saves me with guest posts whenever I get into trouble.  Bev from Flamingo Toes should wear a cape with a big letter S for Superfriend.

Hi All! My name is Bev and I blog over at Flamingo Toes.

   

Viv is really one of my favorite people ever - she is so talented, genuine, and funny! I just love her. So I'm happy to be able to visit The V Spot so Viv can spend more time with her son while he's recuperating! Over at Flamingo Toes I love sharing jewelry, sewing, and home decor projects - and one of my favorite sources of inspiration for all those things is Anthropologie. A little while ago I found the sweetest stacked up serving tower there and fell in love. Then I had a bit of sticker shock when I noticed that it was $198. Yeah, no thanks. So I ran to the nearest thrift shop, took my life in my hands (this thrift shop is scaaaaaary) and found some sweet plates and cups - and got to work making my own! Here's my version of Anthro's Stacked Serving Tower:

Isn't it fun? It's perfect for parties - you can add little appetizers or desserts on all the levels and everything looks so cute! This is such a simple DIY. All you need are an assortment of plates, saucers, and cups - and some glue!

In the photos I used Gorilla Glue. This worked fine for a while but then I had some problems with a couple plates separating. I have since reglued everything with E-6000 and that is holding it all nice and tight. Start by deciding on a layout for your tower. Mark the cup placements on the plates with a little removable marking pen so you know where to place the glue.

To start I wanted the bottom plate raised just a bit, so I used an upside down dessert plate as the base..

I added the glue to the base plate.

And placed the dessert plate on the glue ring.

Then I wanted to add some weight to the plates, similar to a clamp. And what better to weight down some lovely dishes - but the classics. :)

Pretty easy right? Just repeat these steps for each layer. Check that your glue is dry before you add the next layer. This is a great project to do over a few days. Just glue a plate - then leave it for a day.

And again. . .

Until Ta Daaaah! We have a lovely serving tower.

And more pictures - cause I'm in love.

   

Now I need some chocolate. And cream puffs. And maybe some mini cupcakes. . . . :) The thrift store plates came to about $10 - much better than $198!!
If you want to come visit Flamingo Toes and check out more of my projects - here's a link to my tutorials page. Here's just a few of my favorites:

Thanks so much Viv for letting me stop by!
 


How cute is that!?  What a cute little Valentine's Day dessert display that would be too! And yes, what kind of a crazy person would shell out $200 when this clever tutorial is available!?  I love that she weighed down the plates and cups with literary classics (which she probably has actually read!)  If that was happening at my house I'd be weighing that down with Stephen King books or pots and pans!  Thanks so much for sharing this today, Bev!!
Mwuah!



about Vivienne Wagner