Make this simple IKEA hack cake stand

Whenever I go to IKEA to buy one thing, I come back with 20! Who can relate? It’s so hard to resist especially when my brain is swirling with ideas on how I could hack this or change that. On a recent trip, I picked up far more than I had intended as usual, including the pieces for this very budget friendly IKEA hack cake stand.

I’ve been wanting a cake stand and was thinking of buying one when I made the trip to IKEA. Turns out, these IKEA bits were just perfect and cost a fraction of the price of a cake stand. While I set out to make a simple, minimal cake stand, it can be used in so many different ways. It would make an elegant table centrepiece that can be used to serve practically any food or you could create a display of some sort or you could even use it as a napkin stand. Alternatively, it would make a lovely candle stand too.

For now though, I’m using it as a cake stand. Read on for how to make it and if you prefer to watch, you’ll find a video at the end too.

IKEA hack DIY cake stand

materials:
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IKEA candle (US readers here)
IKEA serving plate (not available in the US but any large white plate will do)
white acrylic paint
matt varnish (US readers here)
strong glue (US readers here)

First you need to remove the candle and wick from the glass jar. You can hack away at it with a knife but that can take a while, as I found out. So I lit it for a few minutes and then it came out much easier as it had softened, still using a knife. Alternatively just enjoy the candle till it burns out. The wick is glued to the base so will pull off (with some force) once all the candle wax has been removed. Wash out the jar to make sure all the glue and any remaining bits of wax are removed.

Paint the glass jar with white acrylic paint — you’ll need 3-4 coats. Once dried, varnish the jar which will stop the paint from peeling off. Then mark out the middle of the serving plate and glue the glass jar upside down to the back of the plate.

This IKEA hack cake stand is ridiculously cheap — the whole thing cost less than a fiver! But nobody will guess because it certainly doesn’t look cheap or even like a DIY.

I specifically chose this candle because of the ridged jar. Since the finished cake stand was going to be all white and minimal, the fluted jar was perfect to add some texture to the piece. As for the plate, I liked the size as it’s larger than a regular dinner plate so will comfortably hold big and small cakes or even a bunch of cupcakes. It’s also spacious enough to create a display with a bunch of chunky pillar candles surrounded by some greenery.