I crack myself up sometimes! I was rolling my eyes at one of those beautiful magazine covers featuring a dessert buffet for what looked like a wedding shower or Easter buffet with all the beautiful elevated trays and cake plates. Now I can throw a stack of books on my table and drape them with a cloth or otherwise create vertical spaces but all those crystal plates and platters…so pretty! But assuming you’ve got storage space for that stuff, who can afford them? I had my own party plans so decided to see what I could create using thrifty finds from my local Thrift Town. And if I get a little silly in the process…at these prices I can afford to!

Now I didn’t start off with Mardi Gras in mind but it’s that time of year and these yellow wine glasses with the green party platter said laissez les bon temps roulez!

I also liked the oversized dinner / serving plate and decided to just go crazy and make myself a two-story serving piece. At this point the project is an easy one. A tube of E6000 adhesive from your local craft supply store and I was good to go. I allowed the wine glasses to stand upright to hold the bottom platter and then inverted the fifth one so that the plate rested on the stem. I happen to like color but my local Thrift Town always has shelves of clear, cut glass and crystal pieces so something a little more elegant is an option.

When my friend saw the final product she asked to borrow it for an upcoming party and plans to put a cheese assortment on top and crackers on the bottom. As the pictures show, I used it as a cake plate for my own Mardi Gras ‘do. But whatever your upcoming event, try making an original serving piece – office potlucks will never be the same!

Stephanie F. is a dedicated thrifter whose mantra is, “Buy used – there’s just too much stuff in the world!” She became hooked when she found a pair of sock hop saddle shoes in junior high that she could actually afford with her allowance money (hey, it was a RETRO sock hop!). Today she lives and works in Texas’ capital city doing her part to “Keep Austin Weird.” She’s the author of an Austin blog – The Thrifty Snicker – which lets her prowl local thrift stores while telling herself that it’s not shopping; it’s research.