A Beach Cottage DIY Vintage Plate Cake Stand & A Guest

Hello Beach Cottagers!

It’s not Sarah here today, it’s lg here – I am Guest Posting at all things white and beachy…yes the ‘famous’ lg, mentioned numerous times on this blog and the one who invariably leads Sarah astray to drink coffee when she should be throwing bleach down the loo, or to drink copious amounts of smuggled alcohol in the cinema whilst ogling handsome young men with a surname like Kutcher. Yes, I am here today with you girls writing today’s post!

I have to say I am a leetle bit nervous – who wouldn’t be?  Sarah makes it seem all so easy.

How can I possibly write something that lives up to the BC standards? (and she’s already told me not to expect too many comments from your end ‘cos you guys are pretty shy, are known as the BC Lurkers and prefer bribes for comments and I haven’t got any of those ;-) )

Yikes!  

Well whatever, here I am with a DIY vintage cake stand for you. 

So, what about me? Well I do have a proper name, but you can call me lg.   I don’t have a blog, but in my fantasy life I would like to – take a few photos, ramble on about stuff and then have heaps of adoring fans (ha ha). I have more children than the national average and some of them correspond in time and space to the BC little darlings, which is how Mrs BC and I met. We bonded over coffee and connected over kids and husbands. I don’t live in a lovely Beach Cottage and I would say my “decorating style” (think throwing stuff here and there) is rather more colourful than the BC palette.

That’s not to say I don’t appreciate the esoteric delights of the white on white style, it is so calming don’t you think?

 When I first met Mrs BC, I thought she was fab, but when I found out she loves a good browse in a charity op-shop, I knew we would be friends!

OMG how I love a good op shop! There is nothing better than the expectation of what you might find, don’t you think? It is a veritable treasure trove everytime you open the door. Who knows what you might find in there?  I think that is what I love the most – the possibilities. Sometimes you come out empty handed, but often you find the exact thing you never knew you wanted. Invariably if you are looking for something specific – forget it – world-wide shortage! (where are you grey vintage woollen blankets???)

Anyway, my latest guilty little pleasure is hunting out vintage plates.

There is something about the yellowy lusciousness of the porcelain that I love. Like vanilla icecream or manila folders. And where did they come from? Whose dinner did they hold, were they at a wedding, a christening, a funeral?? I am usually drawn to things that catch my eye – a flower (but not too flowery) or a pattern or something.

But if I am op-shopping with Mrs BC, she will say ‘Oh that’s a Grindley – (huh?) or that little mark means it’s hand painted, with gold leaf (wha?). That lady knows a lot about vintage china.

BTW Did you know that the Famile BC even take vintage china when they are camping??? I mean camping in the rain and the mud, in tents eating burnt snags on your lap around a campfire camping. Vintage China Plates!!!!! When we first went camping together I thought they were completely mad but I was secretly a little jealous as I sipped tea out of a plastic mug (ugh!). Now I am thinking of joining them – just a small problem of convincing husband………..

(edit by Mrs BC: c’mon lg, you know the answer…favours ;-) )

So I was looking at these vintage plates and cups and things and a little idea began to form in my mind about how to reuse them – give them a different life. maybe they could be cake stands?   Firstly I had to find the right combination. That involved a lot of too-ing and fro-ing between the op-shop aisles. Then when I was happy and had my treasures safely home, I got to work.

First, I measured and marked out the centre of the bottom of the plates 

and then glued the tea-cup on with some liquid nails

- super high-strength clear

 touched it up underneath with a bbq skewer 

 

et voila!

 I just love the way that something so hum-drum as a plate from a charity shop can be transformed into something so girly and lovely! You put a little cake on top, or a batch of freshly made cup cakes, a Lamington and every afternoon tea becomes an event.

Oh and I haven’t even told you the best part about the whole thing! Each of the cake stands cost about $5!!

I have experimented with a few different combos, but I have to say the Grindley teacup/plate cake stand is my fave. I have a feeling it has become a favourite around the BC cottage too. (Sarah you know what you have to give me to keep it hint: it’s white and has arm rests and you sit on it sipping mojitos)  (edit from Mrs BC: Mate, you ain’t got no chance)

I am planning to give all my female loved ones home-made cake plates for Christmas. I know that some of them will love them at once. Some of them will smile and say thankyou and wonder where they can hide them until I come over next. But that’s ok, maybe one day when I do visit, they will drag them out, bung some muffins on them and then take a second look and wonder, ‘where has that plate been before?’

Anyway, I hope you liked it and thanks for having me over in BC Land

I guess I better just too, say G’day! 

              

lg

                  

p.s. a Lamington is a sponge cake that graces many an Australian Afternoon Tea table & is seen here on the vintage cake stand in BC Land

p.p.s. oh and I’ve been told that there’s a $200 Target Giftcard Giveaway going on in this place and you can comment on this post for an extra chance to enter ;-)