Create a DIY cake pop stand for less than $20! This round cake pop stand can be used over and over. It’s the perfect accessory for any party.
Cake pops are such a fun dessert idea. They look fun and can match any party theme. But displaying them can be tricky.
A lot of DIY cake pop stands consist of foam or cardboard boxes. But those fall apart easily. And they can’t be reused! So I created a simple wooden cake pop stand that I can use over and over.
It’s cute, functional, and perfect for hosting birthday parties, baby showers, or holidays.
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What You Need to Build Your Own DIY Cake Pop Stand
This DIY cake pop stand is an easy project. It doesn’t require any special tools, just a drill and a drill bit the size of a cake pop stick. I used a right-angle ruler to graph out my holes. But any method that results in even, straight lines should work.
Tools
- Drill
- 11/64″ drill bit
- Right angle ruler
- Fine grit sandpaper
- Paintbrush
I was able to pick up all of my project supplies at Michael’s craft store. I love that I was able to create a lasting piece of serving ware from a few craft supplies!
Supplies
DIY Cake Pop Stand Tutorial
This DIY cake pop stand is simple to create. Start with a 12″ wood circle plaque. These come unfinished at craft stores.
Use a right-angle ruler to create a large 9″ square. The right-angle ruler ensures that the square is symmetrical.
Then mark every 1 1/2″ around the square. There should be 6 marks along each side.
Use the right-angle ruler to create a grid along each of those marks. Then mark where each intersection of the grid is. These are where the holes for the cake pops will go.
I removed some of my marks that were near the edges of the circle plaque. Pops on the edge of the stand may make it more difficult to carry or move the stand around.
Drilling the Cake Pop Holes
Use an 11/64″ to drill a hole at each marked intersection. Be careful not to drill all the way through the plaque! You only need to drill about halfway through for the pops to stay in place.
Pro Tip: Use painter’s tape, or any colorful tape, to mark the drill bit at the plaque’s halfway point. This just keeps drilling easier!
Once all of the holes are drilled, it’s time to sand! Use fine-grit sandpaper (220 or higher) and sand along the grain of the plaque. This smooths out any splinters from the drilled holes. And it preps the plaque for painting!
The next step of this DIY cake pop stand depends on whether you want to paint the bottom of the cake pop stand or not. I chose to paint mine, so that was my next step.
Attaching the Feet
My favorite part of this project was discovering that my craft store sold little 1″ wooden squares. Any time I don’t have to pull out the saw for a project is a win for me! The little squares were less than $2 each. And they are perfect for the feet of the cake pop stand.
I painted the outside edges of each square. Once they were dry, I simply superglued them to the bottom of my stand using Loctite Superglue. I glued them in a triangle to ensure stability. While 3 wooden squares were plenty, you could certainly use 4 squares for even more stability.
Once the glue has set, flip the stand over and paint the top and sides. I chose to paint my DIY cake pop stand white. It’s such a versatile color and matches any party or color scheme. But you can use whatever color you want. Or you could stain the stand instead. It’s up to you!
Painting Tip
After painting each coat on the stand, clear the paint out of the holes. I used the back of a small paintbrush to clear mine. Simply stick the back of the brush in each hole. Twist or make small circular motions to clear the paint from the sides of the holes. This ensures the holes stay the correct size for the cake pop sticks.
How to Make Your DIY Cake Pop Stand Food-Safe
While you may stop at painting your stand, I chose to go a step farther and seal my cake pop stand. Sealing the stand serves multiple purposes. First, it makes the top of the stand easier to clean. A wax or clear varnish makes the surface more stain-resistant. And water-resistant. That way you can clean the top of the stand with a wet cloth after each use.
The second purpose is to make the cake pop stand food-safe. Since the food portion of the cake pops doesn’t touch the stand, you don’t necessarily have to do this step. But I did. It’s not recommended to eat food from surfaces that aren’t sealed to be food-safe. And I’m a rule follower.
What Does Food-Safe Mean?
Food-safe means that there is a protective coating over the surface of the wood that seals it. It keeps the food from coming in contact with unfinished wood or paint that could be harmful to ingest. The Home Depot has an excellent resource page for Food-Safe Finishes.
These finishes include a variety of wood oils, waxes, and film finishes. Since I had polyurethane (a film finish) on hand, that is what I used. Be sure to follow the directions closely before serving food from a finished surface. Many of these finishing methods require a 30-day curing time before they are safe to use for food!
I applied two coats of polyurethane to my DIY cake pop stand. I cleared the holes between each coat as well. The film finish makes the stand so easy to clean. And I feel comfortable using it to serve food to kids!
This DIY cake pop stand is simple to create and perfect if you host a lot of holidays or parties.
