Best And Cheapest Way To....????
Decorating By chrissysconfections Updated 30 Oct 2006 , 5:20pm by noreen816
I'm just starting out and would like to know the best and cheapest way to get a variety of cake stands/boards. I did buy one off ebay that was a pretty good price..$9.99 for the wilton cake stand with the candle holders. I purchased this one partially because it was the stand I had when I got married and I thought it was unique enough that other brides would be interested in it. After looking for more good deals I found that the more universal stands are quite pricy and way out of my range right now. I'm also a bit concerned about not getting the them back. I would like to have something simple and universal that I could perhaps put fabric/ribbon/flowers ect. around or something to make it special for each client if need be but not something I'd be heartbroken over if it wasn't returned. I've used seperator plates in the past for small family cakes or on my dummies but they aren't very professional looking and I'd be concerned about the weight issue with a large tiered cake. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
TIA
Honestly I wouldn't worry about that right now. I'm not purchasing anything extremely pricey like that until I've made some $$. Both of the wedding cakes I've done the brides rented stands from the reception hall or the decorator. That way you don't have to buy it- and you don't have to worry about getting it back.
I got a really pretty cake stand at my local Joann Fabric store on the clearence rack. I think I paid $7. I also learned from another poster on here to check Big Lots for the silver cake plateaus. I checked my local store and they didn't have one but my Dad who lives in Ohio was able to find me one up there at his Big Lots for $14. It looks really similar to the expensive ones and it was way cheaper. i would just keep your eyes peeled for the clearence racks and even check out a Goodwill or 2. I have found some great deals at the Goodwill!
all I can say is HOME DEPOT!!! You can get glass blocks that look gorgeous for around $5 each and you can put christmas lights in them or flowers, and tulle........you can get some big cereamic tiles with multiple decorations to choose from for just a couple bucks each...you can get those cheapy round wooden tables with the three legs on them at the dollar store for five bucks...chuck the legs, the top makes a wonderful cake board...can be covered in fabric with clear contact paper on top or just in a printed contact paper......you can use foam core board purchased at the craft store A.C. Moore runs sales on these all the time you can get a huge sheet for .88 on sale...these can be doubled or tripled up for really big cakes and covered in fabric, wrapping paper and then clear contact paper. Just think outside of the box...it doesn't necessarily have to be a silver plateau stand....and a lot of these ideas can be made to look VERY eleagant by putting ribbon around the edges...could even hot glue some of that ribbon edging that has crystals dangling from it....how gorgeous would that be for a wedding cake??
YOU ROCK KHalstead!!! Great Ideas!
Lorene
My thoughts exactly! 
After looking around CC for a while, I am starting to think outside the box more myself. I get a lot of stuff at Goodwill or garage sales too. There are a lot of girls out there getting out of the business and willing to sell their stuff to a newbie super cheap! Never hurts to take out a classified either. someone may have stuff taking up room in a basement somewhere and your ad may prompt them to clean house and give you a deal. Not all of it may be useable, but sometimes you can afford to pitch a few things to get the really good stuff if it's a whole boxfull. A quick run thru the dishwasher and you're ready to go! I am a firm believer in second hand goodies! Being a tight wad also contributes to being a second hand lover! 
KHalstead thank you thank you thank you for the great ideas.
flea markets and clearance racks are great place to find cake stands and plates....shop for holiday items after the holiday...i once brought a beauty of a christmas cake plate after xmas for about $3!!!
My husband bought half a sheet of plywood for me and cut them into different sizes of circles and squares. I decorate them with wrapping paper, cover in a layer of contact paper and put a ribbon and small bow around the edge of the plywood. This works great and looks really cute too.
Contact local builders, they are usually glad to let you have the scraps of leftover plywood (they have to haul it off the job anyway) and those small "scraps" are great for cake board. Just finish with WB spray on finish, they can be reused over and over. Cover with those cheap plastic tablecloths (.99- 1 will cover lots of times) get a deposit and return it when the board comes back. Very little expense and durable.
I am worried too about things not coming back or coming back broken. What do you guys charge for a deposit? Does it also depend on how big the display is--ex one board bday cake vs 12 seperater plates/pillars for a wedding? What about item rentals? I know the lady here in town charges rental for some items (I know $20 for the fountain) but I don't know what else she charges rent for. I don't really want to call and ask her for advice on how to be her competition 
, so what items do you guys charge rental for and how much? Do you also give people a deadline for returning things? Ex, return in 2 weeks or no refund?
What great ideas!
I only charge a rental fee for brides to use the plateau that I paid $100 for (rental is $15.00, which also helps me pay for that stand!). Everything else is covered with a $30 deposit (which I REFUND to them once they have returned the borrowed items.) I've only had a problem once, because the bride didn't return in the 2 weeks allowed. I sent her a bill for the cake plateau, and needless to say, I had the plateau back in 2 days.
Don't be afraid to cover yourself! Lindsay
KHallstead----Thanks for all the great advice! I will look into them all!! Boy won't DH be happy when I tell hime I want to go to Lowes this weekend!! He about died when I told him I need to go for the paint roller!! LOL
I do check flea markets and the like for items when ever possible but we don't have a Goodwill or Sally's (salvation army) really close to us so that may be a day trip. Same with Big Lots....love the store but it's about 1 1/2 hrs away.
I do have a deposit requirement in my contract for any non-edible supplies I use. I too use the replacement cost as the deposit amount. I also require a cake deposit at the signing only because I am finding that people aren't paying and/or canceling too late. I've been burned on a no-pay for 2 cakes already and still fuming!! One lady actually called the night before the event while I was putting the finishing touches on her cake to say they ran over their budget could she pay me the following week? Like and idiot I didn't want to be stuck with a half sheet cake so I said yes....that was a month ago.
Live and learn I guess!?!?!
Thanks everyone!
cake2decorate:
What is WB spray on finish??
Thanks!
Water based, I like it for the clean-up convenience
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