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10.01.2020

make a tiered tray the easy way!

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the decorating trend of the moment seems to be tiered trays!
they make arranging a selection of small items a breeze, 
pulling them all together in one display to make a big impact.

i've seen loads of great styling ideas shared all over social media,
but i came up with an approach for the tray itself that i thought might inspire you...

that tiered tray in the image above? not a tray. i didn't buy it.
i made it - using some things that i pulled out of cabinets & cupboards,
and a few drops of hot glue.
not only was it an easy project, it will come apart when i am ready for it to.

continue reading to see my easy way to MAKE a tiered tray...

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first, let me say this... i know you can find cheap tiered trays. 
i just know that this trend has a limited lifespan, and i don't need a big old tiered tray
to store or donate later when this decor idea has run its course.

so my approach is to create my own tiered tray using other things.
in this case, it's my eponymous white ceramic dishes, a few white serving dishes,
and a collection of milk glass pieces that i already have.

below, you'll see a few ways that i combined those pieces
to create different versions of a 'tiered tray'...
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the top left one is the combination that i used for the tray in the other images in this post.
it's two ceramic tart pans on the bottom, a milk glass candlestick, topped by a dessert plate.
(if i had had a smaller tart pan, i would have used that on top instead.)
after i figured out the combination i wanted,
i used a few drops of hot glue at each connection point to keep the dishes in place.


note: i glued the pieces in place where i was going to use them (on the sideboard)
and was still very careful with the dishes as i was filling them with objects.
i didn't put heavy items on top. 

the others are all examples of how to combine plain old white dishes to 'build' a tiered tray.

what else could you use? 
how about galvanized pans, trays, chargers, and buckets?!
stack a few glass cake pedestals in decreasing sizes!
wood slices and trays stacked on 4X4 blocks of wood!


whatever you use, make sure that you use hot glue or museum putty
to secure the connection points for safety - for your stuff AND for people around it.

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after i created the tiered tray, i gathered up a bunch of my recent pumpkin projects
and played around styling them...

i chose and arranged items taking into account size and weight:
all of the pumpkins on the top tier are styrofoam. very lightweight.
on the lower tier, they are styrofoam and heavier ceramic, wood, and resin.
this keeps the center of gravity low - especially when you factor in the dishes.

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after the pumpkins were all in place, i added the white paper leaves to 'soften' the edges
and continue the natural theme.
i could have added a small 'happy fall' sign, too!

my arrangement is a very simple one, as that is the aesthetic i am drawn to these days.
i've seen many that are LOADED with different colors, shapes, textures.
it's really all about using elements that appeal to YOUR sense of style...
i hope this post inspires you to try!

links to previous posts mentioned above: 

paper 'paint chip' pumpkins

painted 'paint chip'-inspired pumpkins

painted palette pumpkins


fall, fall decorating, fall home decor, tiered tray, tiered tray decor, styling a tiered tray,
pumpkins, pumpkin decor, decorating with pumpkins, painted pumpkins, paper pumpkins,
ceramic pumpkins, fall leaves, paper leaves, color, colorful home decor, diy, diy home decor,
diy projects, use what you have decorating, tabletop decor, kitchen island decor, home decor diy

2 comments:

  1. What an easy way to make tiered trays, Deb! And yours is quite lovely, especially with your painted pumpkins! But I don't think they will ever stop trending or being popular. And I hope not! They've been around forever and continue to be updated with whatever is current - like a lot of other items!

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    Replies
    1. thank you for sharing your perspective, Gail! i guess i've missed the fact that they've been more than just a recent trend over the past year or so. i do know that people always find new ways to display their small treasures - first it was under glass domes and narrow wall shelving, now it's on tiered trays. in the future it could be anything! that's what keeps home decorating interesting, tho, so we embrace it all - the timeless classics AND new interpretations ;)

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