On its own, any cupcake is pretty spectacular.
These mini morsels take everything you love about your favorite sheet cake, and put it into a bite-sized form that’s easier to carry and consume.
Years ago, it was impressive to simply whip up a batch of cupcakes and display them on a platter. Or, if you wanted to get really fancy, you could arrange them on a single-tier cake stand, complete with a glass dome on top.
Now, however, we’ve upped the ante.
As soon as they arrived on the market, innovative and unique cupcake stands changed the game.
Not only do these accessories make it easier to transport and display your sweet culinary creations, but they also give you the creative license to decorate and adorn your confections any way that you like.
Purchasing a beautiful cupcake stand is only the first step. Once you have one in your kitchen or bakery, it’s time to show it off and make it shine.
Today, we’re taking a look at 10 unique ways you can transform your plain stand into something spectacular that’s sure to get the crowd talking, for all the right reasons.
Why Fancy Up Your Cupcake Stands?
Let’s be honest: The stars of any dessert are the sweets you put on the table. They don’t need to be embellished or bedazzled to catch someone’s eye. They just need to taste great!
However, standing out from the crowd and competition requires excellent presentation, along with unmatched attention to detail.
Whether you’re a professional caterer, a bakery owner, or an at-home chef, the tools you use to showcase your trademark treats matter.
That was our mantra when we created our wide array of creative cupcake towers.
Reusable, adjustable and infinitely convenient, these cupcake tower stands are ideal for any occasion, from birthdays and holidays to weddings and graduations.
Knowing that no two occasions are alike, we set out to deliver a variety of sizes and formats for our cupcake towers. In our online shop, you’ll find the following options:
- 3-Tier Round Cupcake Towers
- 3-Tier Flower-Shaped Cupcake Towers
- 2-in-1 Round Cupcake Tower Stands
- 2-in-1 Square Cupcake Tower Stands
- 5-Tier Round PRO Cupcake Towers
- Customizable Cupcake Towers
Each tower has its own special properties that set it apart. For instance, our 3-Tier Round Cupcake Towers hold 24 standard cupcakes, with a 12-inch bottom tier, 10-inch middle tier, and 8-inch top tier.
Why take the time to arrange your cupcakes on a stand or tower? To begin, the process couldn’t be easier or quicker. Most of our stands assemble in just 60 to 90 seconds or less and are exceedingly user-friendly.
This is a simple, easy and economical way to literally elevate the look of your baked goods.
Plus, their use isn’t limited to cupcakes!
Whether you’re highlighting your decadent blondies, your ooey-gooey turtles, or your infamous snickerdoodle cookies, a cupcake stand lets you proudly present the sweets you worked so hard to create.
Next, let’s take a look at a few key times you may need to take your display to the next level.
Event-Specific Colors
In recent years, cupcakes have become more popular than ever before at weddings. Gone are the days when the only treats you’d expect to see after the vows were standard, all-white wedding cakes with different fillings.
In addition to cupcakes, couples are also opting for other, non-traditional desserts such as ice cream sundae buffets, popcorn carts, and more.
If you’re hired to bake for a wedding, you can find accessories to decorate your cupcake tower in the event colors! This ties everything together and helps give a seamless and streamlined look to the special day.
Corporate Branding
Brides and grooms aren’t the only people who can appreciate the beauty and ingenuity of a cupcake stand!
Increasingly, companies are celebrating their employees, wooing potential partners and spreading brand awareness through culinary events. From staff appreciation days to community outreach days, there are many different avenues that small businesses can use to advertise and market their services.
At such events, it’s not uncommon to find culinary spreads. This might include hot dog lunches, covered dish meals or company-wide picnic lines. At almost every one of these setups, you can find something sweet!
A unique, personalized cupcake tower is ideal in this situation. Not only does it allow you to show off your corporate colors and create brand recognition, but it also allows passersby to quickly grab the treat they want without touching or contaminating any of the adjacent items.
Creative Catering
Unique cupcake stands, dessert towers and other accessories can take your catering business to the next level.
Decorate these items in hues that match your company’s color scheme and they’ll be instantly recognizable, no matter where you take them. In this way, they can serve as an extension of your brand, and allow event guests to quickly recognize who’s behind the mini morsels they’re enjoying.
10 Ways to Create Unique Cupcake Stands For Your Guests
When you’re ready to spruce up your cupcake stands, we have the parts and pieces you need.
Our collection includes different colors of reusable tier liners that instantly transform each level of your stand from standard white to almost any color in the rainbow. The available options include:
- Aquamarine
- Black
- Blue Gingham
- Cream
- Custard
- Red
- Powder Blue
- Pale Grey
- Yellow
- Toasted Almond
- Tangerine
- Strawberry
- Royal Blue
- Purple
- Pale Yellow
- Orange
- Nude
- Marsala
- Lucite Green
- Light Pink
Making a few dozen cupcakes for a springtime wedding? Light pink and pale yellow tier liners will blend in beautifully with any type of happy, floral-themed decor. Likewise, toasted almond, red, and orange liners look perfectly at home in all types of autumn-themed settings.
Looking for a little inspiration to help you get started?
We know that your finished product will be as unique and one-of-a-kind as you are, but it always helps to see what creative liberties other chefs are using to expand on their cupcake towers. Let’s take a look at 10 of the most unique cupcake stands on the web!
- Cupcake Stand Made From Vinyl Records
The bride in this tutorial used actual records for the custom cupcake stand she created for her wedding.
This would be a super sweet touch for an engaged couple who bonds over music, or a birthday party held in honor of a self-proclaimed audiophile.
The only issue? You have to find old records you don’t mind altering. While you can usually score them for pennies on the dollar at local secondhand shops, this isn’t the most feasible or convenient route.
Then, there’s the question of cleaning the records. Regardless of whether they’re brand-new or decades old, they’ll need a solid scrub-down before you serve food off of them.
Instead of tackling those chores, why not replicate this look with our reusable cupcake stand tier liners? Use a larger Black Tier Liner for the outside, topped with a smaller, pale yellow liner in the middle of each tier.
The final result? A recognizable, two-toned look reminiscent of the bygone disc-spinning era, without any of the shopping or legwork.
- Wooden Cupcake Stand
Do you want to celebrate an avid outdoorsman in your family? Are you planning a rustic wedding complete with the perfect modern farmhouse touches?
If so, you can create your own cupcake tower made from items easily found outdoors, such as sticks, logs and sliced wood.
While you can follow these steps to make your own, there are a few drawbacks to this option.
Chiefly, there’s the aspect of longevity. Natural materials will eventually break down. In the meantime, they require special care to clean and maintain, and could attract a variety of bugs and critters over time.
Want an easier and cleaner option that will last forever?
You can recreate the look of a wood slice by using our Toasted Almond Tier Liner. This light brown liner provides plenty of natural, rustic vibes without any of the chips or splinters you’d find with real wood. It’s also easier to pack and quicker to set up than playing pick-up-sticks at each new event.
- Dress-Themed Cupcake Stand
It can be challenging to think up the perfect dessert display for a bridal shower or bachelorette party. You want something feminine, girly, and special but the guest of honor has likely outgrown princess decor.
Enter the dress-themed cupcake stand.
In short, this is a display in which multiple tiers of fluffy, frosted cupcakes represent the ruffles on a dress. A single sheet of satin is typically draped under all of the tiers to represent the base fabric.
At the very top, there’s usually a bust that completes the look.
While this technique can be visually stunning, there’s no denying the amount of work involved. Instead of scouring the internet for mannequins you can use, simply cover one of our cupcake towers with a piece of silky fabric. Then, arrange your cupcakes around the tiers as normal.
The final product will be glamorous, chic and fashion-forward, for much less than you’d spend on a custom piece.
- Gold or Silver Filigree Towers
Few decorative elements are as regal or upscale as delicate filigree. When you’re shopping for items to decorate the dessert station at your reception, you’ll likely come across tired metal trays featuring this lace-inspired look in either gold or silver.
These dainty towers are elegant and classy.
At the same time, they can also be difficult to transport, as they don’t break down or set up very quickly. Plus, they’ll often cost more than other, more lightweight alternatives. It can also be challenging to clean them to ensure they maintain their sparkle.
You can achieve a similar look by using double-sided tape to attach paper lace to each tier of your cupcake stand! Line your base tier in our timeless Nude Tier Liner and then attach the inexpensive lace to the outside of each tier.
You can also take this look in a few other directions by adding pom-pom trim or colorful ribbons to each tier!
- Birdhouse Cupcake Stand
Birds have long been beloved symbols of love and new beginnings. A tiny, plastic pair of doves is often used as a wedding cake topper, and some couples even release live ones at their reception!
Whether you go that route or not, there’s no denying the beauty of a birdhouse-topped cupcake stand. To get this look, simply add your cupcakes around the tiers as normal.
Then, on the top tier, add a miniature birdhouse! If you want this tier to be edible, you can create a small layer cake in the shape of a birdhouse instead.
To tie in the theme a little more, you can also place miniature toy birds around the cupcakes. If you’re looking for a unique and timeless touch, consider searching your local thrift or secondhand store for vintage brass bird figurines. You’d need to place these strategically, but they could help add depth and visual interest to the stand.
You can find plenty of pint-sized birdhouses at your local craft or hobby store. Measure the top tier before you go, so you know the exact size you need. If you go with a tall stand, like our 2-in-1 Round Cupcake Tower Stand, the smallest top tier is nine inches in diameter.
- Moss-Covered Cupcake Stand
Another play on the rustic, farmhouse trend that we’ve seen popping up are cupcake towers covered in faux moss!
The rich, earthy look pairs well with a springtime tea or luncheon, and is also a great touch for any outdoor event or wedding.
While you could certainly purchase the moss at a craft store and attach it to your cupcake tower, the easier and neater choice would be to use one of our tier liners! Our Lucite Green Tier Liner might not have the exact same texture as moss, but it’s a similar look for a fraction of the cost and none of the mess.
If you line each tier in green, consider this your “lawn” base. Then, you can decorate around your cupcakes with fake flowers and artificial blooms for an al fresco look that’s sure to turn heads.
- Glass-Tiered Cupcake Stand
When you’re going for an upscale, modern appearance, you can’t go wrong by using a cupcake tower that consists of heavy, glass tiers.
Not only are these beautiful to look at, but they also give an unobstructed, top-to-bottom view of your showcase sweets. For this reason, you’ll often find them at high-end venues and events, where the overall aesthetic needs to be a little more elevated.
While we love the idea of real glass tiers, the reality is that they aren’t exactly practical. The same goes for smooth, glossy ceramic tiers that look gorgeous but crack if you look at them the wrong way.
All of our cupcake towers are as classy and high-quality as their heavier, more expensive counterparts. The only differences are that ours assemble in seconds, tear down and travel easily, and are a cinch to clean.
Plus, you never have to worry about dropping and breaking them! All of our towers are made out of tough, durable white PVC. They also come with a custom storage and carrying bag, so you can bring it with you anywhere you go.
If you do want to replicate the look of glass without the headache or hassle, you can line each tier in a light, pale color that will reflect light and still look airy. Try our Pale Grey Tier Liners for an ornate, luxurious look worthy of any posh event.
- Candy Necklace Cupcake Stand
Cupcake towers aren’t just for grown-up events! In fact, these sweet confections are a natural fit for tiny, hungry hands.
Long before they were a wedding trend, cupcakes have been a birthday party mainstay. Generations of children have grown up peeling off those wrappers and sinking their teeth into the sugary, fluffy delights.
Whether you’re hosting a small, family get-together or a class-wide celebration, it’s easy to decorate a cupcake tower that little, discerning tykes will adore.
One of the most unexpected, yet delightful, ways to fancy yours up?
Instead of lace, trim each tier with candy necklaces! You can also scatter candy rings and mini chocolate morsels among the cupcakes on each tier. It’s sure to be a party favor they’ll always remember!
- In Bloom Floral Cupcake Towers
We’ve already described how to adorn a nature-themed cupcake tower with faux flowers, but what if you want to go all-out and really create a look that’s bursting with vibrant color?
In this case, look for decorations that can make your stand as soft and delicate as possible. Scatter fake petals around the cupcakes, and add buds and blossoms strategically around the tiers. You can also opt for brightly hued icing to complement the light and happy decor!
On the top tier of your cupcake stand, add a miniature rose plant. Choose a small planter that matches the color scheme of the tower, and the finished product will gorgeously bring the outdoors in.
Not quite time for spring? No problem! You can switch this approach up a little and do a fall foliage cupcake tower instead!
For this one, swap the petals for gorgeous faux leaves in shades of amber, chestnut brown and crimson.
Then, you can top the tiers with a seasonal potted plant, such as an arrangement of pansies or black-eyed Susans! This would be a spectacular addition to a fall wedding or a back-to-school feast.
- Sports Lovers Cupcake Stand
From the start of football season to the end of March Madness, there’s a sports game to celebrate almost every night of the year.
This year, why not “wow” your party guests with a cupcake stand that they’ll miss halftime to enjoy?
The quickest way to create a sports-themed dessert is to turn the tops of your cupcakes into footballs, basketballs, baseballs, and tennis balls! All it takes is a little patience and an image to reference for accuracy.
When it’s time to assemble the cupcakes onto your tower, line each tier with the color of the team that you’re rooting on! It’s a simple but effective way to pay homage to your favorite players.
On the very top tier of your stand, you can place a stuffed animal mascot decked out in a school sweater! If you’re cheering on a college team, local universities will usually have these available in their bookstores. Pro leagues also have plenty of merchandise and memorabilia available, and you can find most of it online.
How Will You Make Your Cupcake Stand Unique?
You don’t need a reason to brainstorm fun ways to make your sweets as special as they can be.
While it’s always fun to plan and prepare for a big event such as a wedding, birthday party, or the big game, the truth is that there’s always something to celebrate.
This list of unique cupcake stands is meant to serve as inspiration and motivation for you to create your own beautiful design! It’s not exhaustive and there’s plenty of room for creativity and flexibility.
As you think up your next design, we’d love to help you stock up.
In our online store, you’ll find an array of cupcake towers, as well as any liners, accessories, or replacement parts you might need. In addition, you’ll also find our famed Perfect Parchment pre-cut parchment paper, as well as attractive aprons.
Have any questions? Let’s chat. Contact us today to start something sweet!