Now, I have to admit right away to being “new to nutcrackers.” I have met so many avid nutcracker collectors with incredible collections, but I’m not yet there. I have just started amassing my well-dressed nutcracker army. But, I can tell right away I’m going to love them. I’m also going to put them to work. And that’s where this easy to make homemade nutcracker Christmas cake stand comes into play!
I Like My Nutcrackers In The Kitchen
My maturity level is really struggling to keep writing “nutcrackers” without giggling. But, y’all, I’m going to power through.
We’re in the (what’s seeming like) never-ending preparation process of renovating our kitchen. Like, we haven’t even started in earnest, but I’m already exhausted by it. I think, I’m just exhausted by still seeing the same sad colors in my kitchen, knowing that something better is just around the corner. Anywho, I have a plan for my future kitchen to be decked out with a gingerbread theme, but right now it really doesn’t work in there. Enter, the nutcrackers.
My kitchen and it’s chipped brown and cream paint job needs something that doesn’t feel too out of place. My candy and gingerbread decor sticks out like a sore thumb, but then I set out a few nutcrackers and voila!
Nutcrackers have a kind of decor magic and an interesting history. They are colorful without being loud, look vintage even when they’re new, and somehow all go together despite size or color. I can quickly feel myself becoming a big nutcracker fan. And, I really want to deep dive on true vintage and historic nutcrackers.
So, learn from my struggles in my kitchen. If you’ve got a kind of problematic space in your home that makes decorating difficult, try a couple of nutcrackers. You can use them to make a small vignette or simply put one in place to stand guard.
How To Make A Homemade Nutcracker Christmas Cake Stand
This is a crazy easy DIY. Like, shockingly easy. I’d say, if you plan well (see my foolish mistakes in the next section), you could complete this in less than an hour. This is a home run, looks harder than it is, kind of DIY.
Supplies:
- 4 nutcrackers the exact same height. (You could definitely have more nutcrackers in your cake stand, but I like the symmetry of four.)
- Circular wooden base
- Circular wooden platter or plate
- Hot Glue
- Modge Podge Dishwasher Safe
- Acrylic Paint
1. PAINT YOUR WOODEN BASE AND TOPPER.
Using the color of your nutcrackers as a guide, paint your base and topper with acrylic paint. I wanted my nutcracker’s square bases to be the same color as my circular wooden base so that it seemed like the nutcrackers were standing. But you do you!
You could also add some fun to your base and topper by adding gold flecks. Nutcrackers have a real luxury about them, so it’s fun to add a little of that to this DIY.
2. SEAL YOUR NUTCRACKERS.
For this step, I pulled off the hair and beards of my nutcrackers. That’s really because I repainted mine (more on that below), and I don’t think it’s really necessary. Carefully go around the hair on your nutcrackers with this dishwasher-safe sealant.
Because of the hair on the nutcrackers, this platter is never going to be super easy to clean. But by sealing everything, you’ll be able to hand wash it much easier.
3. SEAL YOUR PAINTED BASE AND TOPPER.
Once your acrylic paint has dried, seal your base and topper with the dishwasher-safe sealant. Get this on nice and thick. Let it dry.
4. PUT IT TOGETHER.
When everything is dry, it’s time to put this platter together. Start by arranging your nutcrackers on your base. Once you’ve got them exactly where you’d like them, glue them down one by one.
Note: I first started with super glue on mine, but had some trouble getting it to stick with the sealed finish. Hot glue worked very well, though!
After you’ve got your nutcrackers attached to your base, you’ll want to dry fit the topper. Once you know exactly where it goes, hot glue it down.
How To Pick The Right Nutcrackers
So for this homemade nutcracker christmas cake stand to work correctly, you’ve got to have nutcrackers that are the EXACT same height. You can test this in the store before you purchase them to at least make sure you’re close. Set your nutcrackers on the ground and find something large and flat to lay on top of them.
If the topper lies flat with no wiggling, you’re good to go! It took me a few tries to find four that were perfect.
Don't Overcomplicate This Like I Did
I don’t even have a good reason for why I made this so much more complicated than it needed to be! But learn from my foolishness!
I bought my nutcrackers for $4 each from Walmart, and they had a lovely blush and cream color scheme. However, in my mind, I only wanted green and brown nutcrackers. So after I bought them, I took my nutcrackers completely apart so I could paint them. What was I thinking?
There are so many styles and colors of nutcrackers out there, just buy ones you already like! Don’t add this extra work to your already busy life. I mean, do my nutcrackers look great? Sure! But could I have purchased ones that already were green? Absolutely.
I hope this homemade nutcracker Christmas cake stand is a fun DIY for you! May these little nutcrackers proudly hold whatever treats you’re serving. Plus, see more nutcracker love on my Pinterest. And, if you’re a die-hard nutcracker collector, please share a photo of your collection or of your favorite nutcracker. I’d really love to see it!
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