How To Reuse A Cake Stand To Free Up Precious Kitchen Countertop Space

Kitchen countertops can easily become overcrowded with essentials like bakeware, utensils, dishwashing supplies, small appliances, and more, which also need to be on hand at all times. This can leave you with little room to prepare meals or display food and decor when hosting a gathering. If you have a small kitchen, you might not have all that much countertop space to begin with regardless. Fortunately, there's a simple solution that will help you free up room on your kitchen countertop and it doesn't require any elbow grease or even additional supplies. 

Use a cake stand to store small items that you would otherwise place directly on the counter. Its elevated design leaves room on the bottom for you to place any other kitchen essentials around the stand too, while the small circular base takes up far less room than the tray on top that will actually hold your items. This allows you to utilize all of the space on the large tray without dealing with it blocking off a section of precious real estate. The best part of this storage solution is the fact that cake stands are affordable and easy to find online or in-store.

Although you may not be able to add extra counter space to your small kitchen without doing a full renovation, you can use a cake stand to instantly maximize the space that you do have. Simply place your items on the stand and position any additional kitchen essentials in the free space around the base of it. As for which items to store there, the possibilities are endless. You might choose to display your dishwashing tools on the tray and set it next to your sink. You can place a sponge, dish soap, dishwasher pods, or anything else you see fit on top for easy access when you are tackling dirty dishes.

You could also use the tray to store small snacks. Small bags of chips, packaged pieces of candy, or fresh fruit are all great options. Consider arranging these items on the cake stand in a visually appealing way to really add some flare to your counter. Not only does the extra space around the bottom of the stand allow for additional storage room, but it also enables you to use your kitchen countertop more freely. For instance, you should have slightly more room to place a cutting board or small appliance next to the stand's small base compared to a larger storage bin or tray that lays flat on your counter.

You shouldn't have to hunt too hard to find a good cake stand to use to increase kitchen countertop space because you can generally find one almost anywhere that sells baking supplies. Target, for example, sells several different options, including a 10-inch Metallic Cake Serving Stand priced at just $10.00. If you'd prefer a glass stand, Target also sells a Ribbed Large Glass Cake Stand, which is priced at $25.00. Always keep in mind that getting creative with the stand's design and texture will allow it to serve as a decorative focal point as well as a functional organization solution, so don't be afraid to have fun with it.

Adjustable cake stands are a great way to make this hack more customizable. You can leave it at a low height when you only need to store items on top and extend it out when you want to utilize the space around the base for extra storage. Amazon sells a 10-inch Adjustable Height Grand Baker Cake Stand for only $19.99. It comes in black or white color options.