9 Genius Ways To Repurpose A Cake Stand To Keep Your Home Clutter-Free

Surface area real estate in kitchens, on shelves, and table tops is precious in any home, but if you're seeking a clutter-free space and a way to organize your belongings to maximize storage potential, an unexpected bakery item may be the key to achieving it. A cake stand can be the unsung hero in organizational décor; it can be repurposed for kitchen spaces, bedrooms, living rooms, and bathrooms to provide some extra surface area to store your belongings, or to display pieces of décor that you're eager to highlight. If you have a lovely cake stand sitting in storage from a special occasion, letting it do double-duty as an organizational item is a great way to incorporate a practical piece you already own, while adding an easy design element and reminder of a celebratory time.

Think of the cake stand as a counter top or table top extender, but without the hassle of renovation or installation. In these different ways, you can take advantage of extra surface area, or capitalize on otherwise unused vertical space. All the while, these nine ways to repurpose your cake stand — from holding cosmetics to helping organize cabinets — will keep your space looking nice, without the intrusion of otherwise bulky and not-so-pretty storage items.

A great "upcyle" is to reuse a cake stand to free up precious kitchen countertop space and corral items. To give your counters a little dimension, store staples like oils, salt and pepper, and utensils on a raised cake stand. For even more counter room, use a multi-tiered stand as organizational storage for loose things that typically just take up space on the counter — fruits, potatoes, or even coffee pods can nest together on a cake stand, reducing clutter.

A great way to decorate for the holidays without taking away from your space or messing with your organization is to simply place some larger pieces of seasonal decoration on a cake stand. While it's a bit boring just to plop a crochet pumpkin on your bookcase, you'll add some interesting dimension when you elevate the gourd on a pretty stand instead. It's still a minimalist approach to decorating, but adds a highlighting touch, which is why you may start seeing cake stands as living room décor more often.

Cake stands, particularly turn table stands that spin a full 360 degrees, make for fantastic makeup and skincare organizers. You're able to see all of your cosmetics and creams in an organized, tidy way, without having to rifle through drawers. For this hack, you may want to group your makeup and other products into smaller containers so that your lipsticks, brushes, or small tubes aren't sitting loose on the cake stand. Then puzzle the containers altogether, and you're ready to put your face on!

Spacing between the shelves in cabinets is often incredibly inefficient. Some are way too tall, and you lose that vertical space for storage. Enter the cake stand, a great way to fake an extra shelf in between the bigger spaces in cabinets. You can stack dishes on the cake stand and store smaller, more awkwardly-shaped pieces on the shelf itself. Without the stand, you end up having to choose how you want to use that surface space — for either the dishes or the miscellaneous things. With the stand, you can store both.

An extremely clever way to use a cake stand is to utilize it for live herb storage. Cluster your herbs together on one stand or give bigger herbs their own stand to elevate them off the counter. You even can put the stand in the fridge or use a glass dome lid to maintain humidity for the plants, too. It's much easier to clean up soil or stray leaves from the herbs when they're contained on a stand, and it's quite an aesthetically pleasing little kitchen garden too.

As much as a cake stand is great for kitchen counter organization, it's also a clever tool by your sink — both in the bathroom and in the kitchen. It creates a nifty little shelf for things like your sponge, dish soap, and hand soap, keeping them and your counters somewhat dry. For an added layer of moisture-proofing and design, put a decorative dish towel underneath the stand too. Acrylic or porcelain cake stands work best for this one, since wood and metal aren't the best waterproof options.

Want to create a compact homework or craft station? Using a cake stand will minimize the space a dedicated "craft corner" will take up. Place your pencils, pens, and other supplies in different sized cups or small tins, then arrange them on a multi-tiered cake stand — storing things vertically helps you save on surface area. If you use one with a ring at the top, (like this 3-tier cupcake stand from Amazon for $9.99), you'll be able to easily move it around. 

The fanciest bathroom and perfume organizer ever is already in your kitchen. A bougie cake stand is a fantastic way to show off your pretty perfume bottles, while taking up less space than if they were just sitting out on a dresser. It's an efficient and attractive way to make sure your bottles are visible, which means you're less likely to forget what you have in your stash. Got a big scent collection? On a multi-level cake stand, place shorter bottles on the bottom and taller ones on top to maximize space.

An absolutely genius way to repurpose a cake stand is as its own mini side table or coffee table in a compact living space. While it's not always possible to fit a full size coffee table or side tables in that tiny New York City studio apartment, you can tuck a tall cake stand next to your comfiest chair or bed for a similar result. You can even do a DIY, so it's a little taller too. It's the perfect place to rest your book without overwhelming a smaller space.