DIY A Unique Tiered Organizer Out Of A Few Inexpensive Thrift Store Gems

Beautiful old teacups and decorative china plates are common sights in many thrift stores. You can find them from every past design era on the shelves, often in incomplete sets and separated from their matching saucers. While many people enjoy a formal tea set, most modern homes use other varieties of mugs for tea, which means these charming vintage china pieces can sit forever unloved on shelves. There are many clever ways to repurpose old teacups and plates, however, which means you may want to pick up a few that particularly strike your fancy. Many internet DIYers are showing off how they turn ordinary porcelain teacups and plates into adorable tiered trays and vessels.  

These small tiered trays are perfect for holding items in any room. Use them in your kitchen to hold tea supplies, mints, or toothpicks or to serve sweet treats stylishly. They also make beautiful centerpieces when combined with plants or flowers. In the bathroom, they can become the perfect solution for creating extra storage and organization by holding essentials or as a dresser-top jewelry organizer. If you use animal-safe materials, these tiered trays can also be used as an adorable bird feeder for your garden.

There are a couple different approaches to this project. One uses a drill bit to create a hole in the cups and other dishware to install tiered tray hardware. You can purchase this on Amazon; an example is the Mothinessto Tiered Tray Hardware in gold. When drilling a hole in the center of each plate or teacup, use a diamond drill bit and plenty of water (in a sponge) to keep it cool as you drill, starting at an angle to make the hole. Then, follow the instructions for your tiered tray hardware kit to put it all together. Design your tray from the bottom up, using a wider layer like a plate or saucer as your base. If you plan to use the trays for food or animal feeding, this approach is best since it does not involve chemical adhesives.

The other approach uses a strong adhesive like E6000 or Gorilla Glue to adhere one tier to the next. If you are using adhesive, there are many different upcycled items that can work to connect the levels including candle holders, stemware, glass candle sconces, and inverted teacups. You can create as many layers as you'd like with porcelain pieces in descending sizes as you work up. Finish with a single teacup on top.