This month my Studio 5 Challenge was to find some creative uses for dishware. I love using dishes in my decor’ so the hardest part of this challenge was coming up with something new that I haven’t done before. Here are just a few quick and easy ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

I purchased this cupcake holder on clearance awhile back for just this purpose. I love that it is not only eye-catching but also functional. I bought a set of 6 glass cups from Walmart for $2 and they fit perfectly in the trays, they are great for storing embellishments and office suplies. I also thought another fun idea for the cupcake holder would be to use it to serve ice-cream toppings. Each cup could be filled with candies and nuts.

One of my biggest pet peeves inspired this project. I love to read and I always have a stack of books on my nightstand. I purchased a really cute book stand to organize it. HOWEVER . . . it is constantly sliding and tipping over, especially when I dust. This was a perfect solution. It is suppose to be used as a dish holder. It works great for holding books and it will stay in place.

This is such an easy project, but it adds a real “wow” factor. I simply purchased some square drinking cups from the dollar store and attached some metal name plates to the front with some high temp hot glue. I found the little frames in the jewely dept. at my local scrapbook store. Orig. there were a couple of hooks at the top for a necklace, but I simply sniped them off with a pair of wire cutters. Then I added my own label. I really like how they turned out. The pic on the bottom is another version using a square vase. I also purchased this embellishment in the jewerlry isle.

This is a quick and easy way to make frames. I purchased these trays at the dollar-store. However, if I were doing a project that I planned to display in my home I would use something a little more durable. I would have LOVED to use some old silver serving dishes from my Grandmother . . .but I don’t think my mom would have liked that so much lol. Print the photo on a Laser printer (ink-jets cause the ink to run), you may need to take it to Kinkos. Trim and adhere it inside of the tray with Mod Podge. Make sure that you burnish it to get all of the bubbles out. Once it is completely dry you can lightly Mod Podge the top to seal it. If desired you can then mix an epoxy resin (I like to use Clear Cast it comes in a purple box at the craft store) and poor it over the top . I LOVE this effect because it gives it the rounded bubble look of old antique frames.