It seems we all have orphan crystal or china pieces that were at one time part of a beautiful set but are now stuck in the back of our cabinets. If you don't have this problem, these lonely pieces of history can be found by the barrel full at flea markets and junk antique shops for mere cents. 



 
All you need are 3 plates of varying size (small, medium, and large) and two cups, candle holders, or glasses, and in minutes you will have a beautiful gift or a serving piece of your own for your holiday meals.

You can use china, crystal/glassware, or silver. 


 
I used china for one and crystal for the other piece that I have here.


 
First be sure to clean and dry the dishes that you will be using for your project.


 
Then stack your pieces and decide how you would like the final serving dish to look.



 
Once you have decided on your final stack, start gluing. I use E-6000 glue which is an industrial strength clear glue you can use on anything. You can find this at your local hardware store.


 
Center your cup or glass on the bottom plate. As I had no reference point on the plate, I decided to make a light pencil outline of the glass mouth so that I was sure where to place the glue.


 


 
With a toothpick, carefully place the glue on the plate (on your outline) and also on the mouth of the glass that you will be gluing to the plate. Allow your glue to set for 5 minutes and then press the glass onto the plate.


 
Next place some glue on the top of the glass and the bottom of the next plate you are attaching. Allow the glue to set for 5 minutes and press these together. Continue in this manner until you have your third and final plate glued to the top.


 
After you have completed your gluing, you may notice some extra glue that has squeezed out from under your glass rims. At this point all you need to do is take a clean toothpick and scrape this extra glue off. It will ball up easily and be dry enough to stretch and pull off with your fingers. 


 
Make sure you allow your new serving pieces to cure for 24 hours prior to using them. Once they have cured, they WILL NOT come apart!

If you don't have any lonely china or crystal in your cupboards, some of my favorite places to find it are the Alameda Point Antiques Faire as well as the Antique Center.

Happy Gluing!