How to Make an Acrylic Lollipop Stand
The easiest way to make an attractive lollipop stand from acrylic plastic is to drill holes in a pre-made acrylic display riser. While it’s possible to make your own riser from scratch, the materials, labor and specialized tools required make this option considerably more expensive. Acrylic risers are available in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and colors; some even have two or more tiers, which is useful if you have a wide variety of flavors to display. As a rule of thumb, your riser should be roughly two-thirds as tall as your lollipops. This makes it much easier for customers to see and choose flavors.
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Things You'll Need
- Clear acrylic riser
- Painter's tape
- Scissors or utility knife
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Plywood
- Wood clamps
- Safety goggles
- Work gloves
- Power drill
- Acrylic drill bit
- Lint-free cloth
Instructions
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1
Choose a riser that fits comfortably in your display area. Determine how many lollipops you can display given the dimensions of the riser. The distance between holes should equal the width of the lollipop plus the space you wish to put between them. For example, if your lollipops measure 1 inch in diameter and you want them to be 1 inch apart, the holes should be 2 inches apart.
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2
Turn the riser upside down. Place strips of painter's tape across the riser’s underside until it’s completely covered. Trim any excess tape. Draw a horizontal and a vertical line through the center of the riser using a ruler and a pencil. Make regular marks along each edge -- from the centerline outward -- to correspond with the spacing you chose in Step 1. Draw a grid on the painter's tape based on these markings. The intersections of your grid lines mark the center of the holes you need to drill. Erase any intersections that are within an inch of the riser’s edge.
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3
Place the riser upside down on a sheet of plywood. Clamp it as securely as possible. Put on safety goggles and work gloves.
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4
Choose an acrylic drill bit that’s slightly larger than your lollipop stick. Drill the first hole carefully, starting and ending at a low speed to prevent chipping and cracking. Let the drill bit cool down for approximately one minute before proceeding.
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5
Drill the remaining holes, allowing the drill bit to cool between each hole.
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6
Peel off the painter's tape. Wash the riser with a mild detergent in lukewarm water and dry it with a soft, lint-free cloth.
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Tips & Warnings
Reduce the drill speed if the plastic whitens or melts. Increase the speed if the plastic chips.
Using water as a coolant while drilling may result in smoother, cleaner holes.
Do not use a standard drill bit on acrylic risers, as this will chip or crack the plastic.
References
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
