Polka Dotted Cake - Taking a Stand

As I've mentioned, my cake baker and I were able to incorporate my favorite aspects of several different inspirational polka dotted cakes into the one singular cake that will be the unique Star cake. There was one picture that I loved that I just couldn't get out of my mind, though, and that was this one:

(Photo Credit - again!)

I really think the cake stand makes this cake. So I did a google search for black cake stands and came up with this one that I adore:

Trouble is, not only is it not 12" across, it's almost $50, which I really can't justify adding to the budget at this point. 

My search on Etsy didn't really yield anything, either, although I'm not ruling out an alchemy request to try to get someone to custom make me one. I don't really care what material it's made out of (whether it's ceramic, wooden, etc.), so that could be an option.

I finally headed back on over to the CoveredInCrafts blog where I first found the cake picture to see where she got her stand and as it turns out, she made it! She says she took a pillar candle holder and somehow attached it to the cake board. I'm not really sure how to do that myself or where to find a black pillar holder, but I'm thinking of trying!

So what do you think, Hive? Should I keep searching for an affordable stand to buy, put out an alchemy request on Etsy, or try to make one myself? Does anyone have any links to share with me?