Decorating Ideas for a Candy Buffet Table

Create the feeling of being a kid in a candy store. Buffets entirely of candy are an alternative to more formal dessert tables featuring baked goods. A larger assortment of candy can be offered without the fuss of baking. Before your guests feast on the candy, give them a feast for the eyes in the arrangement of the buffet table.

Candyland

Incorporate the feeling of childish wonder into the table display. Turn the table into a real-life version of the board game Candyland. Lay out the multicolored path from the Candyland game along the buffet table and around the serving bowls. Arrange 6-inch squares of construction paper on the buffet table in a line in the following order: blue, orange, green, red, purple and yellow. Repeat the order as needed to create a continuous line down the buffet table. Place a real or artificial gingerbread house at the end of the buffet table to represent the candy castle at the end of the game. Cut out yellow, green, red and blue gingerbread man shapes, and attach them to a cardboard base to hold each upright. Set these at random along the path to represent the players' pieces from the game. Scatter decorative, oversized ceramic candy along the path to further enhance the effect.

Carnival

Bring a carnival to the party with the buffet table decorations, as suggested in "Party Lights: Healthy Party Foods & Earthwise Entertaining" by Linda Rector-Page. Hang balloons and streamers from the ceiling over the buffet table. Drape a striped tablecloth over the buffet table, reminiscent of a circus tent. Scatter carnival tickets, plastic coins and strings of streamers on top of the table. At the back of the buffet table, pile six milk bottles into a pyramid shape, and set a baseball next to them to remind guests of carnival games.

Gourmet Chocolate Buffet

For a chocolate and caramel buffet, use table decorations to reflect the richness of the chocolates. Cover the table with a dark brown tablecloth. As accents, drape lighter brown, silk handkerchiefs on risers at an angle over the tablecloth. Place a serving dish centered over each light brown handkerchief. Set some serving dishes directly on top of the dark brown tablecloth. The two levels create a visual dynamic. Decorate the rest of the table with long-stem roses or silver-framed black-and-white vintage photographs of Europe.

Candy Harvest

Use a harvest-themed table for a Halloween candy buffet or for any fall party. Cover the table with an orange or brown tablecloth. Set miniature bales of hay and ears of dried Indian corn on the corners of the table. Set a miniature scarecrow from a craft store in the middle of the table as a centerpiece. Add artificial crows around the scarecrow or on top to add a humorous dimension to the centerpiece.