Candy buffets are not only a sweet treat alternative to the standard cake and candles at a child’s birthday party – they’re also a feast for the eyes, especially if you design them right. It’s easy enough to put out a few candy dishes with faves like M&Ms and mini Snickers bars, just for example. But if you want to design a candy buffet bar to delight the senses, you need to put a little thought into the design process. And if you don’t happen to have a background in design or you don’t fancy yourself the creative sort, you’ll be happy to hear that there are all kinds of resources to help you out (just check out Pinterest for ideas). Candy buffet bars have become a rather trendy option where confections for events are concerned. So if you want to create one for your child’s birthday party, there are myriad design guidelines you can follow.
The place to start is with a proper foundation, and this not only includes choosing an appropriate table space on which to lay our your buffet – it should be one that kids can easily reach so they’re not climbing and straining to get at the goodies – but you also need to decide on a theme and/or color scheme. While you can certainly select a haphazard collection of candy to populate your buffet, it’s going to look a lot more coordinated if you have some kind of theme as your basis. Your child can likely help you here by selecting an appropriate theme for the party or telling you his or her favorite color.
Next you’ll need to choose the containers that candy will be displayed in, and here you’re in luck because you can buy ready-made sets that include all of the bowls, platters, and apothecary jars you’ll need. Candy buffet kits come in a variety of colors, they often include necessary extras like scoops and take-away baggies, and some even provide candies that are color coded to match any number of themes. However, if you’re interested in selecting the candy yourself you can simply order a kit that just has containers and such.
So now you can begin decorating your table, and here you’ll want to include a tablecloth, risers that set your dishes and jars at different heights (taller levels should go in the back, tapering down height towards the front – just make sure guests can reach everything), and perhaps some kind of “Happy Birthday” banner to hang over the table. You can also include thematic elements if your child has chosen a specific theme for the event. And of course, you’ll need to get the candy.
There are a couple of things to think about here, like how much candy you’ll need. The general rule of thumb is eight ounces per guest, and your best bet is to purchase bulk candy by the pound to save money. As for the types of candy you provide, that will depend largely on the age of the children attending the party and what they favor. If you’re catering to young children, you probably don’t want to include hard candy, just for example, since it could be a choking hazard. And you’ll want to provide options that are favorites of your child, naturally. The good news is that your dessert is also your party favor. So let each child choose their own favorites and create a bag of goodies to take home.
