Hi, My name is Mikell Reed Carroll and I am a Diplomat
turned Candy Buffet Queen! I recently turned my passion for sweets into a profession by
opening my own business: Candy Buffet Queen!
Candy buffets are not only delicious and beautiful, they can make any event more fun and festive elevating it to the next level. Since Halloween right around the corner, I thought I would share some of my favorite tips and tricks on how to make your own candy buffet for your Halloween party, ensuring this years party is your best event yet!
ONE: Display jars
for the candy. You may have jars around
the house you can use so get creative. Apothecary
jars, mason jars, glass bowls or other containers are perfect for this. Don’t be
afraid to borrow them from neighbors or friends or if you feel like stimulating
the economy, you can find very nice and inexpensive glass display jars at discount
stores like HomeGoods or Ross for as
little as $5.99 to $19.99. For visual
appeal it is best to have jars of various sizes and heights. Usually 5-7 is good for a smaller event and
10-12 for a larger event but keep your budget in mind, the larger the
containers and the more jars you have the more candy you will need! If you
have a small budget, use shallow containers and jars, and achieve height by
stacking them on different props from around your home to create the visual
impact you are looking for. You may also
want to purchase small scoops and tongs for your guests to use to get the candy
out of the containers. These are most important if you have unwrapped items in
your buffet. Tongs and scoops can be
purchased at: Oriental Trading
or Candy Warehouse.TWO: Choose theme
colors. For Halloween black and orange are
natural choices, but purple, white, red or green are great accent colors as
well. Once you have your colors, keep
most of the candy in those two to three colors, this will help give a better
visual appeal to your Halloween candy buffet.
THREE: Containers
or bags for your guests. These can be as simple as a brown paper bag dressed up
with black construction paper bats or you can purchase ready made treat bags
from craft stores, Oriental Trading or sometimes they can even be found at
discount stores like T.J.Maxx.
FOUR: Choose your
table set up your candy buffet. Choose a
table cover that goes along with your theme color and if you want to add an
extra special touch add a festive Halloween table runner. Set up your linens, arrange your containers and fill them with
candy. Add colorful ribbons that
compliment your theme colors to the tops of jars and around lollipops. Last but not least, add a few decorations to
the table will help make your candy buffet pop even more. Don’t forget to display your treat bags or
boxes so your guests can enjoy your hard work. Extra touches like a banner or candy
jar labels out of construction paper and ribbons will put the final touches on
your display.
A few final notes:
When purchasing candy, make sure to keep the size of your
containers and the number of guests you are having in mind. Most companies recommend 8 ounces of candy
per guest. Remember to keep your colors
in mind purchasing candy in colors that match your theme. I purchase my candy online at Candy Warehouse or Candy.com.
If you buy online be sure to check retailmenot.com
first to see if there are any discounts available at these online retailers. These retailers offer free shipping or
between $10 to $20 off an order by checking this site. The smaller candy buffet (pictured) has about
$55 worth of candy and the medium sized buffet has about $85 of candy. Another
great personal touch is to add baked goods.
Cookies, brownies and cupcakes decorated to match your theme can be
displayed on coordinating glass trays or cake stands. Letting your kids help bake and decorate the
baked goods can make this a fun experience for the whole family. If you are like me and don’t like to bake or
don’t have time to you can purchase pre-decorated Halloween baked goods at your
local grocery store or bakery to add a great touch to your buffet!
I am really excited about my new candy buffet business and
in order to expand my events portfolio I am currently offering my services FREE
for those in the D.C. Metro area. This
means you pay for the candy and I will provide my expert design services,
containers and props and set up and clean up of your customized candy buffet
for FREE!! E-mail me at candybuffetqueen@hotmail.com for
details or to book your event today. You
can check out pictures from my events and keep up with special promotions and
offers by visiting my facebook page.
I hope this tutorial has been helpful, and that you have a
great time designing your very own Halloween candy buffet, and remember, I’m
here to help you make your special event even sweeter with a custom candy
buffet!!
Mikell Reed CarrollJ
Candy Buffet Queen
Candy used in my buffets pictured: Lindor Peanut butter filled truffles,
Hershey’s Dark kisses (purple kisses), Hershey’s pumpkin spice kisses (orange
kisses), Brach’s candy corn, Hershey’s kisses (silver kisses), Hershey’s Bliss Rich
and Creamy Dark Chocolate (Maroon purple), Hershey’s Bliss Smooth and Creamy
Milk Chocolate (violet purple) and whirly pops purchased at discount store.
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