Whether it’s a candy buffet, a gourmet popcorn spread or a table inspired by the season or your event location, a little planning, creativity, and someone like me obsessing over all the details and then reporting them back to you is all you need! I hope you find these helpful and inspiring.

So tell me…what kind of interesting, personalized treat table are you planning?

And just so you have all the tips in one, succinct spot, here they are again:

Tip #1: Arrange toward the center

Tip #2:  Elevate your table elements

Tip #3:  Keep colors to a minimum

Tip #4:  Get busy labeling

Tip #5:  Use creative filler materials

Tip #6:  Symmetry is your friend

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Tip #6:  Arrange your items simply and with an eye toward symmetry

Really you needn’t look any further for proof of this than the work of the reigning queen of treat tables, Amy Atlas.   Creating clean, easy to digest (no pun intended!) lines is a feast for the eyes.  Less really is more!

Keep things low on fussiness and high on style by choosing low profile trays and containers (I love these from CB2) and setting your smaller items toward the front of your table on them.

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Tip #5:  Fill up those trays with creative, edible “fillers”

Overkill?  Practically speaking, of course.  But who cares, it’s so cute!  If you’re not lining your trays in a coordinating, decorative paper like I did, consider returning to your list of brainstormed “themes” for inspiration on container fillers.  The sky is really the limit here but think of it as another opportunity to introduce texture and coordinating color to your table.

Try to keep fillers edible if you’ll be setting treats right down into them.  I mean sea glass might look great but do you necessarily want to eat cookies that have been sitting on it?  Probably not.  Think small candies, dragees, colored sugar and edible pearls.  CakeArt is a great source for all things edible and decorative.

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Tip #4 :  Get busy labeling!

One of the defining characteristics of all those magazine spreads we drool over is the adorable labels.  It may seem like overkill to label items as clear as jelly beans but I promise, your guests will appreciate the guidance. 

On a practical note, with the proliferation of nut allergies these days, labeling is an easy way to prevent a mini-disaster at your wedding!

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TIP #3: Keep your color palette tight

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE COLOR!  But a tightly edited collection of colors is once again, more pleasing to the eye than the hodge podge of colors that will result if you don’t plan your table elements accordingly.

Can’t find that favorite candy in just the right color for your table?  Package it up in an easy box or bag that does coordinate.  You might not be able to create that perfect chartreuse green M&M but you can certainly put M&Ms in a cute chartreuse box. See?  Easy!

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TIP #2:  Work in layers and elevate your various table elements

Besides looking pretty, pedestal containers serve to elevate some of the smaller elements of your table and prevent them from getting lost.  This works particularly effectively with things toward the back of your table.

Don’t have have the necessary height in your containers?  You can create some really easy “platforms” using Styrofoam blocks wrapped in coordinating paper or fabric (just wrap it up and use pretty pearl head pins to secure).

Or you can be like me and start a ridiculous cake pedestal collection (eBay needs to be blocked from this computer!)   Either way, don’t let all the pretty things you’ve selected get lost on your table.  Elevate them to the stature they deserve and let them shine!

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Today I’m sharing a few tips that I find helpful in creating a really pulled together look for your treat tables.  Where do these tips come from?  Hours and hours spent pouring over food and home decor magazines and many a pretty candy buffet.  I know, it’s a tough job!  But if you do this with an eye toward the consistent and eye pleasing elements, you’ll find a few themes emerge.

Before we get started, a word about planning what goes on your table.  In one of yesterday’s posts I discussed the idea of brainstorming the various textures, colors, etc you could use in your table.  Once you’ve done that, it’s time to start a little planning.  You’ll likely have way more ideas than you can and should use in one cohesive table design.  This is where you have to exercise some self restraint and edit, edit, edit.

I’m a sketcher, so I always turn to pen and paper to get my ideas rolling.  I’m sharing these sketches to illustrate my first point:

TIP #1:  Pick a focal point to your table, center it, then arrange toward that focal point.

Your focal point could be anything as grand and singular as your wedding cake or a simply arranged series of glass vessels.  Either way, I always think having the tallest element in the center of your table creates a arrangement that commands attention and says “look here!  something special is going on”.  It’s quite simply really…your eye wants something big and easy to find to land on first and then you can work your way out toward the “supporting cast” if you will.

One other thing these sketches illustrate – it’s important to define the space where your table will sit.  You can do this simply with some paper or fabric banners (on the table front or above it), with some large balloons, Chinese lanterns, tissue paper pom-poms…you get the idea.  A little something to “announce” the space will do wonders for pulling the whole arrangement together.

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Stay tuned because today I have a whole series of tips on pulling together your pretty, pretty treat table, no matter the theme!

Ribbon & Twine
22mm (approx. 1″ wide) velvet ribbon in gold & old rose from MJ Trim
Red & white baker’s twine from Amazon.com

Containers & Bags
2 gallon glass jars from Crate & Barrel
Maple wood ladle from Crate & Barrel
12″ square galvanized trays from Jamali Garden
5 3/4″ x 9 3/4″ burlap bags from Paper Mart
2 3/4″ x 3 3/4″ clear oval boxes with lid from Paper Mart
Wood handled, galvanized tray from Pottery Barn

Miscellaneous
Candy apple sticks from Pick on Us
Tiny favor baskets from Michael’s
3.5″ scalloped circle paper punch from Scrapbook.com

Not pictured
Double-sided tape
Scissors
1/8″ hole punch
Decorative scrapbooking paper (I used a discontinued pattern from Martha Stewart Crafts)
3 tiered galvanized stand (I found mine at a antique store years ago but this one from Pottery Barn is very similar)
Burlap linen via CE Rentals

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Tomorrow I’ll be sharing all my resources behind the project as well as my step-by-step guide to creating gorgeous tables like this, no matter your theme. 

Leave me a comment and let me know your favorite element from the feature!  Are you inspired to try something like this for your own weddings?  Would you like to see more of these features here on White Thread?  Any interesting themes you want me to tackle? I love hearing from you guys!

And of course, I can’t forget to thank the INCREDIBLE Nancy Ray for joining me on location at the Fearrington Barn to shoot this whole thing. Not only is Nancy obviously crazy talented, she is THE SWEETEST and even stuck around to help me jump my car back to life after I killed the battery by leaving the hazards on for 2+ hours while we set up and broke down. Whoops! Thanks Nancy!!

Inspired by these adorable apple tree kits, I decided to create some earth friendly favors in the form of “apple-tree-to-be” kits.  You could really do this with any tree, flower, bulb, etc. but in keeping with my apple themed affair, I choose apple seedlings packaged up in little burlap sacks.  I arranged them in an inexpensive galvanized tub filled with more wood excelsior.  A simple sign and velvet ribbon is all you need to complete the display and encourage guests to return a little something to Mother Earth.

{NOTE} Download the free font Artistamp Medium to get the same look as images above.
{NOTE} You can use the apple pie tags for these favors as they are the same size.

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My little flag banners serve to both add a festive look to my table AND define the space as somewhere where a little something special is going on.  These were SO EASY to make (but of course they’ll be even easier for you with the free templates below) and I really think they add so much to the overall table.  I strung them up on baker’s twine and used clear push pins to fastened them to the table.  They weigh nothing so you could easily hang them with a little double-sided tape on a wall too.

Punctuation can be a little tricky to work into these banners but I’m a stickler for grammar and would seriously not be able to sleep at night without that apostrophe!  So instead of dedicating a whole flag to it (which I think makes the whole thing a tad more difficult to read), I used a mega-sized 3.5″ scalloped circle punch.  Easy to read, grammatically correct and, most important in my world CUTE!

{NOTE} Download the free font Artistamp Medium to get the same look as images above.

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Post Tags: DIY, Fearrington Village, Nancy Ray Photography, tablescape
Post Categories: DIY, Inspiring Eye Candy