Next week my friend Amy Atlas‘ new book, Sweet Designs hits the shelves. It’s a mega-manual of sugar and crafts that will help you create beautiful dessert tables like this one from the book called Honey, I love you.
Just looking at this photo has me buzzing with excitement. Dessert tables bring smiles and designing one is a great way to tap into your creativity. Plus, you’re playing with sugar so what’s not to like.
When you work on one, it’s very easy to get caught up in the crafting and design behind each dessert. You’ll experience a constant flow of ideas and won’t want to stop. Or at least that’s how I feel. Here’s a Super Bowl dessert table I helped my friend Julie with a while ago and we had the best time watching it all come together. I think we could create dessert tables everyday and never get bored. They are so visually appealing and full of yummy treats – I wish I could keep one on display at all times – magically replenished with desserts. That would be sweet.
Here’s a few extra shots from the full table. I zoomed in a little so you could see more of the detail.
…because the website just isn’t wide enough to do this entire spread of sweets justice.
Sweet Designs has more than 175 projects with tons of pictures throughout.
That means it’s huge… 374 pages huge.
Candy math… tools of the trade… candy index… the book is full of information to get you started on your own table designs.
And if dessert tables aren’t your thing, that’s okay too.
The book makes it easy to find individual recipes and projects from each table to bake or craft if you just want to start out small.
There’s also handy overviews in each chapter. Shop it. Display it. Switch it.
But I think my favorite is Find it. Thank you Amy for a detailed listing of all the items you used. Your book makes me happy happy!
You can pre-order Sweet Designs right now from amazon or look for it in stores next week.
But, you can also win one here. Signed by Amy. Yay!
Enter for a chance to win a signed copy of Amy Atlas’ Sweet Designs.
- To enter, leave a comment on this website post and just answer the following question.
- What theme do you think would make for a fun dessert table? (baby, owl, circus, safari, super hero? Nursery rhyme? Dinosaur? Dancing with the Stars? I don’t know – get creative…the possibilities are endless.
- Deadline to enter is Friday, April 20th at 5 p.m. ET. SORRY, TIME’S UP! Winner Announced below.
- One winner will be chosen at random and announced on this post sometime Friday evening.
Good luck – and now I need to go clear off my dining room table.
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We have a winner – and we have a lot of incredible dessert table ideas. Take a look at some of the comments for inspiration.
And the winner is:
Comment #1154 Michele M! Congratulations. It sounds like you’ll get some good use out of the book. Send pics of your table after the party.
Living in the wild west, I’d like a rodeo theme!
Hmm…so many ideas for the kiddos! How about a summer BBQ theme for everybody to enjoy.
I think a hot pink and kelly green garden party!
Hey, now that i thought about a theme, I found so many that i can’t even choose…:)
I think a fashion inspired theme would look so great….with some shoes made of cupcakes or cakes decorated with jewellery made out of fondant….:)
there are so many possibilities…… :)
xoxo, Jenny
How about a ladybug party? No real reason why – I have just loved them since I was a kid!!
Bats – my 9yr old loves BATS (the animal, not the sports equipment). Fruit Bats live in tropical areas and eat wonderful fruit – Mango & Fig cupcakes anyone?
I love owls with polka dots….I think that would make a great table design idea!
I’m currently working on a Harley-Davidson themed baby shower for my brother and sister-in-law for this weekend. So the foods I’m sticking with are small and poppable, and I’m doing lots of oranges (and reds and yellows), as well as chocolate (dark brown) to keep with the more traditional HD colors. :)
I’m thinking of Hawaii…beach or lu’au theme, since we just enjoyed a fabulous vacation there. Can’t wait for summer and warmer weather.
Alcohol-themed. Not in a drunken way, but in that every dessert on the table uses some form of alcohol in it – wine in truffles, beer in the cake, bourbon in the cookies. Etc etc. I’m planning on doing that for my husband’s birthday as a surprise!
I would love a Vera Bradley themed dessert table! Imagine the colors! :)
I would go with a Daffodil theme! That would be just wonderful!!
Gardening would be my choice.
Flowers!
The Hunger Games because I loved the trilogy as did my coworkers!
Tea party! Theme for my soon-to-be five year old’s bday party this summer.
I think a Roller Derby themed sweets table would be so much fun! In my teams colors, red and purple! :)
After 2 yrs of trying to get pregnant and one ectopic pregnancy and being aprox 6weeks pregnant…….baby shower!
After 2 yrs of trying to have a baby and an ectopic pregnancy and finally being aprox 6 weeks pregnant……baby shower!
a woodland fairyland!
Definitely a Willy Wonka themed dessert party!
Winnie the Pooh
I think a table for a band. Like a drumset cake, guitar and bass guitar cupcakes, licorice drumsticks and microphone cupcakes. Can you tell I just got home from band practice? Hahaha
Dinosaur would be super cute for a kid’s party. I also love the bug theme!
How about a Black Belt party theme for Tae Kwon Do?? Lots of black & white……
I think that nursery rhymes would be a great theme… it was my favorite birthday party to plan for my daughter.
I love OWLS!!! I had a owl themed 21st b-day! =)
I think I’d go for a handbag themed dessert table. make it all about fashion fashion fashion!
I love peacock colours, so id say peacock theme
SO many cute ideas already! My daughter is planning a hotel-themed sleepover this weekend, which makes me think about Eloise – that would make a cute dessert table theme. Thank you for the giveaway!!!
I think a Trivial Pursuit table…I’m a game-a-holic…you could have coordinating colors, desserts that fall under the specific categories with clever names, plus trivia…like a game/dessert table!
I love themed tables!! i think I would like a space theme! Then all the guests could make comments on how the decor is “out of this world”
Glow in the dark!
I like baby theme!
I have been thinking of creating a “The Little Prince” table for quite some time now. Based on my favorite childhood book it would have many elements from the story: a rose cookie under a glass dome, fox and sheep cookies, etc…
I will work on it soon!
I think the Super Hero table would be fun! Or maybe an Olympics/London themed table for an opening ceremonies party. Oh yes, I like that one!
I would love a color themed table. My daughter is a neon green girl! That would be fun!! Or an Orange Crush theme for her softball team!!! Love all the ideas I have seen!!
I have always wanted to do a mad hatter tea party theme or old fashioned country fair them for a dessert table. Yum!
Personally, I think a Gothic/Victorian theme would be fabulous… Or maybe a black/white theme :)
A 60’s Hippies Theme Peace Love & Happiness :)
I would make a Halloween themed table. That is one of my favorite dessert time of year! Its just so fun to decorate at that time, and a great excuse to make fun desserts! <3
This is a tough one…. I’d love to do a candyland theme not only with tons of candy but cupcakes, cakepops, and cookies decorated to look like candy.
Ladybugs… My mom had that theme for my 1st birthday almost 39 years ago and I would love to revisit the theme with an updated view!
I think a mardi gras theme would be fun and colorful.
Chocolate!
i would do a disney theme!!!! :)
I would love to do a swing dancing theme somehow…. Now, let me go ponder what that would mean…
I think an table inspired by Grease would make for a fun, delicious theme.
I think a Paris themed table would be out of this world, from the Eiffel tower, to the many art forms there like ballet :)
Well I am planning a Star Wars party for my son, so I think that would be great.
Owl theme!
Twilight (mostly Jacob, but you have to have the Cullens & Bella too)
Underwater-world theme!!
I would like a DENTIST theme!!
Since it’s election year, how about donkeys and elephants in red, white and blue?
I think an awesome theme would be France, from the Eiffel tower, to the arts there like ballet :)
I just saw a baby shower where the theme had to do with popping. Everything made had the word “pop” in it.
Sweets and treats inspired by Pocoyo!
I really think a “vintage” candy theme would be neat. Just a lot of the goodies from the past that are hard to find decorated in retro.
I love animals so maybe a jungle/rainforest theme!
I’d like to do an alcohol dessert table for our next girls’ night! Mojito cupcakes, champagne cookies, etc… You could make some treats with alcohol and some without. I think it would be a blast!
I would love to have a cheeseburger theme, everything would be adorned in soda pop cans, hamburger meals, french fries (straws), and toys as goodie bags for the kids :]
I dreaming of a sweet table inspired by Pocoyo!
Hmmm, I like Harry Potter, Hunger Games and books because im a nerdy bookworm :} Also maybe a fundraising one like be glad you get this cupcake because so many around the world won’t eat this much or something this delicious today.
I would do a flamingo theme! For my daughter’s Four year old party.
Disney Princesses theme.
I love the bumble bee theme! I think a safari theme would be cool, especially with lots of elephants.
I already have my pre-order in (from MONTHS ago) but who couldn’t use another copy of this dessert table bible?? I’d like to see a sport brand theme – like Nike.
Flower and Veggie garden display!
I would love to do a Willy Wonka theme, complete with chocolate waterfall:)
I think an old fashioned/ rustic theme would be kind of fun! Of course having some mason jars in there somewhere!
I’m dying to try a CHIC PARISIAN theme!!!
Mickey mouse for my sons 3rd birthday in a couple of months.
Tropical flowers everywhere!
something based on The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry would be adorable and unique!
I think pizzas would be a fun theme. Dessert pizzas, fruit pizzas, etc.,
A dinosaur driving a race car theme. Yes, it HAS to be a dinosaur driving a race car. A red car. Luckily my sons birthday isn’t until November.
I would do mickey mouse for my sons 3rd birthday, which is in a couple of months and i would do princess for my daughter because she is always dressing up like a princess.
cows!
Under the sea, mermaids or fish and sharks, easy to adapt for either sex and can choose some really great sparkle decorations.
for my 3 year old soon to be 4 I want to do a play do theme. for my 14 year old I want to do a black and white them. with black lights.
HUNGER GAMES THEME! Ahhhhhh i am such a book nerd…….it would be soo cool there could be like different bread from each of the districts ahhhhh (and yes i know bread isn’t really a desert but thats okay )
I would love to theme a dessert table after my favorite movie: The Wizard of Oz. Off the top of my head I can already think of a ton of fun treats that would go perfect with the colors and theme of the movie!
Well since earth day is just around the corner and green is my favorite color, I think it would only be fair to do a green/earth day theme’s desert table! With hummingbird cupcakes decorated with the dried pineapple flower on it, cute green-leaf tree cake pops and just a variety of delicious sweets!
I love the owl idea…for a baby shower…so cute!! :)
I would love to see an ice cream table display! You could use about any color and ice cream is just plain fun!!
A seseme street theme for my sons 2nd bday party!
Halloween Theme
I’ve always loved Travel and dreamed of doing something on that order. I would do desserts from many countries, and put little cards up telling about each dessert and the country. Flags of countries would be center of each dessert (they can be printed from internet). A placemat under each group would match a color from the flag. Tour the world via desserts! (I just retired and had a “travel” theme retirement party – cupcakes had photos of countries; everyone enjoyed picking out which “country” they wanted.
I’d love to do a Panda theme!
Sesame Street! I’m planning a Sesame Street party for my little one’s 2nd bday party. This book would be soo helpful!!
I would love to do a chocolate theme for my daughters high school graduation coming up, because she is a lover of all things chocolate… I also love rustic , so a rustic chocolate dessert bar would be fun!
Since Memorial day is approaching, how about something to honor ALL of our armed forces? Something not like the normal red, white, and blue that we always see.
Nests. Eggs. Little baby birds. Spring! Garden. Flowers.
sid and marty croft ie lidville ,hr puffin stuff wouldnt that be cool
Gnomes and fairies theme…very whimsical!
I dream of creating a beautiful dessert table one day! I would love to do a monochromatic table in yellow or brown.
LOVE would make a great dessert table theme :)
Our nursery theme is purple butterflies, so maybe I’d try that theme. How fun!
I’d love to do one with a nautical theme! I am crazy about anything that has to do with water!
I’d love to try out fun back to school theme in the fall!
I’d love to see a Hawaiian theme!
How bout a Survivor theme?
When my cousin was getting married we talked about a CHOCOLATE & CIGARS table, a little fun for everyone!
Olympic Games
I would love to do a dessert table for my sister-in-law’s baby shower. The theme is going to be based on the book Charlotte’s Web.
Oh, there’s so many cute themes!
What about a turquoise theme? I love the color so much, but you hardly ever see it in food.
A tech, social media theme – for the teenage crowd!
I think ladybugs would make a great dessert table. Black, whites and reds would pop!
Sailing/nautical theme
Lala Loospy theme as the dolls are so cute, button cookies and stitching detailed cupcales would be super fun to bake!!
Lion Theme! As a 51 year old lion-king fan, that is the obvious choice for me!
80’s Theme!! :D
Girly for my daughter. Pink! Flowers, butterflies, princess stuff!
As a teacher, I think a back-to-school sweets buffet in the teachers lounge would be amazing!
A manga/anime theme for a dessert table would be awesome! (:
I think Pretty in Pink would be a fun theme!
I would love a safari theme centered around lions and jaguars they are my fav :}
I would love to do a pancakes and pjs theme with breakfast for dinner :)
I would love a roller derby themed table!
A Steel Magnolias table – complete with an armadillo cake!
I’ll reveal the geek in me and wish for some good old retro videogames theme. Tetris, anyone?
My VERY Italian friend is turning 40 next weekend and I think vines, grapes and flowers would lovely, maybe with a few bottles of wine mixed in!
This book looks wonderful! I love going all-out decorating for parties!
I love Superhero themes for both boys and girls, as well as nostalgia loaded themes like 80’s mixed cassette tapes, hunting for dinosaurs, retro rocket ships….
A love theme with hearts and lips and all kinds of fun candy like red hots!
I would do a Dinosaur theme! You guessed it! My little one lives Dino’s! And his birthday is coming up.
One theme? That’s hard. Maybe a Candy Fantasy Land theme. With cotton candy clouds and overall just a lot like the room in Willy Wonka where you could eat everything!
I think a “time travel” theme would be cute… featuring different eras over the last few hundred years!
I would do love, because it does not really need a holiday and I could celebrate with both friends and family. I could do cut out cookies hearts, lip cake pops, passion fruit in a jar, the possibilities are endless!
With thanks, WHEN I liked your current submit immensely. It can be pleasant to ascertain someone creating a little something value studying.
A Bakerella Theme!!!!!
With all your delicious treats :)
I’d go for an Alice in Wonderland or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory theme.
A day of the dead theme
Take me out to the ballgame theme
A carnival theme would be really fun!
I would like to subscribe to your newsletter
ZOMBIES!!! I’d totally have zombies looking like they were eating all the deserts…what could be better for a geek girl then a table full of chocolate brain munching zombies…
I love the beach, so anything beach, ocean or nautical themed!
Summer (fun in the sun) theme! I’m ready for it to be summer already!
A garden theme would be fun, but a chocolate theme or black and white theme would also work.
I would definitely go for a fashion theme. I have a teenage daughter, need I say more?
Lady bugs! Love it!
rainbow themed (:
Looks like a fantastic book! I would do a mermaid themed party for my obsessed 3 year old daughter!
a sleepover would be fun
At Christmas a friend of mine did “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth” with windup chattering teeth, toothbrushes, blown-up photos of her nepher missing his two front teeth, etc. The napkins were those little clip chains and paper bibs that they use at the dentist. Too cute!!
Thanks – love ya Bakerella!
I love teh suggestion of a nursery rhyme theme. Or a coffee theme would be fun. Ok, anything would be fun really.
Let’s see ….Rock Star, Baseball, or maybe a School’s Out theme! I’m great @ “borrowing” ideas from others much more creative than I am!
I would love to see a Chinese New Year theme!
Panda ;)
I would do Alice in wonderland
I would like to see a whimsical theme table.
Mother goose for a baby shower.
a fairytale theme! something magical, sparkly and fun!
I’d love to do a Winnie the Pooh theme!
I would love to have a garden theme with lots of flower and pastel colors!!!
How about a spring theme!
I’d love to do a nautical themed dessert table!! My husband is in the Navy & we both love the water so seeing things with anchors, rudders, oars, paddles & boats would be so cute!!
Im so happy spring is here! I’d do a cherry blossom theme. Pink and white cherry blossoms, with a pretty light teal/mint background.
I would LOVE to do an Under the Sea theme!
P.S. I love all of the work you do, Bakerella! You are simply AMAZING!
20s Flappers/Jazz – lots of sparkle and movement – so fun!
Harry Potterr! Complete with butterbeer and golden snitches :D
I would love a Legos theme, with one, two or all Lego collections included!
Spring in Paris!
Macarons, Mini Crepes, Cupcakes, Croissants, Petit Fours and MORE!
A running theme table would be cool!
A graduation/birthday theme.
A Lego theme would be awesome with all the bright colors. You could do cake pops to look like the lego man’s head, some kind of bar treat frosted with bold lego colors, maybe even a spectacular cake for the centerpiece that looks like a castle made out of legos.
A Lego theme would be awesome with all the bright colors. You could do cake pops to look like the lego man’s head, some kind of bar treat frosted with bold lego colors, maybe even a spectacular cake for the centerpiece that looks like a castle made out of legos.
I’d have a space theme… Planet shaped cakes, cookies with nebula patterns, somehow… Looking at these pictures makes me want to get baking!
I’d love to see a Very Hungry Catepillar theme for a 1st birthday.
Under the Sea! I love the way water seems to have a changing number of dimensions :)
I would love to see a jewelry themed dessert table. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend or Marilyn Monroe or Betty Boop theme.
a Minecraft theme! minecraft is a highly addicted game, and it’d be awesome to have a pixel-block theme, somehow
I think a Spring theme would be cute – flowers, butterflies, etc.
Picture this: A balmy summer night at the Santa Monica Pier! On one side of a large table draped in black is a miniature Ferris wheel, let’s make it 3-feet high, and surrounded by platforms elevated at different low heights. These platforms are covered with bright colorful cloth napkins and sprinkled over with confetti glitter. The small platforms will each hold trays of dessert items such as various cake pieces, many crumbled cookies, chopped brownies, fresh cut-up fruits and big bowls of delicious puddings, creams and sweet sauces. Guests will be given a large martini glass each to fill to their heart’s content with goodies displayed on the trays. The cars on the lighted revolving Ferris wheel will be filled with sweet toppings of sprinkles, nuts, candies pieces, chocolates, etc., and will stop at intervals so guests can spoon whatever toppings are closest to them. They may have to wait for their favorite toppings to stop within reach, but what a wonderful way for everyone to chat with each other as they stand and admire this amazing dessert table!
Hunger Games!!
I would do a Technicolor Dream Theme! Red cupcakes, blue ribbons, yellow candles, green popcorn. LOVE it :)
A teddy bears picnic would be so cute.. Red gingham, picnic baskets, grass, blue sky.. And who could forget, your favouritist teddy.. A really cute concept I think
One of my favorite parties for my boys was when we did SpongeBob. We did a SpongeBob cake and then made sliders for “Krabby patties”, made some candy Krabby Patties as well with vanilla wafers, chocolate PB cookies and red and green icing. Then we cut a pineapple into SpongeBob’s house and had it as the center of a fruit tray and of course cookies to match the characters….or you could do cake pops :)
I would love to do a “mini” theme with mini versions of all the wonderful sweet treats I like. This way you could taste a little bit of everything.
Candy euphoria
Dr. Seuss for sure
I like girly so I’m saying all things pink.
mylife.onestoryatatime@yahoo.com
I am hoping to do a little cowboy theme for my nephew’s 4th birthday next year!
Underwater theme :)
I would love to do a beach theme!! Summer is definitely my favorite time of year and different shades of blue just make me happy!
i would go for a sports theme… basketball for sure!
Lalaloopsy!!! My daughter is a freak about it right now :)
I think an outdoors/camping theme would be fun.
Fruits!
Construction site- with dump trucks full of candy!
I would totally do a steampunk themed table!
Ocean theme! Planning it inmyhead for my baby girl’s next birthday party. Can’t wait to get my hands on this book.
We’re big fans of chickens around here. Lots of chickens, chicks, eggs and nests!
I think a Mary Poppins theme would be really cute and fun!!! Think of all the bright cheery things you could do!!!
My kids love Gustafer Yellowgold. I’d love to see that theme.
Im from new Zealand so I think a “kiwiana” themed table would be cute. :)
The Avengers! For comic book/movie fans, of course. :)
I think I would maybe go for an outdoors theme! Not that I would know how to accomplish it, I just think it would look neat!
I’d love to do a Roaring 20’s theme.