Literally a Kid in a Candy Store!

One of my favorite things about planning a party, other than the invitations, is having a "Candy Buffet," or what some call "The Candy Bar."

Each guest will feel as if they are...

A Kid in a Candy Store!

Celebrating our daughter's college graduation, the color scheme had been decided...her school colors, royal blue and white. These days candy is available in just about every shade imaginable, which makes this part of your planning, pretty easy! To make sure we had a good assortment to please everyone's sweet tooth, I knew I had my work cut out for me. What I like to do first is to go to Target and other big box stores with the colors in mind. I scanned the candy aisles, focusing on blue, blue, blue!

For the candy that you know you want to include, that may not come in the chosen colors, here is a hint to keep with your scheme. I wanted Hershey miniatures (which are definitely not wrapped in blue and white) so I visited my local scrapbooking store (or craft store) and picked up some patterned 12" x 12" scrapbooking papers in various royal blues and whites. The papers were then cut into 1" x 2-1/2" strips and wrapped around each chocolatey bite! Voilà! Now they fit right in!

Now the fun part! The filling and the decorating of your glass containers. Before going out to buy pricey apothecary jars or vases, look in your cupboards and ask your friends and neighbors. You'd be surprised at what you probably already have that would work perfectly! Embellish with ribbons tied around the jars, and add a "name tag" to identify the treats!

Next you'll want to make the fun little candy name signs! Print out the name of each candy first. Now this is where my Sizzix Big Shot Pro (or even just the Big Shot) comes in handy! Choose any of the Framelit dies and cut 2 different sizes. The larger one for the glittery backing and the smaller to cut the printed words; rolled through the machine, more than one at a time...done! Adhere the 2 die cut shapes together, attach them to the ribbons and there you have it!

With a few scoopers decorated with ribbons, candy jars filled with every tasty treat imaginable, cute little bags or paper containers for the filling and you've got your dessert AND party favors taken care of right there!

Belly up to the bar!For your convenience, here are links for ordering some of the supplies for this Gr8 Candy Bar from Amazon:

• Sizzix 656250 Big Shot Pro Cutting/Embossing Machine with Standard Accessories, Periwinkle
• Sizzix 657900 Big Shot Cutting/Embossing Machine with Extended Multipurpose Platform, Powder Blue/Teal
• Sizzix Framelits Die Set 5PK - Frames, Decorative #2 by Rachael Bright
• Hershey's Miniatures Assortment, 40-Ounce Bag