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.
I would love to see a safari theme. You could go wild with it!!!
Looking forward to seeing the book. Very exciting.
Id have to say Disney characters theme
gummy sharks :> and sail boats or one direction <3
Hello Kitty! Loved her as a kid and still love her as a grown-up!
For a baby shower, monkeys are popular and there are so many cute moneky themed items…gotta have a sock monkey!
I’m really having some fun with a rainbow theme right now. Thanks for the chance to win the book, I would LOVE to be inspired by it!
Super Hero
star wars :)
A monkey/jungle theme… Or a golf theme for someone else!
I think a Lego, or any kind of childrens toy for that matter, themed table would be incredible!
I think a dessert table just focusing on fresh fruit themes would be fun’
A circus or carnival theme would be fun
Love the book, I wish I have it. It looks awesome.
Strawberry Shortcake & friends. I hear she’s making a comeback with the little ones again.
clouds……
Fairy Tales or a Circus!
Inspired by books and shows I’ve been watching recently.
Hunger Games themed table….hmm….
For sure, a “Gone with the Wind” movie/book theme would be awesome!
Damask in nonconventional colors!
The forest from the movie avatar! those glow in the dark flowers and fruits in candy!!
I’m thinking my kids’ next birthdays will be a carnival and a rainbow theme! Thanks for the chance to win.
would be lovely to own 1 of this book to help me in my desserts corner for my gerl’s upcming bday :))
My is having a carnival for hisupcoming 6th birthday, and I think I want to do a rainbow party for my daughter’s 3rd. I would LOVE this book, I’ll definitely buy it if I don’t win it! Thanks for the chance. :)
The Jubilee as I live in the UK and its the Queen’s Golden Jubilee year.
As I am from Ireland, I love looking at some of the Irish themed desserts that a lot of American blogs come up with! I would love to see a whole Irish themed table! :)
How about a black and white color theme?
I’m thinking a theme along the lines of Little Red Riding Hood. We can have baskets of baked goodies laid out on tables in a green field, and we’ll eat on red picnic blankets.
Ballerina theme
Moulin Rouge! It has glitter, it has color, lots of reds and blacks. It’s just fabulous!
I think any Disney themed table would be really fun :]
I think Rocky Horror would make for an interesting theme for any occassion!
I think this book is great, hope it’s available in Holland soon!
A farm theme would be great to make i think. with cows, tractors, hay stacks etc…
I am such a video game nerd so I would have to say something like Pokemon or Mario would make an awesome theme. Star Wars is cool as well, and I have actually recipes and ideas for a Star Wars table already.
I would go for Flower Power!!! the choices are endless and no limitation….imgination can go wild with these!!
My niece would love a unicorn themed dessert table.
my little cousin loves piates and i already baked him a pirate ckae for his 7th birthday:) therefore i think it’s a good idea to make a pirate inspired dessert table:)
That book looks awesome! A theme?? It is hard to decide. I would have to do an owl one. Maybe even a cowboy one and one that has fruit as the theme.
Giraffes! Or the zoo maybe! Or a safari! Too many options :)
I would probably go for something simple, like Blue (you could use blue icing, different shades and abstract patterns) or Squares… Blue Squares perhaps? :-)
DISNEY!
Childish yet classic!
a safari theme! :) :)
woww,, there’re so many comments.. For me, I will choose miniature cake theme?? maybe that’s weird.. but i would like to try it someday.. ;D
my friend’s favorite animal is an octopus and i think there is a lot of potential for a really great octo themed table.
A retro vintage themed table would be amazing! 50’s diner style with polka dot cupcakes and ice cream sundaes!
I think a really cool dessert tablescape would be what I call “Strawberries and Sunshine” beautiful red strawberries, miniature white daisies with yellow centers, all on a back drop of aqua.
I am totally thinking about doing this for my engagement party. SO many ideas!!
I would love to see an Oprah inspired table, my all time favorite person in the world! What a wonderful giveaway, thank you for the opportunity!!!
Wow, the Honey-Table is so sweet :-)
The 50´s are great or colour-themes… all in red or blue or yellow or rosa, withe…
It’s got to be Spongebob Squarepants!
I would love a college theme for graduation. Our football stadium, telephone booths we have on campus, landmarks, mixed with classics like cap, gown, and class ring stuff.
I would love a very detailed Harry Potter themed table <3 c:
Oh, the guys never get a cool table. How about cars, automobiles. We own a bodyshop and I know my employees and dealers would love a car themed dessert table.
I bake for them all the time and this would be cool for a business event.
Love the books and idea’s
Fairytale garden! :D
A retro kitchen theme, maybe for a bride. June Cleaver pearls, shirtwaist dresses and aprons. One could put the desserts, in, on, old refrigerator storage containers (glass, glass lids). Aluminum tumblers, and pitchers for drinks or use “snack sets”. A red stepstool chair for the bride to sit on while she’s opening her presents would be a nice gift to her, too. Desserts from that era…I could go on…
I assume this would be for kids?… So how about a, Knights Around the Table. TWISTER!!! You could use a Twister mat for a Table cloth as well. lol Candy Land, The Secret Garden, Tie-Dye , Under the Big Top. Mad Scientist , Mother Goose, Beatrice Potter, Pirates Plunder, Cookie or Candy Factory, Zoo Animals, Under the Sea, Mythical Creatures, Detective, Asian , Yellow Ducky, Cherry Blossoms, Flower Fairy’s, Days of Summer. Snow Princess theme.
Oh wow, I love the honey table. The book looks great :)
I need to find inspiration to pull off an OLYMPIC GAMES themed afternoon tea for 200pax – HELP!!! All ideas gratefully accepted.
Olympics! desserts from various countries
A barnyard theme would be fun.
Jungle…definitely Jungle. all the cute little animals!!!
Hmm…dessert table theme….”somewhere over the rainbow” – lots of colorful, fluffy, fanciful desserts!
We have done carnival themes parties and I love them. Its so much fun to have all the desserts and goodies we remember from when we were kids!
I love gingerbread men and would love to do a December gingerbread house decorating party. The book looks great….would love to win it.
Thanks so much, Jan
Zombies :)
African Savannah. So many textures, patterns, shapes…
I LOVE dessert tables, I could have one on display all the time as well. Pretty much any dessert table makes me happy but one with The Lorax (new Disney movie) theme could be fun, beautiful and yummy!
80’s dance party theme.
Jem and the Holograms!!! I’m turning 35 and still hoping I have a Jem party for one of my birthdays!!! That would be a truly outrageous dessert table! ;)
Wow… I would love to sit and look through that book! I think it would suck up hours and hours… if not days! :)
Hmmm, I am actually trying to think of a track/runner table set up…
A Wizard of Oz theme would be so fun! Another idea is a “Life on the farm” table: Gingham and burlap, animals, manual kitchen tools (butter churn, hand egg beater…) and of course lots of from scratch sweets – mini cobblers perhaps?
I just love this blog! I think a Hunger Games table would be pretty popular with the movie just coming out! But I would also love anything yellow, like a sunshine theme!
Phineas and Ferb. My boys love the cartoons.
A carnival
Hi!
I love your site! So inspirational! I think a Wizard of Oz themed dessert table would be awesome! Fascinating possibilities for recreating the yellow brick road!
Robots! They can be so cute. Also, you could put in rocket ships which are awesome too.
i think a flower-themed dessert table would be fantastic – so many colors and shapes!
I think butterflies, owls or even Red Riding Hood will be a good themes for sweet tables…
I think a fun dessert theme would be in the garden with different flowers and such.
I think a cute idea for a dessert table is “these are a few of my favorit things…” if I had kids I’d throw them a birthday party and make all of their favorie things!!!
old hollywood glam!
The Periodic Table of Elements :)
i think ocean creatures would be great for a dessert table – octopi, seaweed, schools of fish, turtles, whales, sharks, seashells, coral reefs, and the blue ocean, of course. some in cake/pastry/cakepop/cupcake/cookie designs, others parts in glass sugar
hey:) as a am totally keen on butterflies i’m sure i would make a butterfly sweet table :)
How about Gone with the wind:)
“Internet Memes”!
Since I wish I was at a beach right now, I think a beach theme would be fabulous!!
A fishing theme for my hubby!
Hmmm how about paint palette
I’d like to see a Snow White & seven dwarfs theme, Toy Story, or a poker night/casino theme for an adult party.
mardi gras! what better time to indulge?!?! and what a great color scheme: purple, green and gold. i’m pretty sure you can’t go wrong!
How about an origami themed table! I love folding origami animals (cranes, bunnies, foxes!).
i’d love to see a good rockabilly themed party. pinups galore!
I think a Season’s Theme would be very pretty! You would have Spring pastels, Summer Brights, Fall Crisp & Winter Shimmer!
I would focus on springtime flowers in bright colors with flavors of citrus and chocolate. Fresh flavors and fragrances. I love lilacs, iris, magnolia and peonies in bright pinks and purples!
I love penguins so I say a penguin party would be grand. White chocolate, marshmallows, dark chocolate, shredded coconut “snow”…I’m getting hungry just thinking about that.
A photography theme…my daughter takes beautiful pictures and it would be like an mini art gallery!
My daughter is turning 13 in July and she loves everything Hippie, so I’m thinking of doing a whole hippie/peace/flower theme, lots of rainbow colours, and also some kombi vans.
A fantasy-medieval theme strikes me as pretty awesome. Castles, dragons, faeries, knights and ladies, pastoral meadows and streams, gryphons and unicorns… you can tell I’m a giant geek, can’t you?
What a great book!!
Sock Monkey! My baby boy is turning one in a few months and that is the theme for the party!
I think some sort of High Society theme would be awesome–high heel cupcakes, brownie purses, etc!
my friend jenny is getting married in august and she wants her bridal shower to be themed with the movie UP :)
Hawaiian! The book looks beautiful!
A Pink, Black and Silver theme table would be the best!! specially so i can get some ideas for my bday.. :D
I am a knitter. I think a knitting themed table of treats would be to die for!! Because my yarn stores shelves, filled with colorful yarns, looks like candies as it is, and wound up yarn is called a cake…so, what would be better?!!!!! Oh the things I could do!!!!
Gosh I love Amy’s designs! For a fun dessert table I’d definitely go for something with a safari/zoo theme since I could use cute animals for inspiration.
I would love to do an Alice in Wonderland theme.
A lego party!! Both my boys are obsessed!!
I think a polka-dot vintage theme – kinda a “I Love Lucy” type
motif but with all polka-dots everywhere!!!
Wow, that is just too adorable. I think a fun thing to do for a dessert table would be a nautical theme. Navy blue, white, red, and yellow colors with little sailboat cookies… :)
Photography. [She says as her husband takes iPhone photos of the dog…]
My youngest turns 16 this summer and I’ve been trying to brainstorm ideas for a “candy bar” sweet 16’th – kind of a play on words, though there would be candy bars in a jar on the table.
A Candy Land themed dessert table would be fun.
Since I have a ton of friends that are into Dr. Who I would have to go with that, so many options and of course everything would revolve around a Tardis centerpiece which would probably be made out of cake!
I think it would be fun to do a fruit themed dessert table. Desserts shaped like fruits, fruit flavored desserts, and lots of bright colors.
We did my sister’s baby shower in the Circus theme last November….& the “SWEETS” table was awesome!!
I think it would be fun to do a Wizard of Oz theme!
Maybe an Air Forced themed one to go with my hubbys job :)
My Little Pony! All of the pony names are so sweet too!
With 3 baseball crazed boys, a World Series theme.
Summertime! I’m ready for lemonaide and strawberries : )
That would be a fun theme….. I can’t wait for Amy’s book – yay!
I would design a garden theme with lots of flowers and butterflies. :-)
I would love to see a Leonardo da Vinci theme.
Tie dye!!
I’d like Spiderman theme for my boy’s birthday!
I’m getting ready to do one next month…the theme (if you can call it that, more of a “look”) is Vintage Pastels! (A confirmation party)
Christi
I would love to make an ‘under the sea’ themed table. Not pertaining to the little mermaid, but the actual sea. :)
Woodland animals :)
A Fancy Nancy tea party theme or Cowboy theme would be so cute!
I’d like to do a theme about “Possibilities…of the future” (sort of a graduation theme…but now what’s next) This could be a fun one to pull off! (I’d love to win that book!!)
I would love a Hawaiian themed dessert table.
I would totally love to do a candy land themed candy bar for my daughter’s first birthday, it would be very eye catching, colorful and full of sweets!!!
Star Wars would be awesome!
Ladybugs! They’re my daughter’s favorite, and there are so many treats you could do because they’re an easy shape! :)
My ideal dessert table would be a Candy Factory theme..Willy Wonka type with anything and everything edible!!…That way everyone is covered boys,girls,young and old!!
I would adore a Japanese/Cherry blossom themed table. it’d be so pretty!
Garden themed (with flowers!)
I know this will sound silly for a theme, but what about: which came first, the chicken or the egg? I can really see the possibilities.
Also, I think Quilt Designs would make a fun theme since the colors and the shapes of the sweets would make for cool designs.
I would love to do children’s books, favorite ones growing up!
I love this type of creativity! My latest fun was an under the sea. So wish I had a great book like this to help out with the planning. Turned out wonderful, but I am sure it could have been amazing :)
How about a coca cola dessert table
Party! In fun bright colors–hats, balloons, streamers, party favors, cake!
I think an “Out Of This World!” theme would be awesome. You know will moon, stars, planets, aliens, etc. It would be so much fun to design!
I would love a Peanut butter theme! Because its just so delicious and you can make so many desserts and recipies with it.
Well, it seems there is always a baby shower going on around here, and the ideas get sort of over-used. I would love new ideas for baby showers, and staging the food is the biggest part!
Not gonna lie, I’m a nerd at heart and would love to do a Doctor Who sweets table, or Star Wars, or ooo! One of my favourite movies Goonies, or my all-time favourite show; Twin Peaks (yes, that one would be a little dark, so that theme would just be for like-minded adults!)!
STARS! All kinds!
Angry birds. My husbands birthday is coming up, and having the birds, maybe a wall falling down….see I need ideas!!!
totally saying an anime of some sort. probably a shoujo because they lean toward the more cute and love side. an anime would be a neat theme. also unique!
The wedding I was in last July had a rainbow theme, super fun…all the bridesmaids and groomsmen we a different color of the rainbow, all tables during reception were a different color, the centerpieces were cake balls in the assigned color, giveaway boxes decorated with each color daisy, and so on and so on
4th of July! It’s my daughters’s birthday too! She thinks fireworks are for her,
I thin a barnyard theme would be cute – nesting boxes wth spun sugar ‘straw’ and marshmallow eggs, coconut haystacks (the first ‘baking’ I ever did at age 5) and so much more
The Hunger Games would be awesome!!!
My sister-in-law & I did a ‘cute as a button’ themed table for our other sister-in-law’s baby shower. It was so cute!
Creepy crawly would be fun
i sooo want this!
My dog’s birthday!
movie classics!! and clearly by “classics” i mean CULT classics
the original Winnie the Pooh not the Disney one
Jolly looking zombies! How fun. Definitely would get creative juices flowing! :)
The Lorax!
Hydrangeas!
The beach!
Superheros! I just had my 29th birthday and it was batman themed. this is awesome.
My boyfriend races trucks, so I think some kind of race theme would be fun! Checkered flag designs, tire track cupcakes, trucks, trophy cookies, etc.
A Disneyland theme would be fun too. You could even break off the different sections of desserts with the different “lands” and make the desserts to match.
My girls are going through a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom phase and we read the book EVERY SINGLE DAY so this ones for my girls…A Chicka Chicka Boom Boom dessert table.
I did a small dessert table for New Years Eve that was black and white with crystal ascents. I think that is my favorite idea idea for a tablescape. :-)
Pinkalicious, my daughters LOVE the books!!!!
I would do a beach theme. I love being at the beach, particularly Gulf Shores. what a fun idea.
Dr. Seuss would be so much fun. There are so many ideas to draw on and get creative with.
OH MY GOODNESS SO CUTE!
I think i would like to do a detective theme, like old school nancy drew!
I love the honey and bee themed dessert table! That’s my sons first bday party theme for this upcoming September..A cute theme I think would be cute in a dessert table would be “Bam Bam” from the Flinstones :)
I would totally do a movie theme and have a huge marathon with a bunch of friends. We could have our own Oscars!
I want to do an Alice in Wonderland themed one!!
Ohhhh – how about a Wizard of Oz theme?!
An office theme! That might be fun!
I think a circus theme would be awesome!
I think that a cookie theme would be cute. Cookies, of course, and cake, cupcakes, and candies in disguise!
I would love to create a “monster” theme for my son’s 3rd birthday!
County fair
oh, I’d love to see an archeology/geology table! rock candy, fossil cookies, dirt cake, etc.!
I would like to do a car theme for my son’s first birthday.
“Stolen Kisses” – dark chocolates, lilies, roses, wines, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, hearts!
A bubble theme!
Hot balloon theme!
Cherry blossoms, tulips and daffodils! Any dessert table that features the flowers and colors of spring would be wonderful.
:-)
hmmm…maybe mustaches? :)
My daughter would love a Fancy Nancy dessert table!
I would love to see a Family Game Night theme! Goodies that represent traditional Milton Bradley and Hasbro games like Chutes and Ladders, Hi Ho Cherry-O, Candy Land, Monopoly, Sorry, LIFE. Wow, the possibilities are endless! Candy, cookies, cake pops…YUM! I can’t wait to get my hands on this book, Mother’s Day is coming! :)
Coca-Cola theme!
I have been wanting to create a Dancing with the stars theme!
We are in the midst of raising money for Make-A-Wish San Diego. I think a ‘Wish’ party would be perfect!
How about a theme for a birthday party for boy/girl/boy/girl quadruplets? I was thinking sugar and spice/snips and snails! I’m trying to come up with one by my kids’ first birthday party in a few weeks. Yikes!
Sooo cute! I need ideas for my parents’ twenty fifth anniversary. But I really want to do a tea party theme for my daughter’s second birthday.
I LOVE flowers!! So I would go wild with flower-themed desserts!!!
A table with a book theme. Various books and some treat from them. Winnie the Pooh (something with Honey), Alice in Wonderland (a tea treat), My Sweet Life in Paris ( insert French pastry). I think a cover of a book (or the book) with each item somehow… Just a thought.
Spring Time
The beach! I would love to do a beach themed dessert table, so many possibilities.
This book looks SO awesome by the way!
LEGOS!
I would love to see a Hello Kitty themed dessert table… maybe because I’m going to a Hello Kitty party this weekend. :)
Thinking of a superhero themed desert table!
To give a little background, I’m in physical therapy school and a total anatomy/skeleton/body nerd. It’d be awesome to do a bones/muscles/guts themed table! (this also could work for halloween for those not interested in this stuff in a nerdy way) :)