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.
Baby Elephants!!!
I would do a super hero theme for my little cousin Micah and a Hello Kitty Theme for his little sister Makayla.
I’ve seen a few Super bowl theme for a dessert table….but what about those who are baseball fans. I have not seen a World Series theme for a dessert table. So I think a World Series theme would look fun.
A marine dessert table would be so cute! Plenty of bright colours to work with :)
I would love to have a floral party. Any kind of flower but looking like you would find them in a child’s book or in a Disney movie, a flower with a face. My granddaughter would love it for her birthday party.
I think a Sherlock Holmes or Nancy Drew themed party would be fun!
Candyland theme
I don’t think the theme matters, it has to be done with love for the person or persons you are doing it for.
I have done zebra, breakfast at tiffiany’s, love is in the air, black, red and white tables.
I think a super hero table would be awesome especially with The Avengers coming out.
I would love to do a Friday the 13th theme!
I think an ombre color theme for a dessert table could be fun!!
Id love to see a sports theme, specifically Colorado Buffs Football! Thanks!
I have several ideas popping into my head all at once! My first thought this would be PERFECT for sorority recruitment parties! I’d make a Kappa Delta table! I also have several bachelorette parties coming up so a naughty table would be so fun to create! I was also thinking of a military themed table to welcome home returning service men and women. That would be an honor!
if I could only spell…..
A Disney or Pixar theme would be so cool!
I’d love an embroidery theme! I’ve been getting fairly heavily into making my own things, and I’ve seen some amazing effects done on cakes made to look like they’ve been embroidered or cross-stitched.
I would love to do a Mardi Gras theme. Such beautiful colors and masks!
My first thought is lovely ladybugs and tiny gardens for fairy characters-SO many great ideas and themes- soon is my granddaughters 6th birthday. We may do a Hawaiian theme with leis,hibiscus and tropical fauna…
Would LOVE to see a winter/snowman theme. As a creater/designer of snowman dinnerware what a perfect match!
I think a celebrity theme would be really neat! Red carpet, awards and tons of glittered desserts!! :)
Muppets!
Drgagons!!! my girl loves them!!
I think it would be fun to do a dessert table with the theme dinner. It would be nice with cakes and cookies lookin like burgers, pasta and sandwices :)
The possibilities are endless! I’d love to come with with a great table for a joint party for my soon to be 5 year old and 3 year old, boy/girl. I’m thiniking super hero, or Mickey/Minnie, camping?
The Kentucky Derby! “And They’re Off!!!”
Lady Bugs would make a great designs and Lemons which are my favorite.
I think a city-themed table would be cute! I’m from Minneapolis, so I’m thinking of tons of different Mpls-themed ideas…
I think a star wars theme would be fun to see:)
Spring pastels and romantic garden flowers – bring the outdoors in and make it edible!
I’m 5 months pregnant with my first child so I’m all about babies right now! Baby jungle animals would be so cute as a theme!
As a makeup artist I think a “makeup” inspired theme would be awesome. It would be fun for young and old!
I love all the suggestions people are coming up with! I would have to say ….Baby Animals…..what could be cuter!
My two year old has JUST gotten old enough, to start picking things out for himself. And he’s been asking Mama for DINOSAURS! Mama, Please, Dinosaurs! For his impending 3rd birthday this June. If you Google Dinosaur b-day party, there really isn’t anything that looks, well, Bakerella or Amy Atlas styled, LOL! I need some inspiration! So Dinosaur party please!
I know its been said, but Alice wins my heart! You can never go wrong with mad tea party and fabulous hats! I think a vintage circus theme would be awesome too!
Oooh what a wonderful book! Right now, I would get my dessert table inspiration from (Scandinavian/Finnish) folklore – traditional patterns, crafts, fabrics, national dresses… Lots of wood, cotton, straw and other natural materials, etc.
Very Vintage…Different china patterns interpreted into edibles!
I’m just obsessed with starry night themes (dark navy and gold or silver). I think it would look fantastic!
Veggie garden theme!
Spring Garden
I think rainbow themes are great because you can choose so many more flavors and more kinds of candy!
I think a farm theme would be fun!
I would love to do a Spring flowers theme.
Dr. Seuss teme would be fun!
Without a doubt champagne and bubbles!!!
A beach theme would be good for me right now! Especially with all of the rainy and chilly weather we’ve had this week!
I think a Call of Duty: MW3 would be a great themr for older boys. My sons r 9 & 11 and there’s really not much for the older kids.
I am planning my niece’s bday party she is going to be 3. She wants a Fresh Beat Band Party (the hottest music show out there for kids right now) so I think a dessert table would be so fitting for a bunch of three year olds! I am excited to start planning the table full of music, color, sweets and fun!
A kitchen-themed dessert table! I’m planning a bridal shower for a friend of mine with that theme and I can imagine how cute it would be with little utensils, wooden spoons and recipe books for desserts to sit on!
I would go for a movie night theme!
I think an 80s dessert table would be excellent. um hello pop rocks!?
I would love to do an angel and devil theme! Some fluffy and lighter desserts and some dark and decadent ones too!
I would do a garden theme!
Oops, hit enter before I finished. I’d have a Gilmore Girls themed party!
I think a garden party baby shower would be a cute theme!
I would love to see a “Welcome Home – Thank You Troops/Militay” kind of theme. With Memorial Day around the corner and then 4th of July not far behind it would be a great theme to celebrate our country and our country’s heroes! I am a military mom so this is near and dear to my heart, even though my son is home and has completed his service, I still support the sons and daughters who continue to serve!
This is so sweet.I have already ordered the book on Amazon…but a signed copy…I cannot resist that.Ill keep the signed copy for me and gift the book to my Best Friend.
Thanks for sharing Bakerella and as always…you two inspire me.
Pallavi
WoW! What an amazing book! Cannot wait to get my hands on one!
My son would go crazy over a Lego’s theme!
I’m trying to plan a “Girlfriend’s Brunch” and am thinking I’d like to do a Girlfriend themed dessert table. Maybe a different sweet that represents one of your friends for a specific reason, but all colour coordinated. (Right now, I’m going pink and golden yellow). Can’t wait!
I love this table! All the details are amazing and fit together like a dream! Great idea for a backdrop too! Absolutely live this :-) Great inspiration for a new honey bee party printables collection! Thanks Amy you have wowed me again :-)
How about a county fair/midway theme? A ferris wheel to hold cupcakes, little pies, blue ribbons, flag pennants, gingham…
This book looks Ah.mazing!
Star Trek – yes I know but I loved it . I love Spock
Old fashioned sweets
Books! I saw a literary-themed party a few weeks ago that blew me away. Desserts and food straight out of the novels, books as labels and placecards – it was so cool!
Something retro or vintage!
Hunger Games would be cool…
Safari all the way!!!
http://Www.hdsugarshack3.blogspot.com
Monkey Island the video game.
For the season: April showers/May flowers :-)
John Wayne Theme
I live in Apple Country…..so something like “Apple of my eye” or right now it “Apple Blossom time”.
Pretty in Pink!
My daughter wants a Tinkerbell party, so I think that would make a great dessert table.
I would love a bunny theme!
I’d create a card came theme: poker or bridge and then hold a tournament!
We adore Amy…and would love to own a signed copy of Sweet Designs. As for the Sweets table…there are at least a thousand ideas in our heads and not enough time to create that many! :) With Summer approaching a Rustic County fair theme with delicate details would be fun with a gorgeous Barn backdrop. We love a good Beach theme (but would love to do a retro girls take on it with pastels). Good luck everyone!
Oh I forgot to answer the question….how about Waterworld (like in Sea Life, with starfish, octopus, dolphins, colorful fish, sea urchins etc) :))
I would make a totally chocolate table!!!
I really love Vintage Minnie Mouse. I’m putting together ideas for my daughter’s 2nd birthday with that theme in mind. I love the colors red and black together. :)
This book looks beautiful! I would love a Paris theme. Preferably followed by a trip to Paris :)
Tiffany & Co theme!
My kids are really into Judo. I think it would be really cool to do a Judo table. That, or my daughter is into Ballet. That would be cool too.
Tracy
NHL Hockey! Black, silver and white with pops of team colors. My son would love it… hmmm… now my brain is ticking :-)
My daughter is pregnant with our first granchild. Do not know the gender for 4 more weeks. She lives in NY and I live in MA so I want her baby shower to be special and unique!
Thank you
Cindy Uetz
I would do an Engagement in Paris party!!!!!!!! Pink and sparkly!!!
A glitter theme! Where everything sparkles…would be perfect for new years, graduation, prom…endless possibilities
My daughter is obsessed with Up so I’ve been dreaming of an Up birthday party and dessert table. :)
How about a wildcat table?! I’m graduating soon:)
Hmm, I think a spring theme would be nice. Lots of pops of bright colors and sunny yellow!
I would create an Alice in Wonderland theme!…or maybe a Hello Kitty theme…I just don’t know!
I think I’d like a rainbow themed dessert table.
I think anything to do with the circus, because it has bright colors and a circus makes everyone happy
I would love the subject of high monster. in Spain are very famous and all the girls want to dress and be like them. so a party would be fantastic high monster
oh how cute!!! i HAD to show all my co-workers this awesome idea
I love the honey table-scape! Can’t wait to read the book!
I’d like to do a wine & cheese table-scape! Like wooden wine barrels, wine glasses, all different kinds of wines and grapes and cheeses… I’m thinking this sounds like a good summer gathering… maybe an outdoor neighborhood concert or movie night! Or how about a “farm to fork” dinner (wish we had those around here!)!
a turtle theme!
Spring! Or better yet … summer!
winnie the pooh!
I go for rainbow desert tables for my girl’s brithday parties. Pretty, but not so girly that the boys won’t like it. It’s also really easy to incorporate fruit!
I just thought of another. Seattle is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the World’s Fair beginning this weekend. Something fun to have our own World’s Fair BBQ celebration would be fun too.
There are a ton of good theme ideas out there, but I’ve been running an ice cream party for National Ice Cream Day (3rd Sunday in July) for the past few years barring missed years and it would be great to have a beautiful display to go with the tasty ice creams.
Chemistry – for us lab nerds!
I would love to see an Olympics theme so I can through an opening ceremoines party for the Summer Olympics.
How about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Book looks great, can’t wait to get my hands on it!
Hmm, I’d probably go for Dr. Who theme! :D
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice, for a little girls party
Could we just have chocolate as a theme? That sounds good to me. :)
I’m thinking of a Lego theme for my son’s next birthday!
I would do a candy store theme.
I would like to do a safari theme.
A photography theme!
I think a retro-diner theme would rock (har har!) — records made into cake stands, some jukebox-juiceboxes, and poodles or poodleskirts galore :)!
My husband would die for a hunting themed decorated table!
I think a Lorax theme would be great for kids!
We had a winter-one-derland for my daughter’s first birthday, that was a lot of fun!
I think blending a boy theme and girl theme like Disneys the little mermaid and pirate for boys.
I’d love to see a SNOW FAIRY theme. I did this party for my oldest daughter 2 years ago and would love to see a professional’s take on it! Thanks for the give away.
I want to do a Monsters Inc. theme table for my daughter!
Oh wow, I have a few ideas. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory comes to mind. I did one for my daughter a couple of years ago. It was a cute table but nothing like what Amy could do. I also like the idea of a Summer table. A swimming pool, BBQ, the whole thing. FUN! And of course for my son, Spiderman! I have more but I’ll stop now. :)
Paris theme… I heart pastries:)
The theme I would love to make for a fun dessert table is baby monkeys with bananas desserts ideas, like banana shaped cookies, banana cupcakes, banana shaped candies. I would have a yellow and brown colors for the table with a banner titled “Monkeying Around”.
Everything 80s dessert table!
I am doing a sugar and spice (and everything nice) theme for my girls first birthday! Sweets Galore. Milk and Cookie theme would be fun too!
Oooooh, a garden theme for sure! My 7 y/o and I started a garden and have slowly added fairies and gnomes. SO much fun! The dessert table would be so awesome…
Thanks for the chance, this book looks amazing!
I would love a pink flamingo theme. My daughter LOVES them (she’s soon to be 5)! I can think of lots of cute things that could be done. Flamingo cake pop?
Strawberry Shortcake and her friends theme!
A Twilight theme! :)
a spring flower dessert table would be beautiful and so much fun!!
The possibilities are endless, but I would do Disney’s Tangled (Rapunzel) theme for my daughter’s 5th birthday.
I would have to say either football, transportation (planes, trains, & automobiles), Disney, or jungle. What can I say? My boys influence me! I would also love to do a dog theme.
I would love to do a Disney themed one for my daughter’s first birthday. Classic Minnie, with lots of red and white and polka dots!
Instead of theme…I’d go for color! Different and fun color schemes. :)
I think an owl theme would be great! They seem to be the new thing and I have completely fallen in love with them! It would great for a small child’s birthday!
A rainbow theme, Alice in wonderland…for an adult girl party/bridal shower or something like that- vintage romance.
Ooh… This looks fabulous! I’d love to see a hockey table for a Stanley cup playoff party.
I think I just died a little.. that dessert table is too cute! And the idea itself is a bit hard to beat :P
Anyways! My inital reaction was “AMINO ACIDS” but then I realized that I am probably the only one i know who would appreciate that. So, I’ll go with bubbles instead. They are fun, round, shiny AND they go poof when they die. Poof! I love foodstuff that go poof, it’s just so much fun to eat.
Or PYREX !
Sewing OR quilting.
I think anything Pink and Sparkly would be awesome!!!
A garden theme for sure! The whole garden or choose one piece, birds, ladybugs, ect. I would love to win this book!
I’ve been seeing some really cute hungry caterpillar ideas on pinterest! I would love that idea for a little one!
Candyland!! Who doesn’t love candies? Especially those colorful ones! I would love to make it for my daughter’s 2nd birthday! I’m sure kids will love it!
I would love to do an airplane theme dessert/candy table….for my airplane hangar wedding this year!!!!! :)
Mothers Day would be a nice theme!
Old school carnival theme would be cute!
i’d go for a glitz and glamour theme! <3
train with a motorized train full of goodies!
I would like to do a Harley theme for my husband’s birthday. He would totally love it!
This book looks RIGHT up my alley! My next desert table theme would probably be “Frogs and Snails and Puppy-dog tails” ….that’s what little boys are made of for my newest nephew on the way!
I would love to create a boho beach theme!
Jungle theme!
My daughter wants to make a huge wall clock on her new bedroom wall with all kinds of different numbers so I think a NUMBERS theme would be really fun and challenging.
Harry Potter!
I’d create different breeds of dogs, whether put on cupcakes or cookies, especially like my Newfie, Lulu, who is a pet therapy dog. We could then bring “Sweet” joy to all the folks that she visits and love her!
I’m currently designing a table for my sister’s graduation party from high school- all blue and white, and “Terrier” themed because that’s their mascot. :)
I’m really loving the Ikat trend and would love to do a table around that theme.
Beach Theme!!!
I think it would be a blast to do a pixar themed table. The possibilities are HUGE!!
My husband would love a super hero theme, my baby girl a Star Wars theme, I would love to see a Rock & Roll theme! You are right, the possibilities are endless!
A cool theme for my nieces upcoming birthday would have to be Hello Kitty using multiple characters to tell the story but for adults I would have to say “A Coke and a Smile”. I love Coke and the vintage glass bottles are the best
I think your friend’s name inspired me, I think it would be fun to do a worldwide theme, desserts from around the world!
I’d love to do a rainbow theme for a baby shower – I have a friend that’s having a baby, and they are waiting to find out if it’s a boy or girl, and I think rainbow would be much more fun than the regular yellow/green.
I’d use a merry-go-round theme.
A movie theme
I recently re-watched the movie contact and thought, a space themed table. Planets. Nebula, swirling dust particles. The great thing is to be creative with the designs and really go wild!
I like old, classic cars, so I would a theme with something like that.
My first thought was baseball theme… both of my boys are avid players. One team is orange/blue, the other white/red.
My daughter’s 3rd birthday is right around the corner, and she is adamant about wanting a “Jessie party” so I think I could have a lot of fun with a Toy Story or general cowgirl party! I’m thinking of lots of cow print stuff, I love it!!
a movie theme for a movie marathon party, maybe harry potter or hunger games, disney princess? so many options
i would love to do a Glee theme!
I would love to do a candy store theme party!
Beatles – yellow submarine theme!
….. <3 your book!
I’m doing a party for a friend that just finalized a divorce…. making lemonade out of lemons!
I ment “over” not “I’ve” hahaha
A parade! With floats and stuff, I think it’d be adorable! So does my boyfriend :)
Ahhh….summer beach party :)
I would go with a cinco de mayo theme! With that holiday coming up, I think that the ideas would be outstanding.
I want to do a garden theme.
CANDYLAND!!!!
I would love an owl theme!! They seem to be the new thing and I have fallen in love with them! I think its a very cute theme for small children!
Unicorns and glitter! Lol! A bit I’ve the top?? Maybe haha ;D
Oh so many good ideas already, but I live in West so ranch, lodge, cowboy theme would work for me. Thank you for the opportunity to win this great book.
Solar system!
I have to get this book! I’d love to see a coffee theme.
I think a beach theme would be really cute for summer :)
Harry Potter! I am a HUGE Harry Potter nerd and I think the stories already have their own unique kinds of candy and sweets and it would be fun to recreate them with a magic theme!
Spring florals theme, like a tea party set up. I’ve always wanted to have one like that for a birthday gathering.
A musical theme: Chocolate treble cleff, notes made out of cupcakes or cakepops/truffles depending on area size sitting on a staff across the table to make a song. Guitars, drums, pianos, stand up bass, lights and glitter etc…don”t want to give all my secrets away.
I have no idea…that is why I leave this stuff up to you… I am an engineer, I don’t have this talent :)
How about a cake party for my daughters 6th birthday!
I just threw my sister a baby shower last weekend with the theme being feathering the nest. The birds, nests, bird houses, and butterflies all came together so nicely.
I would love some ideas for a baby shower for my grandson coming in August.
Hunger Games!!! Fun with arrows and breads.
Anything “Girly!” I have 6 granddaughters that love pink and girly!!!!!!>3
“down on the farm” theme
Love to see a rose garden theme!
I’d plan a party with an ocean theme.
Have to get this book!!! I have all of yours!!! I love themes!! I think Pinkalicious would be a big hit!!! OR silverlicious for a toothfairy theme!! AMAZING STUFF!!
Kind of corny but I’d like to see a “sewing table”. I can just see confections molded to look like sewing machines, pin cushions, thread, etc. Ahh so adorable!
Thanks for the giveaway!
Springtime! theme.
Harry Potter!!