How to Design the Ultimate DIY Dessert Bar
In our eyes, party season is all year round. Whether you’re throwing together a scene for your best friend’s birthday, decorating for a backyard BBQ or planning your wedding, celebrations especially abound in the summertime. For our next trick with Target Wedding Registry, we’re hitting the bar. The dessert bar, that is ;)
From an ice cream maker to a trio of great cake stands, here are a dozen recommendations for making your own DIY dessert bar. Guests will love making their own custom sweets and, if you’re using this for a wedding or more formal event, you can save a bundle on catering.
Sprinkles Galore
No dessert bar is complete without sprinkles. They’re like the confetti of baking! Instead of having lots of jars that don’t match, we used a dozen of these Libbey Spice Jars ($21) to create a sweet little set.
Cake Stands
Ah, the perfect cake stand. It’s not always as easy to find as it looks. There are three that we use time and time again. On the left, the Threshold Beaded Cake Stand ($20), in the middle this lovely Cake Stand with Cover ($16) and on the right we’ve got the middle section of this Tiered Pedestal Serving Plate Set ($20).
Mason Jar Mugs
We adore these Libbey County Fair Drinking Jars ($20). They’re great for a cold glass of lemonade, a refreshing beer or, in this case, for ice cream! Pile up the scoops or use it to make a spiked ice cream float and your sweet tooth will be happy.
Ice Cream Maker
If you’re ice cream-obsessed, you need a good solid ice cream maker. This Sunbeam Electric Wooden Ice Cream Maker ($34) is efficient, affordable and looks pretty darn good too.
5. Ice Cream: As you can see, it’s getting hot in San Francisco! But that melty ice cream is calling our names.
Donut Holes
You know we love donut holes. In fact, we’d never set up a dessert bar without ’em! In this case, we kept ours in these Ceramic Round Bakers ($32 for 6) to make sure they didn’t start sticking together in the hot summer sun. Bonus points if you make your own with this handy dandy Cake Pop & Donut Maker ($17).
7. Cupcakes: Cupcakes with sprinkles and a neon candle? We wouldn’t have them any other way ;)
Plenty of Frosting
Frosting on cupcakes, frosting on cookies, frosting on donut holes, oh my! Spoon your frosting into Ramekins ($12) for a cohesive look.
Lots of Plates of Cookies
Mmm. Cookies. We used these Cake Boss Round Cookie Cutters ($17) to bake up lots and lots of cookies. We kept a dozen of these Moderno Dessert Plates ($29) on hand to act as cookie platters.
10. Donut Hole Kabobs: What! Yes. Why aren’t you eating one right now?!
Mini Cupcakes
Who doesn’t love a mini dessert? Bake up a few dozen mini cupcakes in your Mini Muffin Pan ($12) and you’ll have the perfect bite size treat.
Candles, Drink Stirrers and Lollipop Sticks
To top everything off, always keep candles, drink stirrers and lollipop sticks around. The candles are key for birthdays, the drink stirrers for spiked ice cream floats and the lollipop sticks for donut hole kabobs, of course ;) We organized these odds and ends in a trio of Libbey Shot Glasses ($11).
Have you created a dessert bar before? What are your must-haves? Talk to us in the comments below.