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Thursday, October 16, 2014

{13 Days of Handmade Halloween} Raven Inspired Dessert Table

Today's post is being shared by one stylish lady!  Sandra Garth, blogs on Sweet Sensations and shares her love for baking and creating the most elegant tablescapes! Read how Sandra created an elegant and cost-friendly Halloween tablescape!

“Merely this and nothing more.” - Edgar Allan Poe, the Raven


Ah, the raven, one of the best-loved creatures of lore, Halloween decorations and the inspiration for this dessert table. Today I'm over at 13 days of Handmade Halloween. This is my second year participating and I’m happy to be amongst so many talented bloggers.



Have I told you lately how much I love doing dessert tables? Probably so but let me say it again. I LOVE PUTTING TOGETHER DESSERT TABLES!!



For Halloween, I lean more towards classy/glam rather than spooky and creepy. Nothing wrong with the latter but that’s just how I roll. I also try to avoid the orange/black combo for this occasion and have taken a liking to purple/silver. Next year I’ll do my best to try a different color palette, maybe. This table is definitely geared toward adults especially with the champagne but I know my granddaughter is going to head straight for the cookies.



Dessert tables need not be expensive or way over the top. Two things to keep in mind are shop your home for décor and serving pieces and use whatever shortcuts are available to keep time and budget to a minimum.
 

Most of décor on this table are items I’ve had for years and I try to use them in a different way each time. I set the stage with a lilac tablecloth and then topped with a black fishnet fabric remnant. I pinned a purple and black spider web plaque to the front of the table. The centerpiece of this table is the multi-tiered cake with fondant raven cutouts. Due to their size, the birds were cutout four days prior to the assembly of the table to give them a chance to dry completely. Sadly, a few of them did not make it to the finish line. On the bottom tier, I also place fondant logs that also required the same amount of drying and prep time.



Save time and money by using only one cake. Buy it from a bakery if you don’t want to bake it yourself. In place of fondant or another edible decoration, you could even print out pictures and have them laminated to use on the cake.



Also on the table are glazed doughnuts I picked up from the grocery store. I made a quick powdered sugar glaze and tinted it purple to add a little more color. They are stacked and displayed on a DIY bling tray and sport a spider, my contribution to creepiness.



Luckily, I have two of the blinged out trays and the second one holds the Raven’s Blood Champagne Cocktail. I used cherry pomegranate juice and topped it with champagne. It doesn’t get much easier than that and it was quite tasty.



The cookies are covered with royal icing and I splurged on some edible wafer paper Halloween cookie cutouts from Fancy Flours. Sprinkles and sanding sugar would work just as well. In addition, the craft stores sell edible image sheets in all sorts of colors. Use cookie cutters or just free hand to cut various sizes and shapes for your cookies.



I bought the witches boot several years ago from TJ Maxx and decided to fill it with dipped pretzel rods. My pretzels were dipped in candy melts. An alternative and more economical option is to use the same icing/glaze you’d use on your cookies. Tint the icing any color you’d like.



If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a cazillion times, check out the dollar store for your decorating needs. These cylinder vases have so many uses. This time I filled them with chocolates appropriately wrapped in silver and purple to go with the color scheme. Bulk candy can really put a dent in your party budget. The vases are trimmed with purple mesh ribbon and then overlaid it with rhinestone ribbon. They’re finished off with a black and silver button. A dollar store purple and rhinestone pumpkin takes up residence between them.




At the back of the table sits Mr. Half skull with a raven perched on top. At the other end is a silver pumpkin with a few faux cubic zirconia enhancements around the stem and a spider. It is sitting on a silver pillar holder.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my ravenous sweet treats and I wish you lived nearby so I could share all of these calories, er delightful desserts with you. Happy Halloween Y’all!  Oh my gosh who is going to help me eat all this stuff!!!

Visit Sandra on her blog to get more fabulous tips and ideas on entertaining at home!


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