I love candy buffets! Candy comes in such fun and varied colours, that it’s an easy way to add style and pizzazz to your reception. And it’s delicious! This was one of the very few things that we (Mr. P, the Moms and I) all agreed on, and it was one of the very first decisions we made. I have since purchased some very cute candy online (all light pink, hot pink and brown of course!) and now I am starting to think about how we will display it all. Some things are obvious, or at least easier than others. But I am having trouble with the rock candy sticks and lollipops. I’ve purchased these lollipops from Favors and Flowers:
but I am not sure how I want to display them. My ideal situation would be to have them sort of lining the back of the whole display. I have an idea for using rectangle blocks of styrofoam or florist’s sponge painted either pink or brown and then sticking the lollipops in them–but I’m worried that when someone wants to take one, they’ll lift the whole display in picking it up 
.
My other problem is the rock candy sticks. I have ordered these beauties (in pink, white and brown) from an eBay seller:
but I have no idea how to display them. The balls on the end of the sticks make them impossible to stick into anything, but I’ve seen them upside down in large jars like this from Mrs.LLaCosta on the Know Candy Buffet Bio.
And I have seen them displayed with the candy part up like this:
from jennylryan on the Know Candy Buffet Bio.
The sticks come individually wrapped and I very much prefer the look of them unwrapped, but I think that if I display them with the candy up (which I also prefer) I should probably keep the wrapping on so it’s a bit more hygienic. There will be no kids at our wedding so we hopefully won’t have too many dirty hands floating over the candy buffet, but it just seems proper to keep the wrapping on.
What do you think? Are you of the “style before hygiene” camp? Or the other way around? Does anyone have any other ideas for displaying either the lollipops or the rock candy sticks?
I like how the red rock candy sticks are displayed…not sure about the lollipops, but they’re extremely cute!
you could also line them up in a small candy that sort of molds to the shape of its container, like MnM’s. If you use foam, just use a dowel that is slightly larger than the lollipop stick size to make the holes, then the sticks are less likely to get stuck.
you could have them unwrapped and laying across a serving platter or tray 
I prefer hygiene over style.
How about a test tube holder/rack. You can cover the rack with decorative pink/brown paper, but the rock candy sticks can stand up individually very neatly. They have wooden, plastic and wire racks. Here’s one that I found that is styrofoam and looks like it’s easy to wrap with decorative paper. (click on my name)
Btw, styrofoam doesn’t take well to paint. The chemicals in the paint cause the foam to shrivel up.
stick the rock candy into jelly beans (in your colors of course) or coffee beans (which might change the flavor though)!
I actually prefer the style of the knobs up, that’s how they sell them at the store, and I think it looks more quaint/candy-shop-like that way. I’d put them upside down in a jar with a top on it, if there is any humidity they’ll get sticky (although keeping the wrappers on would fix that).
You could get a pail and fill it with sugar (I was thinking sand at first, but no one wants sand on their candy), and stick the lollies in that. The ones you chose are very pretty!
For the lollipops, I would agree with AM- use a slightly larger dowel for the hole, and then put in the lollipop stick.
I am hygiene over looks (I work in the food industry so that was a given.) I would keep the wrappers on, no matter how you display them. This way, if they aren’t eaten right when they are taken, they won’t accidentally melt in someone’s purse or car and make everything there sticky. Leaving the wrappers on will also keep the candy from getting stuck together. I like the look of rock candy, stick end up inside a glass jar [with or without a lid, I've seen it both ways]. It makes me feel as though I walked in to an older candy shop.
okay, I really hate posting a third time in 10 minutes but I just found
http://www.candylandcrafts.com/lollyrack.htm
and
http://www.sugarcraft.com/catalog/candies/suckersticks.htm
I promise I’m done!
Wow, it’s like you read my mind. FH and I are in the process of figuring out our candy buffet. We bought little glass vase things at Michael’s last week when they were 50% off. Keep an eye out for their ads, there’s usually something in the glass department on sale. We, too are using rock candy (in white and purple) and I’m going to look at the place you got your lollipops to see if they have big purple ones. FH also likes the idea of them unwrapped, but since that’s unclean we agreed that the clear wrappers weren’t so bad after all. Anything that does come unwrapped (like M&Ms) will have scoops of course.
The test tube holder idea is so right on, Miss Snow Pea!
For the lollipops, I would stick them upright in a cylinder or square glass bowl filled with pinkish glass pebbles.
For the rock candies I think the pic with them unwrapped and upside down is really cute and fairly hygenic. I think most people touch only the knobs when selecting what they want and wont’ be touching the actual candy that way.
i’ve seen a really really cute display of lollipops in vases (or low/long troughs of some sort, maybe look in a garden supply store for something that shape) filled with SUGAR. it was adorable, and fit the theme without visually overpowering the candy. and much cheaper than marbles.
for sanitation purposes, provide cute little tongs or spoons with bows tied on them. I’m sure the grown ups will be more than happy to use those instead of touching them!
Suzi- Great find!!!
I like the rock candy stick end up in a big glass jar, because that is always how I saw it displayed in candy stores as a child, but I would leave the wrapper on for the sake of hygiene.
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As a biochemistry major, I’m definitely partial to the test-tube rack idea. You can find them fairly easily online, and then spray paint them to match decor. If you choose to put them in a smaller candy, I would take the wrapping off. Most people would be smart enough to only take what they touch. Plus, if you use a shorter container that allows easier access to the top of the candy, guests can reach the sticks more easily as opposed to the candy part.
[...] you may recall I was having a hard time deciding how to display the lollipops and rock candy sticks in our candy [...]
Mrs. Pumpkin, Saskatchewan, Canada Blogger Since: April 10, 2007 Age and Occupation: 28, Lawyer Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Farmer Engagement Date: July 14, 2006 Wedding Date: June, 2007 About Me: I love movies, music and I am addicted to TV. When I have some spare time I also love scrapbooking and making personalized greeting cards and above all playing Hide & Seek or Duck, Duck, Goose with my two adorable nieces!
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