Dessert Buffet Favor Bags... Almost Done!

In my previous post, I lamented the ink depletion that brought the DIY factory to a halt this week end. Case in point? My dessert buffet favor bags. I set my printer to complete 5 pages of these little babies and then left it alone and went back into the living room to get started on another project. After all, printing high-quality on photo paper takes a long time on an ink jet printer.

After about 20 minutes, I went back to check on them... only to find 1 usable page out of 5. I had completely emptied the yellow ink cartridge and the last 4 pages were a strange dark violet color instead of brown. After a moment of brow-furrowing frustration, I tossed the unusable pages in the recycling bin and got to work on the 12 I was actually going to be able to finish.

We had already selected half-pint tin tie bags for use with the dessert buffet. I am planning on enough candy/cookies to look cool, which will be waaayyy more than the 50 of us can eat in 4 hours! I plan to have the bags as favors that folks can take with them for the road.

To decorate them, I created round labels that coordinated with the rest of my DIY projects. I printed them on photo paper to give them a glossy, professional finish.


Then I used my 2.5" paper punch from EK Success to punch out each of the labels.


I used a 3.0" scalloped circle paper punch to punch scalloped circles out of red card stock.


I adhered the round labels to the scalloped circle and then adhered the scalloped circle to the tin tie bags.


Although red card stock that I ordered is a little darker than I would have liked, I don't think anyone but me is going to notice. I'm very happy with how they turned out and I think the bags will look cute on the dessert buffet table. So, although the project is not quite done, I'm tentatively checking this one off the list!

Dessert Buffet Labels

I finally decided that it was time to get the design shop in high gear. And by that, I mean it's time for me to get a move on (or "hubba, hubba" as my grandma would say) and get some DIY projects done now before the time crunch hits later this fall.

--Save the dates: Check (see them here)

--Dessert buffet plan: Check (see it here)

--Labels for dessert favor bags: Check (see them here)

I tried to tie in some graphic elements from our stationery, such as the flourishes and the fonts, but I gave them a little fun personality with the little swirly-doo at the top:

I think it looks like a vintage candy shoppe label, and coordinates with the other elements of the wedding.

I'm planning to hang them on the lids like the cute labels from this gorgeous Amy Atlas design:


Aside from actually baking the cookies and cupcakes (which can't happen until the week of the wedding), I think the dessert buffet is good to go. Oh, except for the fact that I haven't ordered ANY of the candy yet. I am planning to wait until fall so that I won't have to pay for expedited shipping or cold packs. I do; however, have a list of items and online retailers to make the process a little faster!

Candy!

Does there even need to be another word in that title? I submit that there does NOT. As soon as I started imagining my wedding, there was always a candy buffet in there somewhere. It took me a while to convince other interested parties that it was necessary, but I did it without playing the "I'm the Bride!" card.

So I started making weekly trips to Michael's to purchase one vessel at a time with my 40%off coupon and my mom scoured Dollar Tree stores and Big Lots all along US-19. We found a bunch of great glass vases. In my mind, I could see the color-coordinated, chocolatey goodness coming to life. Some folks; however, were still having a hard time envisioning the final product.

Well I put my best computer-graphics-geek self to work and created an actual illustration of my vision. How dorky is that? I'm addicted... to over-planning. Hi, my name is Jen and I'm an over planner (Hi, Jen!). Good thing, I did though because I quickly realized that filling my selected vessels was going to cost me well over $300.00. Now I love my chocolate as much as the next girl, but I needed to find an option that would cinch the budget (if not my waist).

The solution for me was to incorporate cookies and caramel corn to my buffet, in addition to lovely candy goodies:


After much deliberation, these will be the tempting treats:

One word: Yum!

I Want Candy...

Are you hearing the lyrics in your head yet? They're totally stuck in mine. And what brings this yummy topic to my blog? Candy buffets, of course. I've long since decided that my reception would have a dessert buffet. When you're inspired by delicious design confections like these from Amy Atlas, how could you NOT want one?

I don't know if mine will be this high-falutin', but they sure do look yummy!