Kiddie Partyholic: Easy Candy Buffet DIY

I have just finished working on a candy buffet for the 7th birthday party of hubby's niece last weekend, and it was a huge hit with the kids! :) I'd discuss the details in a separate post.

In the meantime, let me share with you one of the 'new' things I learned from other party blogs, and tried out for this particular party: GUMMY SKEWERS! :)

Photo from Hostess With The Mostess Blog

I've seen quite a number of these cute creations from different foreign blogs, and I was really intrigued with it. The concept was really pretty simple, candies or gummies on a skewer, and voila, you get an instant party favor! :) What I loved about it is the color it brings to the candy buffet, and the convenience it offers to the guest eating the gummies. No more sugary and sticky hands!

Since this was the first time I was making them, and I was so pressed for time, I kept them pretty basic. Here's what I used for this particular party:

1 kilo of gummy caterpillars

1/2 kilo of gummy pyramids (errr, that's what I call them. hehe)

2 packs of gummy tapes/belts (40 pieces each)

bamboo skewers (medium thickness)

foil wrapped twine

clear plastic (used also to wrap souvenirs)

plastic tongs

Here's how to make them:

1. Arrange the candies/gummies that you'll be using in a plate for your convenience.
2. Wipe or wash clean the bamboo skewers.
3. You can either use plastic tongs, or you can use your hands. :) Just make sure to wash them first, and then wrap them in plastic.
4. If you're going to use 'longer' gummies like caterpillars, worms, or belts/tapes, pierce the gummy half an inch from the edge, and make sure it's smack in the middle of the gummy (why? Check out step number 5.)
5. Depending on the length of the gummy, layer it so it'd look like an S. Pull the gummy down gently to make space for more gummies on the skewer. This is why you'd have to make sure the skewer goes through the middle of the gummy (and not near the edge), because it tends to get loose when you pull it down.
6. For this particular set of gummy skewers, I just did 8 layers (8 gummies), which I think is just the right number of gummies for one skewer.
7. Do not poke through the top part of the last gummy you're going to put on the skewer, so that the pointed part of the skewer remains covered.
8. Use clear plastic to cover the skewer if your candy buffet would be in an outdoor venue, or if you plan to give them away as party favors.
9. Seal off the bottom of the clear plastic cover with twine.
10. Add accents or tags based on your preference.

Really easy right? :) You can also stick with gummies with colors that match your theme. To hold the skewers, you can either put them in a big jar, or you can make a candy kebab holder using styrofoam wrapped in paper. :) Just make sure that if you're going to do the latter, it should be thick styro (about 1 inch or more) for a sturdier hold.