DIY Donut Wall Dessert Table For A Wedding Or Shower
How To Make A Donut Wall Dessert Table in 7 Steps
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From the moment my sister embarked on her wedding planning journey, her excitement over donut walls has been infectious. And guess what? I was determined to turn her vision into a reality! Watch how I did it, and learn how you can do it, too.
Throughout the wedding planning process, my sisters' unwavering support has been invaluable. Wanting to express my gratitude, I took on the dessert table task. With sleeves rolled up, I delved into creating a remarkable DIY donut wall that would leave a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to see it. Get ready to learn how I brought this delightful donut dream to life!
If you're planning a party and want to impress your guests with a unique and fun dessert display, a DIY donut wall is the perfect solution. Not only is it easy and affordable to create, but it's also sure to be a hit with anyone who loves a sweet treat.
Here are some steps to help you create your own DIY donut wall for your next party:
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
Before you get started, you'll need to gather your supplies. You'll need a large piece of pegboard, paint or wallpaper to cover the board, hooks, and of course, donuts! Make sure to choose a variety of donut flavors and styles to cater to all of your guests' tastes.
Custom Acrylic Donut Wall Designs from Etsy Star Seller WeddingByEli
Step 2: Prepare the Pegboard
Once you have your supplies, it's time to prepare the pegboard. Start by cleaning it with soap and water to remove any dust or debris. Then, paint or cover the board with your chosen material. You can use paint, wallpaper, or even wrapping paper to add some color and personality to your donut wall.
Step 3: Add the Pegs
Once the board is dry, it's time to add the pegs. Place the hooks evenly spaced on the board, leaving enough space between each hook to accommodate the size of your donuts. You can use S-hooks, or you can create your own hooks using wire hangers.
Step 4: Hang the Donuts
Now it's time to hang the donuts! Start by selecting the donuts you want to display and carefully place them on the hooks. Make sure to arrange them in an eye-catching pattern to make the donut wall even more appealing.
Step 5: Enjoy!
With your DIY donut wall complete, it's time to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Encourage your guests to help themselves to the donuts and snap some photos for social media. Remember to keep an eye on the donut wall and refill it as needed throughout the party.
In conclusion, a DIY donut wall is a fun and easy way to add a unique touch to any party. With a little bit of creativity and some basic supplies, you can create a dessert display that your guests will never forget. So go ahead and give it a try – your guests will thank you for it!
My sister knew for sure that she wanted Stan's Donuts for her donut wall, along with our Mom's signature cupcakes, and then the best cake balls that Chicago has to offer, which can be found at the fabulous West Town Bakery. There also had to be candy. Lots and lots of candy. No corners would be cut on this donut wall dessert table!
Mock Set-Up of The DIY Donut Wall Dessert Table
Our dessert table took a lot of thought and two trial runs in order to make sure everything would be perfect on the day of the wedding. During our initial trial run, we decided that we needed to eliminate the bottom two rows of pegs on our donut board. We knew that we were going to have Westtown Bakery cake balls and my mother's signature cupcakes in front of the donut wall, so those two bottom rows had to go. With a quick modification, my husband was able to make the change to the board.
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It was also during this run that we began to wonder if the spacing of our pegs was right for Stan’s Donuts. We made paper donuts and cut them slightly larger than we thought the donuts would be (it's tough going off of memory!). We decided that the pegs on the donut board were spaced perfectly.
The following weekend, we ended up picking up a dozen of Stan’s Donuts to test the real deal on our board. Any excuse to pick up a dozen of our favorite donuts was good with us! And yes, the pegs were indeed perfect for the donuts.
One thing that was really tough to find was an extra long tablecloth for our 16-foot dessert table. So, thankfully, our mother is very handy with her Singer sewing machine. We went to the fabric store and picked out the most beautiful fabric for the tablecloth.
She made the tablecloth to be 20 feet total in length. The fabric that we used was pricey ($30 per yard!), so in order to save on cost, she cut the fabric in half and then we bought an inexpensive linen for the top of the tablecloth. The expensive fabric was sewn to the linen. So as you can see, the fabric that sat on the top of the table is plain and the fabric that hangs down in the front of the table is the expensive decorative fabric.
Handmade, Custom, 20 Foot Table Cloth
Sewing Together The Patterned Design To A Plain Linen
Expensive and Inexpensive Fabric Spliced Together To Save On Cost
Don’t want to make your own table cloth? Try this linen version with 2-day shipping!
You can also get one of these laser cut signs to jazz up your dessert table:
Second Trial Run
Since this was one of the first large-scale dessert tables that I ever done, these trial runs were very important to help ensure that as many kinks as possible were worked out of the system before the big day. We only had an hour for set up, so this prep work helped greatly to identify issues that could come up prior to the wedding.
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I picked out a glass jar for each bag of candy, and then left that bag in the jar. That way, on the wedding day anyone who was helping me could just cut the bag open and place the candy into the jar without asking what went where.
On the day of the wedding, I first picked up the baked goods for the dessert table. My mom had made 72 cupcakes for my sister. She packaged them neatly in cupcake holders, which made for easy transport to the venue.
Our first stop was to West Town Bakery, where we were picking up 100 vanilla cake balls coated with white and gold sprinkles. They were absolutely gorgeous! If you are looking for a cake dessert to wow your guest, then these cake balls are exactly what you need. The cake itself was perfectly sweet and then coated with frosting and sprinkles that gave the cake balls an irresistible crunch. These are my new favorite specialty dessert item and will forever be a part of every party from here on out!
West Town Bakery is a sustainable bakery located in Chicago. They strive to use local and natural ingredients in their products, and they put an emphasis on using eco-friendly packaging where they can. They pride themselves on baking for everyone, offering gluten-free, vegan, soy-free, nut-free, and dairy-free options on their menu. Their bakery is gorgeous and a must-visit if you are visiting Chicago or looking for baked goods for your upcoming event.
West Town Bakery Cake Balls
Our second stop was to Stan’s Donuts. We picked up the donuts directly from their West Loop bakery. If you want your dessert table to radiate beauty, Stan's Donuts has an amazing spectrum of colors to choose from. The flavors that we ordered were Pistachio Glazed, Blueberry Old Fashioned, Chocolate Sprinkled Cake, Vanilla Sprinkled Glazed, Coconut Cake, Toffee Cake, Strawberry Glazed, and Lemon Raspberry Old Fashioned. Yum, Yum, and Yum!! How good does this donut wall look?!
Stan's Donuts started in 1963 in Los Angeles and has since come to the Midwest after the owner of Stan's and the owner of the delicious Labriola Bakery teamed up to make bakery magic. Together, these two supply Chicago with high-end, gorgeous baked goods that naturally become the talk of any event that they are a part of. I cannot believe the number of photos that our guests were taking of the dessert table. Everyone was in amazement!
My Sister Arranging The Donuts On The Donut Wall
The Donut Wall Dessert Table
In addition to baked goods, our dessert table also had a candy bar and a coffee station.
In order to make the candy bar, I had 11 different glass jars to hold the bulk candy. I also had several scoops for each jar of candy that was not individually wrapped, such as the skittles, gummies, Swedish fish, and Reese's pieces.
In order to raise the jars to various levels, I used foam pieces that laid flat under the tablecloth. At the beginning of our table near the candy bar is where we had all of the to-go candy containers for the desserts along with plates and napkins.
Candy Bar Set-Up
There were several things that our coffee bar had to have. Creamers, whipped cream, and a bottle of Bailey's. It was an epic coffee bar. We had a five-gallon jug of coffee delivered, which was some of the best coffee I have ever had.
When you set up your coffee station, don't forget a mini garbage can so that people have a place for their stir sticks and creamer cups. We used an ice bucket!
Coffee Station Essentials
7 Steps To Creating The Best Dessert Bar Ever!
1) Order Your Dessert
If you want gorgeous eye-catching dessert that is equally beautiful as it is sweet and delicious, order from Stan’s Donuts and West Town Bakery. A fabulous dessert table starts with a great dessert selection!
2) Do A Practice Run With Your Table
This planning step is very critical. Setting your dessert bar up in advance will help you to identify any areas of concern so that you are as prepared as you can be when it comes to the actual set-up of your table at your event.
3) Order Signs For Your Table
Be sure to visit Deco Ink Designs over on Etsy for laser-cut decor. This is where we got our wooden cursive "donuts" sign for the top of our donut board. For banners, Little Miss Designs US has just what you need. Treat Yo Self to gorgeous decor for your table!
4) Visit Amazon For Your Coffee Bar Needs
If you are setting up your own coffee bar, you are going to need a few necessities. We got these insulated paper coffee cups for our coffee. They are SO cute, and were perfect for our coffee bar.
Let your guests know where your treat bar is with this sign made to look like rustic wood:
Glitter Stir Sticks!
5) Scoop Up Plates, Forks, and Napkins
Many of your guests will simply pluck a donut from the board and will go on their merry way. But you should also have plates and napkins available, along with a few forks for those of us who like to eat cupcakes in a very specific way!
6) Pick Up Lights!
I loved that we had 30 feet of tiny LED lights for our table. It was perfect for when the sun went down and the room lights were dimmed. These lights are battery powered so we did not need to worry about extra outlets for the lights.
7) Take A Photo!
After you do your own DIY dessert table, you will understand how a third party may charge a lot of money to do a table for you. It's an incredible amount of work, so be sure to take photos of your finished table.
Making your own desserts? Here are some fabulous dessert supplies to help your creations shine!!
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