Candy Table Ideas for Parties (Setup, Quantities & Budget)
Part of our guide: Dessert Table and Party Table Ideas: The Complete Guide
A candy table is the easiest dessert display to set up. It needs no baking and no cooking, and guests of every age love it. The trick is knowing how much candy to buy and how to arrange the jars so the table looks full and neat. These candy table ideas give you a simple layout, exact candy amounts for 20 guests, a take-home bag plan, safety tips, and a budget.
At DecorWillow, our top tip is to buy fewer kinds of candy and fill the jars all the way. Six kinds in full jars look better than twelve kinds in half-empty ones.
- Best for: birthdays, baby showers, holidays, and any party with 10 to 40 guests
- Candy needed: about 4 ounces per guest, so 5 pounds for 20 guests
- Kinds of candy: 6, in 6 jars, about 13 ounces of each
- Budget: about $81 budget version, about $189 full version for 20 guests
- Setup time: about 1 hour
Top Decor Picks for this Setup
Curated essentials on Amazon to help you recreate this setup easily.
Glass Apothecary Candy Jars with Lids Set of 6
The six jars that hold the candy.
Wood Cake Stands and Risers Set
Risers that give the jars three heights.
Pastel Balloon Garland Kit
A small garland behind the candy table.
Clear Candy Bags with Ribbon Ties
Take-home bags for each guest.
Table of Contents
- Candy table or dessert table
- Pick your colors
- The layout
- Jars, risers, and scoops
- Which candy to buy
- Take-home bags
- Before and after
- Labels and signs
- Safety tips
- Helpful safety sources
- Exact quantities you need
- Budget breakdown
- Worth it vs skip
- Small space version
- Setup timeline
- Candy table checklist
- FAQ
- Related articles
Candy table or dessert table
A candy table is a small, simple version of a dessert table. It only has candy, so it is cheaper and faster:
| Candy table | Dessert table | |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Candy only | Cake, cupcakes, cookies, and candy |
| Prep | None | Baking or ordering |
| Cost for 20 guests | About $81 to $189 | About $120 to $300 (planning estimate) |
| Setup time | About 1 hour | About 2 hours |
You can set up both, or put a few candy jars on a dessert table. See our how to set up a dessert table guide for the full setup.
Pick your colors
Pick the candy by color first, then by taste. Choose 2 or 3 colors from your party and add white:
| Party | Colors | Candy ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Kids birthday | Rainbow | Gummy bears, rainbow sprinkles, candy-coated chocolate |
| Baby shower | Pastel blue, pink, or white | Pastel mints, jelly beans, rock candy |
| Christmas | Red, green, white | Peppermints, red licorice, green gumdrops |
| Adult party | Black, gold, white | Chocolate pieces, gold-wrapped chocolate, white chocolate pretzels |
Pick 2 or 3 colors from the party and add white.
The layout
Use a 6-foot table against a wall. Set it up in this order:
- Cover the table with a cloth that fits (60 by 102 inches for a 6-foot table, see our party table decoration ideas).
- Add risers in 3 heights: boxes covered with a cloth, or cake stands. Put the tallest in the back, and the lowest in front.
- Place the jars. Put the biggest jars in the back and the smallest in the front. Arrange the colors in a gradient from left to right, like a rainbow, or by two main colors.
- Add a scoop and a label by each jar.
- Put the bags in front, with a sign that says what to do.
- Add a backdrop, like a small balloon garland of about 20 balloons or a paper banner. See our DIY party banner ideas.
Leave about 15 inches of table length for each jar. A 6-foot table fits 6 jars in 2 rows, plus a bag stand.
Jars, risers, and scoops
- Jars: use 6 jars of about 1 quart (4 cups). 13 ounces of small candy such as jelly beans or gummies fills a quart jar about 3/4 full. Test with one bag before the party, since light candy like marshmallows takes more room. Glass apothecary jars look best, and plastic ones are safer around kids. Wash and dry them before filling.
- Lids: use jars with lids, so candy stays clean and dry.
- Scoops and tongs: use 1 scoop or pair of tongs for each jar, so flavors do not mix and guests do not use their hands.
- Risers: 3 heights. Use boxes covered with a cloth, or cake stands. Keep the weight stable.
- Fill: fill each jar at least 3/4 full. A half-empty jar looks sad, so buy a little extra.
Jars in three heights, with a scoop for each, keep the table neat.
Which candy to buy
- 6 kinds, about 13 ounces each: that is about 5 pounds for 20 guests.
- Mix the textures: one chewy (gummies), one hard (mints or rock candy), one chocolate, one sour, one soft (marshmallows), and one crunchy.
- Pick small pieces that are easy to scoop, like candy-coated chocolate, jelly beans, mini marshmallows, and gummies.
- Skip sticky or messy candy, like caramels without a wrapper, and anything that melts quickly.
- Add one local or special item, like a candy in the guest of honor’s favorite flavor.
Take-home bags
- Use about 24 small bags (5 by 7 inches), one per guest plus spares.
- Give each guest one bag, and tell them to fill it with a scoop of each kind they like. A full bag holds about 3 to 4 ounces, so this matches the 4 ounces per guest.
- Add a tag that says “Thanks for celebrating with us” or the guest of honor’s name.
- Put the bags on a stand or in a basket in front.
One small bag for each guest keeps the portions fair.
Before and after
You only need one table and one wall. Here is the same table before and after. The changes are a cloth, risers, 6 jars, scoops, bags, a sign, and a small balloon garland. It takes about 1 hour.
A plain table turns into a candy table with six changes.
Labels and signs
- Add a small label to each jar with the name of the candy.
- Mark any candy with nuts or gluten, and any that is not vegetarian (many gummies have gelatin).
- Put a sign at the start that says “Take a bag. Fill it with your favorites. One bag each.”
- Use cardstock tags, small chalkboard signs, or printed labels.
Safety tips
- Choking: hard candy, gummies, and small pieces are a choking risk for children under 4. Keep the table out of reach of toddlers, and an adult should watch kids under 5. See the safety sources below.
- Allergies: ask guests about nuts, gluten, and dairy on the invitation, and mark them on the labels. Many candies contain traces of nuts.
- Hygiene: use scoops or tongs, keep the jars covered, and do not let guests use their hands.
- Heat and humidity: chocolate gets soft in a warm room or in the sun, and sugar candy turns sticky in humid air. Keep the table indoors or in the shade, away from heaters, and keep the extra candy sealed in its bags until you need to refill.
- Sticky mess: put a mat under the table, and a trash bin and wipes near it.
Helpful safety sources
A few trusted places for the safety points in this guide:
- HealthyChildren (AAP): choking prevention: Why hard candy and small pieces are a choking risk for young children.
- FARE: hosting parties with food allergies: Tips for labeling food and planning a party for guests with food allergies.
Exact quantities you need
These amounts are a rule of thumb. For 20 guests:
- Candy: 5 pounds in total, 6 kinds of about 13 ounces each (3 to 4 ounces for each guest).
- Jars with lids: 6 (about 1 quart each).
- Scoops or tongs: 6, plus 2 spares.
- Take-home bags: 24 (5 by 7 inches), plus ties or stickers.
- Risers: 3 (boxes or cake stands) in 3 heights.
- Table cloth: 1 (60 by 102 inches for a 6-foot table).
- Labels: 6 for the jars and 1 sign.
- Balloons: 20 for a small garland, or a paper banner.
- Wipes and a trash bin: 1 pack and 1 bin.
For 10 guests use half the candy and 4 jars. For 40 guests use 10 pounds of candy, 8 jars, and 44 bags, on two tables if needed.
Adjust the amount: if candy is the only dessert, plan 6 ounces per guest (7.5 pounds for 20 guests) and keep the extra in sealed bags to refill the jars. If there is also cake and cupcakes, 3 ounces per guest is enough. If the table is outdoors or the party is longer than 3 hours, keep a bag of each candy sealed and refill the jars once.
Budget breakdown
This assumes 20 guests and a 6-foot table. Pick the column that fits you:
| Item | Budget version | Full version |
|---|---|---|
| Candy (5 pounds, 6 kinds) | $25 | $45 |
| 6 jars with lids | $12 (dollar store) | $36 (glass apothecary jars) |
| Scoops and tongs (8) | $6 | $12 |
| 24 take-home bags and ties | $6 | $12 |
| Risers (boxes or cake stands) | $6 (covered boxes) | $24 (cake stands) |
| Tablecloth and runner | $10 | $20 |
| Labels and signs | $4 | $10 |
| Small balloon garland (20 balloons) | $8 | $20 |
| “Candy bar” sign | $4 (homemade) | $10 |
| Total | $81 | $189 |
These are planning estimates for U.S. stores, exclude tax, and vary by store and region. Buying candy in bulk, by the pound, or at a warehouse store brings the cost down.
Worth it vs skip
- Worth it: full jars, three heights, and a scoop for each jar. They make a cheap table look planned.
- Skip: a lot of candy kinds, printed candy wrappers, and candy that melts. Six full jars look better than twelve half-empty ones.
Small space version
Use a 3-foot side table or a shelf, 4 jars, 12 bags, and 2 pounds of candy for 10 guests. Use two risers, one scoop for each jar, and a small paper banner on the wall. A tray of small jars on a coffee table also works.
Setup timeline
- 1 week before: Buy the jars, scoops, bags, and tags, and choose the colors.
- 2 to 3 days before: Buy the candy and check the jars.
- The day before: Wash the jars, set the table and risers, and tie the bags. Takes about 30 minutes.
- The day of: Fill the jars, add the labels and the sign, and place the bags. Takes about 30 minutes. Keep the table out of the sun.
Candy table checklist
- 5 pounds of candy in 6 kinds
- 6 jars with lids, washed and dry
- 6 scoops or tongs, plus spares
- 24 bags and ties or stickers
- 3 risers
- Cloth that fits the table
- Labels with allergy notes
- “Take a bag” sign
- Small balloon garland or banner
- Wipes and a trash bin
- Table out of the sun
FAQ
How much candy do I need for a candy table?
Plan about 4 ounces of candy per guest, so 5 pounds for 20 guests, in 6 kinds of about 13 ounces each. If candy is the only dessert, plan 6 ounces per guest, and if there is cake too, 3 ounces is enough. For 10 guests use about 2.5 pounds.
How do you set up a candy table?
Cover a 6-foot table with a cloth, add risers in 3 heights, and place 6 jars with lids, the biggest in the back and the smallest in front. Add a scoop and a label for each jar, then put small bags in front with a sign. Setup takes about 1 hour.
How many jars do I need for a candy table?
Plan 6 jars of about 1 quart for 20 guests, with one scoop or pair of tongs for each jar. About 13 ounces of small candy fills a quart jar about 3/4 full, so it looks full. Leave about 15 inches of table length for each jar.
How much does a candy table cost?
A candy table for 20 guests costs about $81 for a budget version and about $189 for a full version. That includes 5 pounds of candy, 6 jars, scoops, 24 bags, risers, a cloth, labels, and a small balloon garland.
What candy should I put on a candy table?
Choose 6 kinds with different textures, such as gummies, mints, chocolate, sour candy, marshmallows, and something crunchy. Pick small pieces that are easy to scoop, and match the colors to your party.
What is the difference between a candy table and a dessert table?
A candy table has only candy, so it needs no baking and costs less, about $81 to $189 for 20 guests. A dessert table also has cake, cupcakes, and cookies, and it takes longer to set up.
Is a candy table safe for young children?
Hard candy, gummies, and small pieces are a choking risk for children under 4, so keep the table out of their reach and watch kids under 5. Mark candy with nuts or gluten, and use scoops so guests do not touch the candy.
How do I keep candy from melting on a candy table?
Keep the table indoors or in the shade, away from heaters, since chocolate gets soft in a warm room and sugar candy turns sticky in humid air. Keep the jars covered, fill them on the day of the party, and keep extra candy sealed in its bags.
Related articles
- How to Set Up a Dessert Table
- Party Table Decoration Ideas
- Baby Shower Dessert Table
- Kids Party Favor Ideas
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Recreate This Look: Complete Supply Checklist
Every prop, decor item, and material identified in our styled photos, linked directly to top-rated supplies on Amazon.
One for each jar.
Cover for a 6-foot table.
One of the six candies.
A chewy candy.
A soft mint.
A chocolate piece.
A soft candy.
A crunchy candy.
Labels for each jar.
A sign that explains the table.
Tags for the take-home bags.
Small balloons for the table and wall.
Builds the small garland.
Holds the take-home bags.
For the sticky mess.
Protects the floor under the table.
A bin near the table.
