Displaying Delightfully Deadly Treats

If you're planning on entertaining a group at home this Saturday on All Hallow's Eve, why not set the scene accordingly? Display large groupings of delicious treats in a way that is enticing, elegant and eerie all at once. In some of these photos below, candies are grouped together by colour to keep the tone monochromatic: a corner of all-black candies or a shelf of luminescent orange sweets is sure to draw a hungry eye or two! In other photos, the treats are highlighted by creepy accessories that scream of sinfully good things!

These creature candy dishes, made of cardboard and pipe-cleaners, herald the delicious treats within. Click here for the how-to.

The key to a good grouping of sweets lies in the display. Here, a small stand holds various jars in varying heights and shapes. Inside each vessel are golden goodies, such as chocolate coins, butterscotch candies, yellow and orange licorice sticks and candied nuts. They're all illuminated by two glowing candles and highlighted by a ghoulish placard that reads, "Beware the Midnight Hour! Grab Your Treats Now!"

Similarly, this display holds a collection of all-black treats, including black licorice, black gummies, jelly beans and "witch sticks." Each is labeled with a fun sticker that has the name of the treat inside: "Deadly Morsels," "Rotten Sweets," etc. You can download the labels here.

In this instance, candies are displayed on a large dresser with the top drawer acting as a catch-all for suckers, candy corn, orange jelly beans and sugar sticks. On top of the dresser, similar candies (including licorice all-sorts, teeth-and-gums gummies and a mixture of black jelly beans and mini marshmallows) are stored in large glass jars surrounded by insect and bat confetti and large rubber spiders. To top the jars, small pumpkins are given faces made out of the candies they are guarding.

These obliging arachnids help guests get a handle on their snacks. With scissors, cut the spiders from their plastic rings (spider rings are available at party stores) then puncture their centers with a needle tool, available at craft stores. Insert the toothpick into the hole from the bottom. Use them to spear cheddar cheese cubes or mozzeaella balls.

Creative wine lables, available to download here, turn wine bottles into Queasy Reisling and Murky Merlot.