Valentine's Day Candy Buffet with free printable

Valentine’s Day Candy Buffet and FREE Candy Bar Printable

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Want to be the sweetest mom or co-worker ever?! Create a mini Valentine’s Day Candy Buffet that everyone can enjoy throughout the entire month of February (or at least till Valentine’s Day)! All it takes is a visit to your local 99 Cents Only store, some imagination, and a little bit of your time.

The 99 Cents Only store is one of my favorite stores to shop and stay on a budget. There are new things weekly, so I like #DoingThe99 a few times a month to pick up snacks for the kids, household items, fresh produce, and special decorations for holiday events.

And since Valentine’s Day is only two weeks away, my last 99 Cents Only visit was focused on creating something fun for my teens. They’re too old for the kiddie Valentine’s Day stuff, but I still like to treat them with something on Valentine’s Day. So while I walked through the Valentine’s Day aisle at the 99 Cents Only store, it hit me – I should create a mini grab-n-go Valentine’s Day Candy Buffet!

There was an entire aisle dedicated to all things Valentines. I found table decorations, a cute heart wall hanging, cupcake liners and toppers, vase fillers, candy bags, Valentine containers, and candy. Of course, I didn’t limit myself to just the Valentine’s Day aisle. I made sure to head to the candy aisle for Laffy Taffy sticks (one of my kids’ favorites), party aisle for plastic table covers and streamers, and the baking aisle for cake mix and frosting.

Before I knew it, I had all the items I needed to create a Valentine’s Day Candy Buffet. Honestly, though, there were so many Valentine’s Day items that it was a little overwhelming. So before you head off to the 99 Cents Only store, I’ve listed a few things you’ll need to create a candy buffet.

Valentine’s Day Candy Buffet Shopping Tips:

Have a budget in mind and stick with it
Color scheme – stick with 2-3 colors
Pick-up candy containers in various shapes/height
Add candy bags to hold treats
Pretty up the table with a plastic table cover
Use a plastic table cover as a backdrop
Use small table and wall decorations for interest
Streamers add another layer of visual interest
Candy in your theme colors or use themed color jars for other candies
Tape to hold decorations in place
Container fillers (paper or vase fillers) help to fill space in large jars

How much candy?

Pink mason jar = 1 1/2 bags of Sweetheart candy or 1 bag of Kit Kat candy (use 2 for a packed jar)
Votive = 1 pack of Tootsie roll lollipops or 1 bag Sixlets (fills 2 votives)
Short food jar = 4-5 bags of Sixlets with paper filler, up to 6 Mike-n-Ike filled plastic sticks, or bag of rolled plastic candy bags.
Tall food jar = 1-2 bags Laffy Taffy sticks

Valentine’s Day Candy Buffet Set-up

Cover the table with a white plastic table cover.
Use a red or contrasting table cover to create a table runner.
Create a backdrop by hanging a second white table cloth to the wall.
Hang a decorative heart on the table.
Hang steamers over the backdrop and drape on the front of the table. Cut along the edges to create a fringe look or leave it as-is.

Tip: To create a dove tail detail to the table runner, determine the width and length of the table runner needed. Cut to the size needed. Fold the runner in half lengthwise and cut a triangle wedge out. Fold open to reveal the dove tail cut.

Fill jars with various candies.
Use paper fillers to help fill jars or boost up candies.
Bake and decorate cupcakes or use packaged cookies.
Roll plastic candy bags into tubes (see picture below) for a pretty look.

Tips: Use a votive to hold lollipops or short wrapped candies. Use large food jars to hold bulk or large items. I used my own cake stand to hold the cupcakes, but if you don’t have a stand, create one by gluing a glass candlestick to a plate (all items can be found at the 99 Cents Only store).

Arrange jars and goodies on the table. Place smaller items in the front and larger items in the back.
Print out a FREE ‘You Make Life Sweet. Grab a bag & Some Treats!’ printable.

Tip: Vary the height of the containers for interest and create a focal point in the center.