How to Decorate a Dessert Table With Fruit

Decorate your dessert table with fruits.

A dessert table is a staple for any large party, including an anniversary celebration or a wedding reception. Using fruit is often cheaper than using flower petals or other types of decoration, and fruit provides an alternative for people who don't want or can't eat sugary sweets. It's also very easy to decorate your table with fruit, just by varying the heights and using different serving trays.

Things You'll Need

• Sugar icing
• Cake stands
• Fresh flowers
• Cupcake stands
• Cupcake wrappers
• Baskets
• Serving trays
• Platters
• Boxes

Instructions

1. Create a dessert pyramid or cone at the center of your table, similar to the idea used in colonial Williamsburg for large celebrations. Arrange fruits in a circular shape at the center of the table and place a small dollop of sugar icing on the top of each piece. Then arrange another layer of fruit slightly more toward the center, top with more icing and continue until you have a cone or pyramid shape. When the sugar icing dries, it helps the pyramid to retain its shape without collapsing.

2. Use cake stands to display fruits at different places around your dessert table. Alternate cake stands filled with fruit in between more sugary desserts such as cakes and cookies. Decorate the tops of the fruits with fresh flowers or other items that match your theme.

3. Place cupcake stands around the table for smaller fruits. Cupcake stands have small holders for cupcakes, but these also work for berries such as strawberries and blueberries. Fill the cupcake wrappers with the berries and place them inside the holders. This allows guests to take small cups of fruit from the table.

4. Add baskets to your table, but turn each basket on one side or on an end. Then arrange your fruit inside each basket so that it looks like it's spilling out. You may want to fill the baskets with fruit first and then gently tip them over to spill the fruit out.

5. Put the fruit on different platters and serving dishes and sprinkle those around the table. Create more interest by arranging the platters on boxes of different heights and sizes and mixing up the fruit, using at least two kinds on each tray.

Tips & Warnings

• Use all parts of the fruit, including stems if you've cut the fruit beforehand. The tops of pineapples add a little contrast and color to the table.

References

• My Wedding Planning Guide: How to Decorate a Wedding Cake Table
• Colonial Williamsburg: Dessert Pyramids