This year, when all the little ghouls and goblins in your neighborhood come searching for something sweet, why not greet them with a devilishly decadent candy buffet in vintage black amethyst glass?

As a collectahollic of sorts, I'm always on the lookout for unusual pieces with rich, dark color. Throughout the year, and at Halloween especially, I love stacking pieces to create displays of different heights. For this candy buffet, I began, as I think we all should, by experimenting and having fun(!)—this one here, that one there—until I felt I'd arrived at a good mix of shapes and styles.

Here it is all finished!

How pretty are these Hammond's lollipops in a vintage black glass flower frog and footed urn? All their candy is handmade and some of the most beautiful I've ever seen! The centerpiece bowl with the peanut butter taffies has been a favorite piece of mine for years. I love it for wickedly wonderful Halloween arrangements like black dahlias on a dining room table. Finally, the pair of early American pressed glass compotes with striped licorice pillows adds a lightness to the mix and enhances the symmetry.      

On the other side, I love the spooky, sawtooth edge of the footed gumdrop bowl, as though the creepy carved mouth of a Jack-O'-Lantern. The licorice taffies I picked up at the Dollar Store, among other things, while the pretty orange cream barber poles are from Hammond's. Finally, this pretty pair of candlesticks does double duty as miniature dishes for orange M&M's.     

As a caterer years ago, I used to create edible landscapes for parties of a hundred or more. Even the most conventional serving pieces, I learned, can be used in unconventional ways. Take, for example, this laced rim compote with the striped licorice pillows. On the Halloween special airing next Sunday, I used it for serving roasted pumpkin seeds by the fire during the party scene, but here it provides the perfect prop for these pretty rock candy swizzle sticks. For height, I stacked the gumballs in an elegant footed compote, while the candy corn I piled high in an unusual fluted bowl with tripod legs, whose Gothic rim could encircle a cloud of cotton balls in a powder room with equal panache.

Next week, I'll show you how to create the fiendish feather wreath on the mirror, along with sinfully simple batkin rings, perfect for a ghoulish feast come Halloween. Then, once the show airs, we'll post a quick and easy trick-or-treat bag that's just the right size for little hands—and big ones too! Have a sweet weekend, everyone!  

Comments

[Ann]

Completely inspiring. I am going to be on the lookout for black dishes at the junk shop.

[Cathy Cann]

Love, love, love it!! Especially the Rock Candy on a stick!
I have some Amethyst glass!! My Grandma left me a lucheon set. I had never seen it before and had no idea what the inky black glass was. I must remember to get it out for Halloween!

[An Aesthete's Lament]

What you have wrought is insanely fabulous.

[Jennifer @ Fiddle Dee Dee]

Eddie, this is such a wonderful idea! I love pretty things for adults, as well as kids. I can just see eyes lighting up as children enter a Halloween party to this sweet buffet! Thank you for your wonderful inspiration. You do such a fabulous job sharing ideas that anyone can do on any budget.

Have a fabulous week,
Jennifer

[susan crabtree]

love your Halloween candy buffet table scape! I featured you on my blog today!

http://puertabella.blogspot.com/2009/10/halloween-eddie-ross-style.html

[Tardevil]

I'm having a Halloween party for my daughter's 10th b-day. While I've seen "candy buffets" before, this one is delicious w/ all of the black and orange contrast. I have the clear glass and also milk glass laced compotes/dishes too, but had no idea it came in black. What a lucky find for you!! And I've never seen a vintage black frog either. I think I need to go shopping w/ you!
Happy H(a)unts!

[katiedid]

SUch a fun table, especially if you havce kids in the house like I do! Keep up the great work Eddie and Jaithan. I always love to check in and see what you are up to. OH....and Loved the house in Lonny. Congrats on that!!!!!

[Barbara Nieder]

Love the lack of candles that can catch fire so easily when costumed people reach for goodies. You guys are the best. I'll bet Martha really misses Eddie; her loss--our gain. I took a cue from you and just painted some cheap pottery stuff with black gloss paint. They look so good.

[seleta]

Love your spooky sweet holiday magic.

[Shandell's]

This post make me want to eat candy corn, something I have not done for years. Have a wonderful trip to Todd Farm.
XOXOXO

[Debra]

Fabulous idea. It all looks wonderful...and I'm coming to your house on Halloween!

[Cheryl]

Eddie--

Thank you for some great inspiration!!! We're hosting a Halloween "Mask"querade (dress up from the head up) Party on the 24th. I'm trying to decorate with unconventional Halloween items, too, and am not into the macabre side of the holiday, so I am welcoming all of your awesome ideas!!! Thanks again!!!

Cheryl in B'ham AL

[mary]

I love the black glass and the gorgeous table, but (not to be negative) I think that parents will only allow children to have candy that is fully wrapped in its original wrapper. Just a thought.

[edith]

when will the HGTV show be on? I am so afraid I am going to miss it.

[Karen Evans]

I love this idea. I would love to do something like this at our next party (for the big kids!)

[pve]

Since I am usually doling out the candy to the kids, I wear a ghastly glove...but your candy bar looks much more elegant...think I may have to reconsider...I am thinking all white....
pve

[Victoria Zlotkowski]

You are really in for Halloween, I love it!
I have to reconsider the CVS concept...

;) Victoria

[LindsB]

Of course this is genius- I LOVE the idea of using the flower frog for the lollipops. I cant wait for more of your ideas!!

[Eddie Ross]

Hi Arlynn,

Thanks for your comment! The way I look at it, children too should be exposed to beautiful things, not simply Snickers and Milky Ways from CVS. This kind of buffet could be the perfect opportunity to teach kids about beautiful objects and the importance of being careful!

Thanks again!

Eddie

[Arlynn from Fleur de Licious]

Simply stunning. I love the mixture of heights & the obvious, but ideal color scheme. However, this seems better for adults, I mean, come on... my mouth's watering & I won't break anything :-)

Fantastic work!

XO

[beachbungalow8]

I may be double posting here, don't know if the other went through. I hadn't considered searching for black pressed glass. It's really elegant and so perfect for Halloween.

I depend on you for my Autumnal decorating inspiration!

xoxo

Megan

[Jennifer Sergent]

omg-- I'm also currently obsessed with black -- I guess it's that time of year. Here's my own recent post:
http://www.washingtonspaces.com/blog/articles/2009/09/29/basic-black-for-the-table

Have a fabulous party!!

[Kirby a farmer]

E and J, I'll be over for trick or treating. Looks yummy. How many kids do you think will come by? Thanks for all the ideas.