Household Items You Can Use To Display Food On A Buffet Table

Hosting a party at your home involves a lot of complicated elements, especially if you don’t entertain often. A buffet is an easy way to ensure all your guests are fed promptly, but even setting up a buffet is challenging if you’ve never done it before. The key to designing a beautiful buffet table in your home is to get creative and use items you already have to help make your buffet look spectacular. 

When creating a buffet table, use wooden crates, covered bowls, and cake plates to add height to platters. Use glass, porcelain, and copper cookware as serving vessels to enhance the look of each dish. For a natural aesthetic, use wooden cutting boards and banana leaves to present food. Add plants, herb bouquets, and candles to fill empty spaces and add beauty to the food display.

Hosting a gathering can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be expensive, especially if you use items you already have in your home. If you plan to host a buffet brunch, lunch, or dinner in the near future and don’t know where to begin, then keep reading. Below is a list of household items you can use to present food and take your DIY buffet to the next level.

13 Household Items You Can Incorporate Into Your Buffet Display

1. Wine Boxes And Wood Crates Create Height For Platters

When you design a buffet line in your home, you want it to be dynamic and three-dimensional. If all the food sits on the table, with no elevation, it won’t look as exciting, and you can’t maximize the table space. 

To create height for some of your food platters, use your most aesthetically pleasing wooden crates and wine boxes. These wooden vessels add a rustic charm to the display and also offer functional height. Since these boxes and crates are wooden and rectangular, they are sturdy and can usually handle weight.

2. Stick Skewered Foods Into A Melon Or Pineapple 

If you’ve ever been to a luau, then you’ve likely seen skewered meat sticking out of a pineapple. Not only is this a fun way to display food, but it’s also a great space saver. You can use a pineapple or any melon as the vessel to stick skewers in.

This concept works for more than just grilled meats. You can also attach fruit kebabs or chocolate-dipped desserts on skewers into a melon or pineapple.

3. Use Wood Cutting Boards As Serving Platters

Wood cutting boards add value to any kitchen. They help keep knives sharp and are a great chopping surface. You can also use your wood cutting boards, both big and small, as serving platters at your next buffet.

If you have limited serving platters, opt for a rustic aesthetic and use wood cutting boards and even cedar planks to display food. Charcuterie boards, fruit and cheese platters, and other cold appetizers can all be placed on wood. 

4. Find Creative Ways To Label The Food

If you are featuring an extensive buffet at your next gathering, then you should consider having food cards so the guests know what’s on each platter. Food cards are informative and a way to elevate a DIY buffet to a more professional level.

You don’t need to spend money on food cards. Instead, use anything from cardstock and clothespins to white markers on green leaves. Get creative and match your food labels to the theme of the buffet, all while using items you already have on hand.

5. Incorporate Plants To Fill Empty Space In The Buffet

When you are setting up a buffet table in your home for a gathering, remember to consider not only the food, but also the empty space around it. Plants are one of the best ways to fill this empty space. Adding color and height around food makes the entire spread look more appetizing and sophisticated. 

You can use small potted plants or freshly cut flowers and stems from your yard. Try to pick a color scheme or an overall theme. If it’s Thanksgiving, you can use maple leaves and rosemary. Easter calls for spring flowers like daffodils and tulips. 

6. Cover Large Bowls With Cloth Napkins To Lift Platters

Another great (and free) way to add height to your buffet without buying risers is to utilize large bowls to elevate food. Flip the bowl upside down and drape a cloth napkin over it. Salad bowls, mixing bowls, and any other large bowl with a flat bottom work well.

Once you cover the bowl with a cloth, no one will know what’s underneath. All the guests notice is the dynamic height variation on the buffet line. 

7. Copper Cookware Can Be Used As A Serving Vessel

Copper cookware is a favorite among home chefs. If you’ve spent the money to have pots and pans made of this beautiful metal, consider using them as serving vessels at your next buffet.

Copper cookware can be used to serve stews and other hearty dishes with a liquid component.

Not only is copper beautiful and durable, but it also works well with many themes. It works with rustic aesthetics, holiday themes, and even looks at home at a regal and luxurious dinner party.

8. Use Glass And Porcelain Cookware As Serving Platters

If you didn’t spend a small fortune on copper cookware, don’t worry. There are most likely plenty of items in your kitchen you can use to serve food on a buffet. Glass cake pans and baking sheets are non-offensive and work well on any buffet. 

If you have porcelain or terracotta baking vessels, these also can be used to elevate your buffet table. Avoid using aluminum and stainless steel when possible, as they tend to make a buffet display look cheap.

9. Utilize Banana Leaves As Natural Food Platters

If you are hosting a tropical dinner, like a luau, or are hoping to achieve a natural or jungle aesthetic, use banana leaves on your buffet. Banana leaves can elevate a buffet in many ways. You can use them as table runners, or cover ugly sheet pans with these leaves to elevate the look. However you choose to use them, remember to wash them first to remove dirt and bugs.

10. Create Fragrant Bouquets Using Garden Herbs

If you have an herb garden in your yard, then you should utilize it when you host a buffet dinner. For one, you can make lovely herb bouquets with fragrant herbs like rosemary, sage, lavender, mint, and basil. These bouquets look and smell lovely, and can fill small gaps on a buffet table.

You can also use fresh herbs to dress up food displays. It is often hard to make large vats of food look gourmet, but a few fresh herb stems will jazz up any platter.

11. Line Woven Baskets To Serve Breads

If you have bread on the menu, then choose to display it on your buffet in your favorite woven basket. Simply line the basket with linen napkins, and fill it with rolls or freshly sliced bread. To keep the bread warm, add an extra linen on top of the bread until it’s time to serve.

12. Add Ambience To The Buffet With Candles

Strategically placed candles can help add a lovely ambience to any buffet setup, regardless of the theme. Candles also allow you to create some mood lighting for your dinner. When placing candles, ensure they are in safe locations, where there is no risk of anything catching on fire — including your guests’ hands.

13. Incorporate Cake Stands Into Your Display

If you have cake stands, it’s important to remember they can be used to display more than just cakes. A cake stand, especially a lovely glass one, makes a great elevated serving platter on any buffet table. They are great for showcasing finger foods and individual desserts like cookies and mini cakes.

Summing Up Household Items You Can Use To Jazz Up A Buffet

If you plan on hosting a dinner party featuring a buffet, there's a strong possibility you already have everything you need in your home for your display. You can use wooden wine boxes or crates to elevate foods, and use wood cutting boards or copper cookware as serving vessels. 

If you have a banana tree, use the leaves to cover ugly platters, and add fresh plants to the buffet to liven it up. Cultivate your herb garden, make herb bouquets, and add fresh sprigs to certain platters to add a touch of panache.

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