How We Created a Stunning Graduation Party Buffet on a Budget

How We Created a Stunning Graduation Party Buffet on a Budget

How We Created a Stunning Graduation Party Charcuterie on a Budget

Planning my daughter's university graduation party was such a rewarding experience, and one of the highlights was the beautiful buffet we set up on our kitchen island. We wanted a clean, elegant, and organized look while keeping everything easy to grab and enjoy. Here’s exactly how we did it, from making our own white display boxes to curating the perfect food selection.

DIY White Display Boxes for the Buffet

We wanted to elevate our food visually without spending a fortune on fancy risers. Instead, we made our own white display boxes. Here’s how:

  • Materials: Sturdy cardboard boxes, white wrapping paper, tape, and a glue gun.

  • Steps:

    1. Gather boxes in various sizes to create different levels for visual interest.

    2. Wrap each box tightly with white wrapping paper, securing the edges with tape. Add wax or parchment paper to the tops of boxes to ensure it's food safe.

    3. Use a glue gun for any loose edges to keep everything looking seamless.

    4. Stack the boxes in a layout that complements your food arrangement.

These simple white boxes allowed the colorful food to stand out and gave the setup a crisp, professional look.

Buffet Setup Planning & Layout

We started planning our setup a few days in advance by arranging the boxes on our kitchen island. This helped us:

  • Determine how much space we had.

  • Decide which foods would go where.

  • Ensure we had the right size boxes to accommodate everything.

  • Make the day-of setup quick and stress-free.

Since it was summer, we prioritized fresh, easy-to-eat foods that wouldn’t require extra prep once served.

The Food Selection

Our goal was to keep things fresh, delicious, and visually appealing while also ensuring minimal food waste. Here’s what we served:

Fresh Fruits

  • Watermelon (pre-cut and rind removed for easy grabbing)

  • Green grapes

  • Oranges (peeled and segmented)

  • Strawberries and mixed berries on mini cheesecakes

Savory Bites

  • Mini sandwiches made with Hawaiian Rolls filled with pre-made chicken salad from Costco. 

  • Charcuterie cones (a huge hit and less waste than a traditional charcuterie board) https://amzn.to/40RhAe1 We had mixed nuts, pretzel sticks, crackers, cheese cubes, fruit skewered on a long toothpick, BabyBel Rounds, Salami mini roses.

  • Custom-made boxes to hold the cones (similar to store-bought options but DIY’d) https://amzn.to/40RhAe1

  • Shrimp with cocktail sauce in mini cups
  • Various cheese and crackers
  • Salami roses

Desserts

  • Mini parfait cups

  • Assorted cupcakes

  • A simple, elegant white cake that we added food safe flowers to

  • Macarons

Why We Chose White Display Boxes

The food itself was so colorful that we didn’t want anything to compete with it. The clean white background made everything pop and gave the buffet a polished, high-end feel without a high-end price tag.

Final Touches

We added fresh flowers for a touch of elegance and ensured all items were easy to grab, keeping the buffet flowing smoothly for guests.

Our favors were candles in boxes with mini tassels and the graduation year that we attached with a wax seal that said thank you.  The scents were picked by the graduate and we added labels that had 3 different graduation sayings. https://amzn.to/40RhAe1

We had a taco man for the main food and a mini pancake cart vendor for the end of the night.

If you’d rather buy the materials instead of DIYing them, here are some great options: https://amzn.to/40RhAe1

Let me know if you try this setup for your next event! What are your must-haves for a party buffet?

 

Back to blog