By a Pro: Milk Bottles for Parties & Dessert Tables

the idea

Make small treats, like cookies, donuts, or macarons, more substantial by pairing with individual servings of milk, shakes, or smoothies using these milk bottles for parties

milk served in individual milk bottles with a powdered donut and straw — *Milk & Donuts*

chocolate milk served in individual milk bottles wrapped in a red winter scarf on a party dessert table — *Snowman Milk Bottles*

the how

Fill with flavored milk, shakes, smoothies, juice, yoghurt drinks, iced coffee, hot chocolate, hot cider, cream liqueur, or mulled wine
Garnish with a treat that compliments your chosen drink, such as donuts, cookies, gourmet / boozy marshmallows, fruit, dipped fruit, macarons, brownies, mini pies, mini cinnamon rolls, cotton candy, or lollipops / boozy lollipops
Thread the treat through the straw, hang from the rim, or just place on top of the bottle

milk served in individual milk bottles with a donut and straw — *Hot Cider & Cinnamon Donuts*

milk bottles for parties arranged in rows with a cookie and straw on a party dessert table — *Milk & Cookies*

the why

This Idea

Embellish; makes simple, basic, filler, or store-bought desserts feel more special
Portion Size; controls portion size to help you budget, estimate quantities, reduce over-consumption and avoid running out
Uniformity; ensures any homemade treats made by friends and family still fit with your event concept, theme, or color scheme
Congestion; allows guests to ‘grab and go’ to reduce lines and congestion around the dessert table
Visual wow-factor; lends a stylish, modern, and professionally-catered look
Elevates; makes smaller bite-size treats appear more special or substantial
Layout; helps achieve the three simple rules for layout; groups, rows, and levels (see my dessert table layout page)
Adds Height; varying degrees of height are essential to a well-designed dessert table (see my dessert table layout page)
Creative; adds a creative twist to familiar or everyday treats, such as cookies and donuts
Reusable; can be washed and re-used for future events

milk served in individual milk bottles dressed to look like snowmen — *Snowmen Milk*

chocolate milk served in individual milk bottles with a straw — *Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie*

the why

dessert table styling & presentation

Spectacle; turns a food table into a display and creates a visual spectacle that contributes to the overall room decor
Aesthetically appealing; entices by creating a feast for the eyes
Special occasions should feel special; presentation makes party food look and feel less everyday
Elegant; lends your event an elegant and sophisticated touch
Professional; gives your dessert table a professionally-styled look
Memorable; guests remember creative, unusual, or unexpected styling and decoration
Photo-worthy; a great photo-op for guests share and tag on social media

milk served in individual milk bottles with a cookie and straw on a party dessert table — *Milk & Cookies*

milk served in individual milk bottles with a cookie and straw on a wedding party dessert table

ADVICE FROM A PRO

Matt’s tip

“Don’t just limit yourself to obvious choices, such as milk & cookies or milk & donuts, which might not be the best fit for an adult audience.

These milk bottles for parties are just as suited to serving healthy options, such as fruit smoothies and yogurt drinks, or more adult drinks, such as hot cider or cream liqueur, depending on your event and the time of year.

Check out my Pinterest board ‘Party Desserts: Bottle Ideas’ for more ideas and inspiration.

They look best when presented in groups of the same dessert, arranged in rows, and displayed on square or rectangular serving plates (see below for premium disposable plates).

Alternatively, you can also present them on cake stands and risers, which is a great way to add additional height to your dessert table display.

For more about the three simple rules for layout; groups, rows, and levels, see my dessert table layout page.

Any easy way to personalize these milk bottles for parties is to add a custom sticker (links below) with your event name or a photo of the guest of honor or use personalized straws (links below).“