Dessert Table DIY: How to Create a Macaron Tower

By Macaron de Paris, Merci New York, and Oh Darling Photography for Project Wedding

Creating the macaron tower from this terrarium-inspire dessert table is easy with step-by-step instructions.

First, it’s important to find a good cone.  A heavy Styrofoam cone is the best to use since it will remain stable against the weight of the macarons. We recommend that the diameter of the cone should be at least 1/2 of the height (not too narrow at the base).

If you want to build a cone just for decorative purposes, the material and the size are not so important because you will only use the macaron shells.

Secondly, you will need to calculate how many macarons you need.  Our macaron is about 2 inches in diameter, but sizes vary a lot from one bakery to another. Always order some extra macarons in each color in case some are damaged during handling or transportation.

Optional: If your macaron tower will be consumed, it is smart to line the Styrofoam cone with a decorative paper.  This way, the macarons do not interact with the Styrofoam, and when they are removed, the guests see a pretty patterned paper in its place.

Before you start to place the macarons, you need to decide where the front of the cone will be.  This step is important because each row will not finish perfectly, so you will want every row to finish in the same place, at the back of the cone.

Gather a handful of toothpicks to hold the macarons to the cone. Start with the bottom row of the cone, and begin in the front.  Insert the toothpick with an angle of 45 degrees into the cone, and place the macarons one by one.

When you start the second row, space the macaron between those in the first row.

When you have made your way to the top of the cone, make sure you have kept a macaron to add to the tip of the cone.

You will want to think about a nice base for the macaron tower.  There are many possibilities depending on the them of the event.  Here, Merci New York was developing a natural-themed wedding, so the tower was presented on a faux wood base

See the full presentation by Macaron de Paris, Oh Darling Photography and Merci New York here.