Creating a Christmas hot chocolate cocoa bar is a family favorite in our household. That warm and fuzzy feeling of drinking a hot cup of hot chocolate with friends and family during the holiday season is certainly one of those moments that will last a lifetime. How to create a Christmas hot chocolate cocoa bar is fun, festive, and simple.
Let me show you how to create your very own!
Let’s get started!
Pick the Theme
Picking a theme is always fun and it makes it easier to put your Christmas Cocoa Bar together. Figure out what type of theme that do you want, for example, Peppermint, Gingerbread, Simplistic, Nativity, Christmas tree, Whimsical, Buffalo plaid, Traditional (all red & green), Rustic, Snowflakes, Snowman, Santa, Elves or etc.
This list is endless of all of the Christmas themes to choose from. This particular year I chose a mixture of gingerbread, buffalo plaid, and brown Santa theme.
Use the previous years decor
Going through the previous year’s decorations is always exciting for me. I enjoy seeing items that I forgot that I picked up and I know it will work great with my cocoa bar for the current year. Search through the items that you have already. They could be Christmas-related or non-Christmas-related decor to help create the look that you are going for with your DIY Christmas Hot Chocolate Coca Bar.
Shopping On A Budget
I love shopping at stores that have affordable goodies. Mainly because they have the best deals and the cutest items. Some of my favorite stores that I enjoy shopping at are Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Walmart, Michaels, and Hobby Lobby.
When you see something that you like budget for it or wait for the end-of-season sale. I had my eyes on this Hot Cocoa Bar sign from Michaels the previous year; caught it on sale and purchased it this year because I knew it would be the perfect Hot cocoa bar cart station accessory.
It is best to shop early at these stores because the best selection goes quickly. So make sure to grab it! Try not to go overboard but get items that are timeless pieces of decor. Decor items that you can use regardless of the theme. For example, if you love that Christmas cake platter that is red, green, and white but it takes up a lot of space in the cabinet during the off-season. It is best to purchase a clear or white cake platter to have out all year long.
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Shopping for foodie hot cocoa bar goodies
My first tip is to buy what you will like, use and eat! It is so easy to get carried away with all of the neat hot chocolate bar foodie goodies. For example, my children love marshmallows and I do not, so I make sure to get just enough for them and asked them if they have certain flavors they prefer.
Last year Aldi and Dollar Tree were my favorite go-to stores for Hot chocolate bar goodies. Aldi comes out with different and new products each week. Try out a few a time and see how you and the family like them.
At Dollar Tree, they have peppermint and chocolate spoons. How cute for only $1.00!! Grab them when you see them because they go fast!!
FYI don’t open the chocolate spoons until you are ready to use them. I opened ours and placed it in a canister and when I went back to use them they were moldy. I believe from the dark and warm place of the canister (my heating/cooling vent is not too far from the cocoa bar as well).
How To Style Your Hot Cocoa Bar
Regardless if it is a coffee and/or a hot cocoa bar you can use the same ideas and tips that I share in this post here (How to create a coffee bar in your home) for inspiration on how to style it as well.
The first thing I like to do which is optional is creating a foundation such as a runner or a tray. Depending on the age of your children, the material of the runner, or how often the space is used a runner or tray may not be a great option. If you choose to use one make sure it is easy to wash and/or clean up spills.
Create different heights with your bar. Bring in tiered trays, cake stands for baked goodies, cupcake stands for individual decor items to give them height.
Bring in different textures with florals and picks; place them throughout your bar. This creates interest and draws the eyes in to look closer. Dollar Tree has some really nice picks but you have to grab them early (As soon as they put them out, they go quickly!)
Make sure that it is functional for everyone, especially the kiddos! You don’t want things decorated so that they will fall if someone touches it or chocolate gets all over the gingerbread houses for example.
If the kiddos enjoy marshmallows, make sure to put those items low so that they can easily reach them. A little tour of where everything is would also be helpful!
Enjoy!!
Sometimes we create pretty spaces in our homes and don’t take the time out to really enjoy them afterward. Create your hot chocolate cocoa bar early in the Christmas season so that you will have time to enjoy it.
Also, try to schedule a hot chocolate movie night or time with the family to enjoy conversation, talk about the foodie goodies that you like (like a mini food critique), Christmas crafting, games, or activity books.
With all of these tips, I know that your Christmas Hot Cocoa Bar will be a family and holiday favorite; creating lifetime memories for each growing generation.
Picking your theme, going through previous Christmas decor, shop budget-friendly stores for foodie goodies and decor, learning how to style, and enjoying your Christmas Hot Chocolate Cocoa Bar are all of the elements to making, decorating, and putting together a great bar.
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