With last year being our first holiday season in the new house we didn’t have as much time to get too detailed with our Christmas decor, but this year I went all out! This post is dedicated to shamelessly showing off my hot cocoa bar and sharing the product sources so you can create the one of your dreams, too!
Where to Host a Hot Chocolate Station
My kitchen table buffet is my designated Rae Dunn decor space, so this was always where I imagined setting up an extravagant hot cocoa bar. Depending on how detailed you’re planning to make your bar, you’ll need a decent amount of surface area. A long side board/buffet table like mine is a great option. Note: this is my exact piece, I just swapped out the handles with these black ones.
Hot Chocolate Bar Aesthetic
Your hot cocoa bar should mesh with your overall Christmas and home vibe. The station is most authentic when it looks like it belongs there permanently. Given my affinity for Rae Dunn decor, adding her pieces was a no brainer. I then added some bottle brush trees (they’re all over my house, too) and a few cute pieces I picked up from my routine Hobby Lobby trips. My home has a lot of wood and natural textures so I wanted to keep my hot cocoa bar looking the same.
Finding Rae Dunn items can be a bit of a chore, but I do have some brand new, in-packaging holiday pieces for sale in my Mercari storefront. Be sure to shop them here if you’re looking for pieces to polish off your own hot cocoa bar!
Hot Cocoa Bar Ingredients
Customize your hot cocoa station with the ingredients you love to make your beautiful bar functional. The list below includes shoppable ingredients via Target Pickup, but does not include items that require refrigeration (i.e. whipped cream, milk, etc.). Don’t forget those when ordering!
- Hot cocoa mix (milk chocolate, dark or both)
- Chocolate chips
- Mini marshmallows
- Peppermint candies
- Caramel bits
- Candy canes
- Sprinkles
If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop, I spotted this hot cocoa bar kit at Target. It’s got all the essentials and is especially perfect for a smaller station space.
Hot Cocoa Bar Details
The pieces from my hot chocolate bar came from all over. It was a custom design dreamt up by yours truly, so sadly I don’t have one tidy link, and some pieces I can’t link at all. However, I absolutely love how it turned out and want anyone to be able to recreate any parts of it they’d like, so below are the links and sources I can share.
Sources
- Hot Chocolate Bar sign (Hobby Lobby)
- Rae Dunn Ho Ho Ho Chili Bowls (Homegoods)
- Bottle brush trees (all from Target Dollar Spot, so exact items aren’t linkable)
Sources
- Santa’s Milk Carton (linked)
- Rae Dunn Ho Ho Ho mug (Homegoods, also for sale on my Mercari while supplies last)
- Beads (Hobby Lobby, similar option)
- Cube (Hobby Lobby)
Sources
- Rae Dunn Peppermint Mocha mug (Homegoods)
- Rae Dunn Cocoa mug (Homegoods)
- Tiny red espresso mug (Hobby Lobby, similar option)
- Tiered tray (Hobby Lobby, similar option)
- Jingle bells around mini mug (Hobby Lobby, years ago)
- Pro Tip: they’re actually a napkin ring, which you can find all over, grab some for a simple decor hack!
Sources
- Merry Christmas Sign (Michael’s from last year, similar option #1, similar option #2)
- Glass jars (Hobby Lobby)
- Red metal cutout cup (Target Dollar Spot years ago, and couldn’t find a similar one)
- Flocked trees (Hobby Lobby, similar Target option you can cover in your own burlap)
- Table runner (Sticky Toffee, save 20% with code ASHLEY)
- Mini copper bottle brush tree (several years old, probably Target)
- Small milk crate baskets, on bottom of buffet piece (Target)
Additional Hot Cocoa Bar Tips
Elevate your hot cocoa station space with these additional tips, ideas and products.
Decorative Mini Christmas Trees
If you’re looking for jazzier trees or can’t find something that fits your vibe, try making DIY foam cone glitter Christmas trees like I did for my kitchen island. A group of these would look amazing on a hot cocoa bar!
Layering Your Look
Add an additional layer of interest underneath your ingredient jars by setting them on a tray that sits on the table runner. Layers add so much interest to a space, don’t be shy to incorporate several! This tray from Target is a perfect example of an ideal tray for a longer piece. It’s a great price and would fit several jars.
Light Up the Space
Since shooting these photos, I’ve added a strand of mini LED lights to the space. I wove these exact lights throughout the main surface and up the trees to look like Christmas lights for an added festive look at night. They’re on a timer so they automatically come on at 4pm and turn off at 10pm for bedtime!
Well, what did you think?? I’d love to hear feedback and suggestions in the comments below. This was truly a labor of love and I hope to recreate and add to it each year.
Hot Cocoa Bar Checklist
Pin this checklist to your Pinterest board to have on hand when putting together your own hot cocoa bar!
More Christmas Decor and Recipes
- DIY Kitchen Cabinet Wreaths
- Foam Cone Christmas Tree DIY Decor
- Homemade Cheesy Potatoes Holiday Favorite Recipe
- The BEST Starbucks Holiday Drink Order
This post contains referral/affiliate links. A small commission may be earned if products are purchased through my links. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.
This post contains referral/affiliate links. A small commission may be earned if products are purchased through my links. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.