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 seasonal 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, adding her pieces into the display was a no brainer. Then, I 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
- Chocolate chips
- Mini marshmallows
- Peppermint candies
- Caramel bits
- Candy canes
- Sprinkles
If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop, they have hot cocoa kits like this on Amazon. Also very cute are these Team Naughty and Team Nice cups you can get for a party and your guests can decide which list they’re on this year!
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.
Hot Chocolate Bar Sign Photo 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)
Milk & Mug Photo Sources
- Santa’s Milk Carton (commonly in and out of stock, but this Amazon ceramic milk carton would be a cute DIY)
- Rae Dunn Ho Ho Ho mug (Homegoods, also for sale on my Mercari while supplies last)
- Beads (Hobby Lobby, similar option)
- Cube (Hobby Lobby)
Tiered Tray Photo Sources
- Rae Dunn Peppermint Mocha mug (Homegoods)
- Rae Dunn Cocoa mug (Homegoods)
- Tiny red espresso mug
- Tiered tray (Hobby Lobby, similar option)
- Jingle bells around mini mug (Hobby Lobby, years ago)
- Pro Tip: it’s actually a napkin ring but look way cuter on my bar!
Main Ingredients Photo Sources
- Merry Christmas Sign (Michael’s from last year)
- Glass jars (Hobby Lobby)
- Red metal cutout cup (Target Dollar Spot years ago, and couldn’t find a similar one)
- Flocked trees (Hobby Lobby years ago, similar Amazon option)
- Table runner
- Mini copper bottle brush tree (several years old, unsure)
- Wicker baskets on bottom of buffet (Target years ago, similar here)
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 wood tray 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!
What’re your final thoughts? I’d love to hear feedback and suggestions in the comments below. My hot cocoa bar is truly a labor of love that I’ll be recreating and adding to each year and I’d love your input.
Hot Cocoa Bar Checklist
Pin this checklist to your Pinterest board to have on hand when putting together your own hot cocoa bar!
