Hot Chocolate Bar
Bring some holiday cheer to your home by creating a festive and functional hot chocolate stand in your kitchen using a tiered tray and vintage Christmas decorations.
I’ve teamed up with some blogger friends for a hot chocolate collaboration! There are links to more creative ways to set up hot chocolate stations at the end of this post.
Inspiration for the Hot Chocolate Stand
I saw a Mikasa tiered tray Lazy Susan at Costco a few weeks ago, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. It occurred to me that I could use it as a hot cocoa stand for this post. I was so happy to have a “reason” to buy it!
We have this small counter in our kitchen that is quite under utilized. There is just the phone, pencil sharpener, a box of tissues and some miscellaneous items in a tray. I knew it would be the perfect spot to set up a hot chocolate station for Christmas.
How to Style a Hot Chocolate Stand
First, gather the items that you’d like to use in your stand. Go through your Christmas decorations and choose some cute items for filler. I recently found this set of four vintage Santa mugs at an outdoor market. I like to mix old and new items for interest and decorative impact.
This vintage elf sits in the bottom of the hot chocolate stand. Mixing the decor with the hot cocoa essentials creates a lovely vignette in the kitchen!
Peppermint candies and mini marshmallows are displayed in mason jars.
A vintage Christmas recipe tin holds packages of hot cocoa mix. There are also bottle brush trees, red bulb ornaments and vintage cookie cutters.
Spoons are corralled inside a vintage Santa boot.
Don’t forget to put out a plate of cookies next to the hot chocolate stand when it’s hot cocoa time! You may want to try these recipes for Holiday Coconut Apricot Bars and Old Fashioned Gingersnap Cookies. They would taste great with hot cocoa!
The outlets were camouflaged with a holiday chalkboard sign. You may recognize it from last year’s DIY Drop Cloth Advent Calendar post.
The electric teapot heats up the water for hot chocolate. As this counter is right next to the refrigerator, it’s within easy access to whipped cream.
Voila! You’re ready to host a small hot chocolate party!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re hosting a hot chocolate party, you can make a batch of hot cocoa and put it into a crock pot or a stainless steel hot chocolate carafe. This will keep it warm and guests can help themselves.
Besides Christmas cookies, try some other treats to serve at your hot cocoa station. A bowl of pretzels makes a nice salty sweet combination. Cheddar cheese and crackers makes a hearty snack and also pairs well with chocolate. Tangy fruits, like grapes, oranges, Granny Smith apples, pears, strawberries, raspberries or cherries are refreshing and will cleanse the palette. If you’re not afraid of chocolate overload, offer some chocolate candies, too.
If you’d like your hot chocolate stand to be mobile, set it up as a hot chocolate cart! Use a bar cart on wheels that can be moved from room to room.
More Hot Chocolate Inspiration
Using a tiered stand is so handy in small spaces, like my apartment. So cute.
Love all the vintage pieces you used in your display and that tiered tray is perfect.
This is so festive and beautiful, I really love those mugs bring back so many memories! I can’t wait to make a stand this year for the kids!
your stand is so adorable! I love the little elf! He is the perfect touch! And the boot with the spoons is a great Idea too! thanks for sharing!
I love this spot. Your vintage Santa mugs are a favorite. I found an all white one this year .
Pinned!
I adore your hot chocolate stand with all your vintage items. Christmas memories are the best.
Merry Christmas,
Kippi
I love how you managed to get everything on a tier tray. That’s amazing. Pinned!
I love that the tired tray fits perfectly in the smallest space. That little elf is so cute sitting in the middle of your hot chocolate bar, Rebecca – love him!