How To Set Up A Holiday Bar On A Moment's Notice

How To Set Up A Holiday Bar On A Moment's Notice 

I'm baaaccckkk! Did you miss me? Are you sensing a (holiday) theme yet??

Boy, do I have something fun for you today! My friend Cristin (The Southern Style Guide) and I got together to show you guys how to put together a holiday bar on a moment's notice! Forget the bar carts, modern cabinets and console tables - all you need is a flat surface and a few essentials and you can have a stylish holiday bar area for guests!

We set up this bar on my dining table with the boxwood wall as a backdrop. Obviously you won't always have a boxwood wall as your backdrop but any wall and surface will do. All you have to do is think outside of the box just a bit.

Here are my top 5 tips for creating a stylish holiday bar in a pinch:

1. Pick a surface, any surface - Your table, a corner of your kitchen counters or even an entry table.

2. Add some texture - Grab one of those faux fur rugs from IKEA or a vintage tablecloth or just a throw blanket like we did here.

3. Keep it simple - Use what you've got. All you need are some cocktail glasses and champagne flutes. Serve simple drinks but add fun garnishes like rosemary and pomegranate seeds to make it feel a little fancy. We served champagne with sprigs of rosemary and rum and Diet Coke with pomegranate seeds in the ice cubes.

4. Use a tray - This is a no-brainer but a tray will define your space, collect all of your items and make your bar look put together no matter where you set it up.

5. Think outside of the box - I know you're going to argue my point on this one and and claim you're not that creative but I think you're wrong. And if you don't have any creative juices flowing that's what Pinterest is for. Search party backdrops, creative holiday party ideas or simple bar carts and you're bound to find some fun ideas. And thanks to my friend Cristin's brilliant idea, we decided to hang these ornaments on the boxwood wall. Boom!

It's also good to pick a theme for your bar if you can to help with the decor. The classic aluminum Diet Coke bottles were our inspiration and we carried the red and the silver with some gold throughout.

We tossed in some confetti and red and white straws and stirrers for a bit of whimsy. I moved the vase of faux peonies from the living room to the bar area. We used a white cake plate to add height and the sliced pomegranate for a pop of rich color.

Our home is small with no room for a bar cart so setting up the bar on the dining table was perfect! We have plenty of kitchen counter space leftover for serving food.

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{Photos by us, edited by Katheryn Blythe}

I hope our little mini bar scenario inspires you to have friends over this holiday season despite the stress and chaos! This holiday bar is super easy to recreate and is classic and stylish just like a rum and Diet Coke!

It was so fun to have Cristin over at the house for some fun bar styling. That is truly why I love blogging so much because I wouldn't have met her otherwise. Make sure to head over to Cristin's blog and say hi! She is one fab lady and I promise you will be swooning over her style for days.

Cheers!

{Thanks to Diet Coke for sponsoring this post and thank YOU for supporting the brands that make Simple Stylings possible. All thoughts, designs and opinions are my own. Happy Holidays!}