I’m a big fan of entertaining. It’s always so nice to have friends and family over to hang out, have a few cocktails, and eat some munchies.
We like to accommodate all of our guests with a wide variety of beverages. That’s why we’re always well stocked with a plethora of wine, hard alcohol, and fun fruity cocktails.
Our little bar cart definitely comes in handy for these occasions.
We found this little gem at a flea market a few years back for only $20 (more on that here) I think it was actually an old microwave cart but we decided to use it as a bar cart. I cleaned it up and it’s been housing our drinking accessories ever since.
Sometimes I see some really cool bar carts…but they’re overcrowded and filled to the brim with sticky syrups, glasses, and bottles and bottles of wine. Yes the cart is a great spot for storage, but oftentimes less is more. Don’t turn it into a dumping ground for all things drink-related. Instead, use it to your advantage and show off your entertaining gear in style.
Here are some tips to style your own bar cart.
Decanters are a staple in our house. We’ve slowly accumulated some ornate glass ones on the cheap. All of ours are $5 or less and they’re actually fairly easy to find (from goodwill, to flea markets). We’ve found some great ones to hold our favorite liquors (vodka, rum, tequila, whiskey) and continue to grow our collection as our tastes mature.
Decanters can add a little bit of glam to your bar cart, and they certainly make you feel more “grown-up.” No more random bottles everywhere. Unify your cart with some shiny decanters.
Fresh flowers and fruit are a must when having guests over for a few drinks. They add some color and life, and the lemons and limes can certainly be used for some fun cocktails.
Also, keep cloth napkins on hand for any spills or emergency clean ups.
We used to have all of our glasses on the bar cart, but we quickly found out that things get dusty real fast. So now we constantly trade out the glasses, depending on what we’ll be drinking while entertaining. Clean glasses certainly add some shine and function to a boring bar cart.
We’re lucky that our cart has 3 different levels, but you can certainly make any size cart work for you!
Just get creative and keep things grouped together and organized.
A wine rack fits on our bottom level. It’s always good to have a few bottles of wine for backup.
Then on the other side we have straws, extra lemons, and our favorite…books! (We decorate with books fairly often here on DIY Playbook. Why should bar cart styling be any different?)
These cocktail books certainly come in handy when you have zero bartending skills (like me!)
So cheers to creating your own bar cart that has both function & style! I know you can do it, and you will definitely impress the heck out of your guests at your next get together.
I’m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.
