This time of year I start craving that quintessential winter drink -- hot cocoa. But not just any hot cocoa -- hot cocoa on steroids. I'm talking hot cocoa with marshmallows and peppermint and chocolate chips and caramel and whipped cream. Now that's hot cocoa. And what better way to appreciate the winter staple that is hot cocoa than by creating a place dedicated to just that? And it's nice to know you can do it with what you may already have on hand in addition to some inexpensive items from your favorite Dollar Tree and/or Target Dollar Spot. So welcome to my Christmas Hot Cocoa Bar Reveal.
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What we lovingly refer to as our "black cabinet" is actually a large farmhouse hutch with drawers and shelves galore. What better place to set up a hot cocoa bar?
My mug tree proudly holds some of my my favorite Christmas mugs including two enamelware Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas mugs.
And these two festive Christmas holiday script cocoa mugs are from Dollar Tree. The Santa mug is from there as well.
I'm so loving this farmhouse enamelware mug from Hobby Lobby.
I have happy memories of drinking hot chocolate after ice skating as a kid. We used to skate at a place called Green Pond that was the real deal. No indoor skating rink. Just a frozen pond waiting for some skaters to sign on and skate the day away. But you don't have to ice skate on a frozen pond to crave a hot cocoa this winter.
This is a Wal-Mart hot cocoa mug. Between the cute saying and the fact that it comes with its own spoon makes it that much more darling. The Fa-La-La-La-Latte mug (all the way on the far right in photos) is from Wal-Mart as well.
My final Wal-Mart mug is this rotund red-handled mug that has a station wagon and Christmas tree painted on it. It was too cute to pass up. Each Wal-Mart mug was less than $4.00. And obviously, the Dollar Store mugs were, well, one dollar.
Prepackaged hot cocoa gifts are great for hostesses and teachers. This one came with the infamous Ghirardelli peppermint bark chocolate!
Using free printables is a great way to add seasonal flair to your decor. After much searching I found this awesome Hot Cocoa Bar printable at Bless'er House. If you sign up to receive their newsletter you can get the password to their printables library. I also love to incorporate all my plaid thermoses wherever I can.
I fell in love with these red and white striped towels from Target. They really add to the festive look of the cocoa bar but can also be used in the kitchen as dish towels or in the powder room as hand towels.
And super fluffy Santa-shaped marshmallows from Target's Wondershop add just the right amount of warm gooey-ness.
And speaking of marshmallows, who could resist these gingerbread shaped (and flavored) marshmallows from Big Lots? A huge bag cost only $1.25.
I placed them in my Merry & Bright large two-handled bowl.
Next to marshmallows, chocolate chips are the quintessential hot cocoa embellishment. And whipped cream is sitting at the ready in the fridge nearby.
In addition to various powdered mixes I also threw in some hot cocoa Keurig cups (in purple box) to make it that much easier to create a custom hot drink. The Santa mug is holding candy cane- striped heavy cardboard straws. They're for one of my daughters who prefers to drink her hot drinks with straws (plus the straws are just plain cute).
DIY Cocoa Bar Supplies Recap:
1. Cocoa bars can be as simple or elaborate as you prefer.
2. The Dollar Store carries a ton of inexpensive seasonal items you can use to create a festive look.
3. You probably already have many items around your home and in your kitchen that would be perfect for your cocoa bar. And printables are a great inexpensive addition.
4. Some fun items for the cocoa bar include chocolate chips, caramels (or my favorite topping, Heath), marshmallows, marshmallows and more marshmallows, crushed peppermint, cinnamon, whipped cream and perhaps some sort of schnapps-type drink (in moderation, of course). Have fun with it, the sky's the limit.
As for some of the other seasonal decor, the two large tin "ornaments" are from the Target Dollar Spot. I found the red one first.
On another trip to a different Target I was able to snag the green one. I love their vintage-inspired look. Someone needs to keep me away from Target during the holidays -- I just can't get enough of their cute and affordable Christmas decor. How about you?
Well, that's it until next time, friends!
I hope you enjoyed reading about
How To Make A Hot Cocoa Bar
How To Make A Hot Cocoa Bar
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This is so cute, Kathleen...I'm loving all of the fun mugs! Wish I could visit and have a cup of cocoa with you!
Kathleen,
This is adorable. I love the Baby Its Cold Outside Mug with the spoon. I am going to Walmart today and hope I can find a few of those. I just did a Coffee and hot cocoa bar too. So much fun this time of year.
Have a great new week.
Hugs,
Kris
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