Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the cocoa is so delightful. Nothing says “cozy” like a cup of heaven in your hands, and today I’m sharing my best hot cocoa bar ideas for the holidays.
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Pinterest Challenge
It’s here again! It’s another Pinterest Challenge featuring several talented bloggers trying their hands at one inspiring photo.
Cindy from County Road 407 hosts this lovely hop, and I gotta tell you, it’s one of my favorites!
If you haven’t met Cindy, be sure to pay her a visit. I never leave her site without a big grin on my face!
If you’re coming over from Decorate & More with Tip, thanks for stopping by! Terrie is always so creative and craftsy!
The Inspiration: Hot Cocoa Bar
This inspiration for this month’s hop comes from Pen + Paper Flowers and her styling of a hot chocolate bar.
I love the rustic black and white color scheme in Jessica’s hot chocolate station, and I immediately knew I wanted to play with the chalkboard-like elements.
However, I added a bit more (okay a lot more) pops of red and green to set off the black…
I also couldn’t resist adding more calories to complement my “cup of cheer.” I like to have a bite of cheer too!
You can see a video of how I put the whole bar together below.
Hot Cocoa Bar Ideas: Main Ingredients
For the hot cocoa bar supplies, I focused on the essentials:
- Abuelita’s Mexican hot chocolate mix
- Mini marshmallows
- Candy canes
- Whipped cream
- Chocolate syrup or sprinkles
Okay, so I understand Abuelita’s hot chocolate is not a holiday staple in many households, but if you’ve never tried it, you really must! It has the flavor of cinnamon baked into the powder, and you mix it with milk instead of water. We’re talking rich!
Cookies and Candies For the Sweet Tooth
While I know this is all about hot chocolate bar ideas, I like to have some snacks to support my main star.
Three sugary snacks made the cut:
- Yogurt covered pretzels (for a dash of salt)
- Chocolate covered almonds (for a nutty crunch)
- Chocolate chip cookies with cherries (just because)
- Homemade white chocolate nutcrackers (because they’re cute)
You would not BELIEVE how many times my twin boys asked me if they could eat one of the candy canes on display. Oh, the torture they endure while mommy photographs!
DIY Hot Chocolate Bar Sign
The first two elements you’ll notice are my DIY pennant banner and the mini chalkboard sign perched on the upper right corner of my sideboard.
After making a fall pennant banner with my Cameo machine, I decided to do the same for this hot chocolate bar.
I found the chalkboard font for my banner in my round-up of 21 free Christmas fonts, and I loved it so much, I used my Cameo to sketch individual ingredient labels, too.
You’ll notice my freehand skills are somewhat lacking in the handwritten chalkboard sign, but I’m all about adding a touch of “authenticity” to my beverage stations!
Hot Chocolate Bar Decor & Servingware
For the remaining decor, I used a combination of place card holders, a mini Christmas tree and decorative letters and ribbon. A little baker’s twine and pretty farmhouse ribbon go a long way.
Would you guess that the table linen is actually a wrap from the Target dollar spot? It didn’t exactly meet the $1 criterion, but I’ll let this one slide, Target.
To echo the wooden box in Jessica’s original post, I used a wooden tiered tray that I use every season for decorating and entertaining.
The white cake stand is actually two stacked together. You may recognize the smaller one from my ultimate charcuterie board post. It’s perfect for mixing and matching!
My sweet mom loaned me the pretty Christmas plates, and they bring back “all the feels” from Christmases long ago.
The mugs were also a Target find last year. I couldn’t resist the fact that they came in a large and small size…perfect for our family of four.
A Final Look
Here’s a look at the finished hot cocoa station waiting to entertain our guests this holiday season. Not even the little soldier nutcrackers will be able to defend the attack.
Shop the Look
Pin it for later!
You Might Also Like:
Be sure to check out more delicious hot chocolate stations from my other friends below, starting with our host, Cindy from County Road 407.
Happy Holidays, and enjoy your cup of hot chocolate!
Your hot chocolate bar is adorable and festive. I love the use of color and the tablecloth!
Thanks so much, Christy! I have been enjoying little cups of hot chocolate here and there all month long. The diet starts in January! LOL!
This is the cocoa bar of my dreams. So many lovely details! May you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
Oh, thank you Laura! That’s really sweet. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving, too. I tried to unplug as much as I could and had a great time with family. Happy Holidays!
Crissy, your poor boys. Having all those sweets and snacks right in front of them must have been hard to resist. Love your cute signs and the pendant. The tier trays are a great way to display all the goodies. The dishes are darling. Happy Holidays!!
Yes, they really were like kids in a candy shop, Carol! Thanks for the kind comments. This was a fun one to put together, wasn’t it? I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your kids as well!
You sure know how to put out a spread, Crissy! Love all the elements and treats you brought together here! And yes, I like a little “authenticity” tucked into all the perfect, too. Yay, now your boys get treats; they’ll like mom’s blogging now:)
Oh my goodness! You ROCKED your hot chocolate bar! The thought you put into it, your Abuelita’s hot cocoa recipe, and all the treats! So fun and festive. The colors you chose are perfect, too! Pinned, and looking forward to sharing!
Your Hot Cocoa Bar looks amazing! Straight out of a magazine! Seriously, you should style covers for magazines! Everywhere I looked at your bar was something scrumptious or adorable. From the little houses that hold signs to the nutcrackers – so stinkin’ cute! Thanks so much for joining us. I always look forward to your posts. Happy Thanksgiving!
Oh my goodness! You created such a lovely and festive hot cocoa bar. I love all of your details and hope that you and your family enjoy this for all of the Christmas season.
such a beautiful cocoa bar you created. Enjoy your warm cup of cocoa this holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving.
hI CRISSY!
Love those plates too! Your hot cocoa bar looks great! Visiting from Everyday Edits in Colorado!
laura
Oh my word, you went all out and this is amazing. I love it all. This has to be one of my favorites. I don’t think you missed anything, such a great Hot Chocolate Bar.