This post is sponsored by Kreg Tool as part of their holiday campaign. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. See disclosure policy for more details.
Today I’m excited to share my latest project (and very likely my kids’ favorite to date)–the DIY Hot Cocoa Bar. This is a simple and quick build that will perfectly display ALL THE THINGS to make your mug of hot chocolate just the way you like it. Bring it out for holiday gatherings, at a winter wedding, or simply a night with friends/family + lots of hot cocoa.
DIY Hot Cocoa Bar Materials
- 1″ thick lumber. I actually used a leftover 48″ white oak stair tread (that I ordered as an extra when we re-did our stairs . . . and then forgot to return…!).
- Wood Glue
- Stain & Polyurethane
DIY Hot Cocoa Bar Tools
- Miter Saw
- Table Saw
- Kreg Mobile Project Center
- Clamps
- Carpenter’s Square
- Digital Calipers or measuring tape
DIY Hot Cocoa Bar How-To
To build your own modern, three-tier hot cocoa bar, visit the full tutorial on BuildSomething.com.
Toppings and Items for a DIY Hot Cocoa Bar
There’s really no right or wrong way to do this, but if you need some ideas, read on to see what I included in my DIY Hot Cocoa Bar.
Hot Chocolate Bar Shortest Tier :
Five glass jars filled with various goodies: crushed peppermint, candy cane sticks, crushed toffee, mini chocolate chips, and pirouettes. Chocolate sprinkles or crushed Andes mints are also great options.
Hot Chocolate Bar Middle Tier :
Three syrup-style glass jars with corks: chocolate syrup, caramel drizzle and hazelnut syrup (HAZELNUT HOT COCOA IS MY FAVORITE!). Next to those are three large glass shaker jars: cinnamon, cocoa powder, and coarse sea salt.
My kids thought I was nuts for including a shaker of sea salt. But if you’re up for a gourmet hot cocoa, try this: Top hot chocolate with fresh whipped cream, add some caramel drizzle, then give it a light sprinkle of salt. Woah. Amazing.
Hot Chocolate Bar Top Tier :
Two large glass jars, one with hot chocolate mix, the other with small marshmallows. A cylindrical vase with brown and white striped paper straws. With the remaining space I lined up two rows of hot chocolate mugs. Other options could be a big bowl of fresh whipped cream, a glass jar with coffee spoons (I love these modern gold coffee spoons), or a small cake platter with shortbread cookies, cake pops, or another treat.
DIY Hot Cocoa Bar Resources
Jars, Scoops & Straws
- Mini Wooden Spoons
- Brown Striped Paper Straws
- Large Glass Jars for hot cocoa and marshmallows
- (These jars would work well too)
- (This glass cruet would work great for syrups or caramel drizzle)
Labels
Most of the jars in my hot cocoa bar have labels. I printed them on cream-colored cardstock, then used a 2″ oval hole punch to quickly and cleanly cut them out. After that I made two small holes next to each other near the top. Through these two holes I strung some red and white baker’s twine, which is wrapped around the jar several times and tied in the back.
If you’re interested in creating a hot chocolate bar and saving some time by using the tags I designed, you can find them here:
Hot COCOA BAR Printable Tags
The pdf file includes the 18 tags I used in my hot cocoa bar, + another 18 blank tags to add your own hand-lettering for custom items.
What’s your favorite way to enjoy hot chocolate? Am I missing any toppings you love? Share them in the comments!
Hi! I love your hot cocoa bar! I’ve been looking and looking for ideas for one. Yours is the perfect solution for me. My husband just made me the three wooden shelves.
I just have a question as to which brand of chocolate syrup and carmel drizzle did you use?
Thank you Barb! I’m glad you found my post and that your husband was able to make the shelves! Honestly, I’m not sure what brand I used for the syrups. I didn’t search out anything fancy, just grabbed whatever was available at my grocery store, which most likely means it was either Hersheys or Great Value brand. 🙂
Where do you get your hazelnut syrup?
It’s a bottle of Starbucks hazelnut syrup that I purchased from Walmart Grocery pickup!
Where did you get the jars for the chocolate chips, toffee nuts, candy cane sticks, etc.? They are the perfect size and super cute. Thanks!
Hi Alicia! Those little ones came from the Dollar Store!
Love this! Where did you get the jars for the liquids?
Thank you! It’s been awhile, so I honestly don’t remember! But I know Amazon has some. Here’s an affiliate link to the ones that look like mine: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MITDIU?ie=UTF8&tag=housebecoming-20&camp=1789&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=B000MITDIU