Bar Cart Styling: 7 Budget Friendly Ideas
Style your bar cart with all the essentials with these 7 budget friendly ideas
Did y’all see our new bar cart build?
I built it for Adam as a gift (& also to complete our outdoor entertaining space 😉).
It was a super simple build & now that it’s complete it’s time to style it with all the good bar cart necessities!
You can find my favorite bar carts & accessories at the bottom of this post!
Find Our Bar Cart Tutorial Here!
7 Bar Cart Styling Ideas
1. Start With Essentials
The easiest place to start when styling a bar cart is with the essentials.
Decide on what beverages you want to serve & any necessary mixers.
I like to serve the liquor out of glass decanters, even using different style decanters for different types of alcohol for a sophisticated eclectic vibe.
Adding sparkling water is a nice touch & serves as a mixer or as a non alcoholic option.
1. Geometric Decanter 2. 7 Piece Decanter Set 3. Triangular Decanter 4. Crystal Decanter 5. Diamond Decanter 6. Irish Cut Decanter
2. Adding Garnishes & Snacks
Theses items are only set out when we are actually using the bar cart for entertaining but they add a level of style as well!
Use a pretty dish or small cutting board to display garnishes.
Freshly sliced limes & lemons add a pop of color & are the perfect addition to any drink!
I like to also set out a small bowl with chocolates, nuts, or pretzels when we are using the cart for entertaining.
1. Glass Rim Bowls 2. Mandala Bowls 3. Gold Leaf Tray 4. Diamond Glass Bowls 5. Wood Bowls
3. Glassware
This is my very favorite part of styling a bar cart, adding glassware.
I am a bit of a glassware hoarder…
There is an entire cabinet in our kitchen dedicated to “fancy” glassware.
It’s a weird addiction but it comes in handy for bar cart styling 😉
Can I tell you a secret? Most of our “fancy” glassware came from the Dollar Store & TJ Maxx!
The Dollar Store is a great place to find plainer wine, beer, & champagne glasses.
While TJ Maxx is perfect for snagging unique pieces & colorful sets.
I like to mix high & low ball glasses for dimension.
This is the perfect time to also add colored, themed, or patterned glasses for a fun pop of color!
For our wedding we set up this amazing whiskey bar & stocked it with an assortment of whiskey glasses.
The entire vibe felt very sophisticated & swanky, which is a style element I like to include on our bar cart.
For staging, a good bar cart usually displays a few special whiskey glasses, wine glasses, & martini glasses.
1. Vintage Highball 2. Stemless Wine Glass 3. Blue Goblets 4. Spinning Old Fashion 5. Rocks Glasses
4. Shakers, Pitchers, Ice Buckets
Shakers & pitchers are great additions to any bar cart.
When we are using the bar cart outside I like to use acrylic pitchers for mixed drinks or lemon water.
If it’s inside, I have a few glass favorites I like to swap in & out.
I prefer polished chrome or gold shakers for styling, but you could also mix in a fun themed one!
Ice buckets or Champagne buckets are another bar cart styling must have.
If I am feeling really hostess-y I will use ice cube trays to make my own ice cubes with flowers or fruit frozen inside.
They give drinks a little extra oomph & take 5 minutes to prepare.
1. Gold Ice Bucket 2. Magnolia Ice Bucket 3. Pitcher 4. Metal Ice Bucket 5. Marble Chiller
5. All The Accessories
There are lots of fun accessories to add to a bar cart.
This is the perfect time to add items that follow along with your bar carts theme or ascetic.
Quirky bottle openers, cocktails stirrers, or shot glasses are great options.
If I know we will be serving fruity mixed drinks I like to set up a small vase with patterned or metal straws.
A small cocktail recipe book would also be a great addition & can be placed under a decanter to add height.
1. Gold Shaker 2. Cocktail Napkins 3. Cocktail Stirrer 4. Metal Straw 5. Bottle Opener 6. Shot Glasses
6. Something Fresh
Whether our bar cart is being styled just for decor or we are using it for entertaining something fresh is always a must!
A pretty vase with fresh (or faux 😉) flowers can really add life to the bar cart.
You could even do something really simple like placing lemons or limes in a clear vase to add some color to the cart.
For fall, a bowl of apples would be charming along with cinnamon sticks.
Use seasonal stems & florals to style your bar cart for the different seasons.
7. Decorative Items
Finally I like to top of my bar cart with something decorative.
This can be themed, seasonal, or just flow with the general design direction of your home.
For summer months I simply prop my favorite hat on the handle to add a little extra something.
A small canvas is another great choice to add a decorative element to the cart.
Y’all know I’m also a huge fan of stacked books to add height & dimension.
You can find a bunch of other items for your cart like candle holders, small sculptures, trays for cheap at thrift stores.
1. Mixology Book 2. Gold Vase 3. Fiddle Plant 4. Lemon Fillers 5. Gold Tray
Those are just some of my favorite items & ways to style a bar cart on a budget.
There are no set rules just have fun & play around with it until you are in love!
I can’t wait to style our new bar cart for the upcoming seasons, holidays, & parties!
Want to build your own bar cart? Here is the complete tutorial to building one like ours!
The Best Budget Bar Carts
1. O&K Glass Cart 2. Metal Bar Cart 3. Round Gold Cart 4. Wood & Gold Cart 5. Industrial Gold Cart 6. Wood Outdoor Cart 7. Modern Black Cart 8. Barbie Outdoor Bar 9. Acrylic Bar Cart
Bar Cart Accessories
