Christmas Coffee Bar Ideas: Garland, Lights and Cozy Details
A Christmas coffee bar is the easiest holiday decorating project in the house: it is small, you see it every morning, and it doubles as a hot cocoa station when guests arrive. Here is how to dress your everyday coffee corner for the season without making it hard to use.
When to set it up
Many people in the US decorate after Thanksgiving, around the last weekend of November. A coffee bar is a good first project because it takes less than an hour and uses small items you can reuse every year.
Start with greenery
A short garland along the back of the counter or the edge of a shelf does most of the work. Faux garland is the practical choice in a kitchen: it does not drop needles into cups and it does not dry out near warm appliances. Keep any greenery, real or faux, clear of the toaster, the kettle base and machine vents.
Add warm light
Battery-powered LED fairy lights woven through the garland give a soft glow on dark December mornings. LEDs run much cooler than old incandescent strings, and many battery packs have a timer, so the lights come on before breakfast and switch off on their own. Keep battery packs and plugs away from water and the sink.
Make it smell like the season
- A jar of cinnamon sticks to stir drinks (they also look good standing upright).
- A small bowl of whole star anise or cloves, for decoration.
- A jar of peppermint sticks for mochas.
Skip scented candles right next to the coffee: strong scents compete with the aroma of the coffee itself, and open flames do not belong near paper filters or garland.
Add a hot cocoa corner
The same counter can serve guests who do not drink coffee. Set out:
- hot chocolate mix in a lidded jar with a scoop,
- mini marshmallows, crushed peppermint and chocolate chips in small jars,
- a stack of holiday mugs,
- a small card or chalkboard with a simple menu ("Coffee · Cocoa · Mocha").
Keep toppings in closed jars rather than open bowls so they stay dry and clean between uses.
Swap the mugs
Swapping the everyday mugs for two or four seasonal ones is the change people notice most. Put the everyday set in a cupboard for the month so the counter does not get crowded.
Finish with one piece of art
A coffee print leaning against the wall behind the garland gives the corner a focal point that can stay up after the holidays. Ideas in coffee bar wall art.
Shopping for a coffee lover too? See our gift ideas for coffee lovers.