Style your bar cart for the holiday hostess season with these 11 party essentials!

The holidays are stressful enough, you shouldn’t have to worry about how to partake in the festivities! That’s why we’re sharing our holiday hosting essentials for the perfect party bar cart, so you can focus on being the perfect hostess. We’re here to make sure your guests are Instagramming your spread all night long, plus make serving up dinner party cocktails a breeze.

Today we’re revisiting the time the lovely people over at Chairish asked us to style a bar cart for the holidays and we were ALL OVER that. We basically majored in bar carts (just kidding, we majored in party planning, but isn’t that the same thing?) and when we aren’t obsessing over other people’s, we’re dreaming up ways to stock them for every party.

It was hard to choose just one bar cart to style, but we fell in love with this Old Hollywood-esque gold cart that demanded a little holiday love.

Here are the Party Girl bar cart basics:

1. Deck the halls. Bar carts aren’t just practical – they’re the perfect way to add some subtle party decorations to your holiday spread! Add a fun garland like this gorgeous tissue paper tassle kit from Etsy shop Paperboy, or make your own bunting that says “Cheers!”

2. Cue the confetti. I’ve always had a soft spot for these gold “confetti” highballs from Anthropologie. Your guests will sip champagne in style, and the gold flecks will catch the light all night long!

3. Keep it clean. Cocktail parties are naturally messy – there are too many old friends to catch up with and new friends to meet. There will be spills. Stay on top of any party fouls with pretty napkins.

4. Stay fresh. It may be winter, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to bring a breath of fresh air indoors this holiday season! A sweet floral arrangement like these winter lillies will brighten up any bar cart.

5. Cheerful stir sticks. These “Cheers” acrylic stir sticks are from – naturally – calligraphy #ladyboss Laura Hooper and they come in red AND gold! They’re the perfect touch of elegant charm to any cocktail.

6. Stand out. An inexpensive way to make your bar cart transition with any party theme is to add some wrapping paper as a base for your other tools. Use clear tape to adhere a festive print and instantly transform your cart into the perfect holiday platform – and make post-party clean up a bit easier!

7. Avoid mishaps. I grew up with my mom’s “use a coaster for that!” refrain constantly in the back of my mind, so I always make sure to set some out around the living room when I’m entertaining. Avoid rings on the coffee table (and your mother’s “I told you so’s” on her next visit!) and add some holiday cheer while you’re at it with these classics.

8. Shake things up. Because there ain’t no party like a cocktail party, you need this Kate Spade NY stunner cocktail shaker in your life.

9. Pops of colour. One of my biggest party woes involves the age-old dilemma of fresh lipstick and cocktail glasses – it’s a nightmare I relive every discreet moment I slip off to reapply in a hall mirror. Make it easier and spare those berry hues with paper straws – pretty and practical!

10. Well garnished. Any good cocktail deserves a fresh wedge – and you need a place to keep them! Use a pretty bowl to keep track of your lemons and limes in the sweetest way possible.

11. Seal the deal. Keep those bubbles fresh with this adorable bottle stopper!

12. Bar Bonus. Because 11 seemed like an awkward number, we’re throwing in a different kind of bar essential – bitters! They’re great for fun and unique cocktails, and if you happen to live in Southern Ontario you can find some of my personal faves at Dillon’s in the Niagara Region.

Mix and match with some of our tips to make your bar cart suit your theme. After all, you’re the hostess, you should rock your personality! We’re positive that, whatever your style, a bar cart is a sure way to keep any cocktail hour under control, and the holidays are the perfect time to test out your stylish (and practical) choices!