How to Style a Bar Cart (sustainable version)

-Brother Crafts Blogger

SUPPLIES & TOOLS
- Brother ScanNCut DX
- Craft Vinyl
- 5x7 Floating Frame
- Textured or Colored Cardstock paper

Entertaining guests? This project is a great one to add to your home because you’ll be prepared year-round! Whether you are entertaining the girlfriends for a brunch, friends for a game night, or the family for the holidays, the perfect bar cart styling will surely make all of your guests feel at home. The best part about this project is that alcohol doesn’t have to be the center of your bar cart. We’ll talk more on that later. For now, let’s talk about the bar cart.

Bar carts can be found just about anywhere. My favorite place to shop for bar carts is at thrift and vintage shops. I love the unique style older bar carts have. They have a lot more character to them and the designs are unmatched in comparison to what you would find today. When searching, find the best one that would work for your style and your home.

TIPS ON STYLING A BAR CART

In styling the bar cart, I feel that vintage findings are the way to go. Finding ways to use secondhand items is great for improving the quality of our lives, protecting our ecosystem and preserving natural resources for future generations.  Every detail of styling is so important because it creates a luxurious experience for you and your guests. I always welcome beautiful experiences. Let’s talk details:

1. Drinks

For the style of cart I’ve created, beverages are the focus. When creating a luxurious experience, choosing a variety of your favorite drinks is so important. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Choose at least 6-7 options. You always have to have options. However, we can’t stop there. How do we elevate this? Shop secondhand stores for decanters. Vintage decanters have to be one of my favorite finds. I love the beautiful shapes, colors, and sizes they come in. They are all so attractive to look at and they create a lavish vibe within the space.
Pour your drinks into the decanters. Label the back or the bottom of each bottle so that you and your guests know what each decanter holds. Arrange your bottles on one side of the top of your cart: tallest to shortest.

2. Plant life

A small bouquet of flowers or plants brings the bar cart to life. A plant or bouquet full of life gives the feeling that the bar cart is well maintained and being looked after.
Place your plant on the opposite side of your decanters to give it a nice balance.

3. Citrus

Another element that brings your bar cart to life is citrus. The most used for drinks are lemons and limes. They are useful and it adds a nice pop of color and texture to the cart. Take it a step further and place the fruit in a glass or wooden bowl. When choosing a bowl, keep the size and design in mind; nothing too big or small and in choosing a design, keep it fun.
Place your bowl of citrus in front of your plant. Because of the height difference, you and your guests will have easier access to viewing and grabbing some for your drinks. That concludes styling of the top tier of your bar cart.

4. Glassware:

This is another one of my favorite things to shop for a secondhand store. I especially love vintage colored glass sets with beautiful textures that you would never find in retail nowadays. A matching set is my go-to, but if you have more of an eclectic style, go for the one-ffs. That’s super fun too!
Add at least two sets of glassware to the bottom tier of your bar cart. Keep in mind that different drinks call for a certain glass to drink from. Arrange the taller glasses in the back and the shorter ones in the front.

5. Seltzer & Mixers

If you and your guests are mixing drinks, these are important. These add a bit of fun to drinks. To keep a cohesive look, purchase all the same seltzer waters and for mixers, ensure that all or most of them are the same brand. Add these to the bottom of your cart on the opposite side of your glassware. To elevate the look of what can be quite boring to look at, add some height. I like to use a cake stand for this. A stack of vintage books would be really nice too! Arrange your seltzer water on top of the cake stand or books. On the actual bar cart, in front of the cake stand, you can arrange your mixers.

6. Art

Last but not least, we have to add some fun art. I think that framed artwork is the cherry on top. When choosing a piece for your bar cart, choose something that ties your entire vibe together. I chose a mixture of vintage and modern style artwork to create a unique style that ties back to the decor in my living space. Out of all the pieces I curated, the quote is my favorite! It’s a conversation starter and it's always something that puts a smile on the face of you and your guests. Creating that type of emotion is exactly what you are looking for.

If you know me, you know I’m all about creating something custom. I’m always here for a good DIY project and the bar cart is the perfect place to add one. Let’s create a framed quote using our Brother ScanNCut DX. I have a few fun options for you.

Instructions

1. Grab your frame and disassemble. Remove the faux print from the frame. Do not throw print away.

2. Using the faux print as a template, tear your cardstock into a rectangle. It doesn't have to be perfect. Place in-between the glass/ acrylic sheet and assemble the frame back together. 

3. Attach removable vinyl to the cutting mat with the right side facing up. Transfer cutting file to you Brother ScanNCut DX. (Resize if desired.) Set your machine to half cut and cut out file.

4. Remove excess vinyl to reveal words and transfer to transfer tape. Center tape onto the center of paper and adhere to glass.

5. That's it! Now hang it on your wall or lean it on your bar cart. The best part about this is because the vinyl is removable, you can change the words any time.