Entertaining made easy with bar carts

Looking for a helping hand with hosting this holiday season? Here, design pros share easy ideas for styling chic bar cart stations that serve double duty: They add festive flair and make serving drinks and snacks a cinch!

FOR A GLAMOROUS CART…

“When decorating a bar cart with accents and serveware, it’s key to use different shapes and heights to achieve visual interest,” says design pro Nicki Wszelaki of Atuftedlife.com. Here, a circular gold cart is made even more glamorous with a metallic champagne bucket and vintage-style flutes. Gold-kissed glassware, a bowl of snacks and an extra ice bucket complete the vignette. No bar cart? Set up a freestanding side table in the same fashion!

FOR A MAGICALLY MODERN CART…

All it takes to set up a party-ready cart is serve-yourself drinks and a sprinkling of merry-and-bright decor. And this modern yet whimsical cart display created by the pros over at Fashionablehostess.com really wows! To get the look, set bright bottled beverages on the bottom shelf, then tuck in festive decor like silver mini trees and jeweltoned baubles. Add drinks and more colorful accents to the top tier.

FOR A COUNTRY-COZY CART…

“I love snuggling up to a Christmas movie with hot cocoa and loved ones,” says Wszelaki. “And creating a rustic, help-yourself station makes the tradition more fun— and less work!” To do: Top a cart with cozy plaid accents, tiny trees and trays of cocoa mix-ins (like candy and sprinkles). Stack mugs on a cake plate for added charm.