HOW MUCH DOES A HOT COCOA BAR COST

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Hot Cocoa Bars are a fun way to serve hot cocoa for a large or small group when it's cold outside. However many think that a hot cocoa bar may be out of reach financially. There are several ways to have a customize hot cocoa bar while on a budget.

THEME

I think you can save on a lot of things if you just plan, and the hot cocoa bar is no exception. The first thing you should do is settle on a theme. This isn't necessary, but it may be easier. A few ideas are buffalo check, Christmas, gingerbread, Grinch, and Santa theme.

SIZE

After that, you should decide what you would like for your hot cocoa bar. If you are having a hot cocoa bar for a party you may want a larger hot cocoa bar. For personal use, a small simple one will do.

LOCATION

The size of your bar will determine where to set up the hot cocoa station. However, it may be that the size of your bar is determined by the size of the space you have. If using this for a large group, choose a part of your home with enough space for people to crowd around the table.

SUPPLIES

While disposable coffee cups might look more uniform, the cups may not be within the budget. Use mugs from your collection or buy a few at your dollar store. The look of a mismatched collection of coffee mugs is great and very economical.

The most important part of any hot cocoa bar is the...hot cocoa. Store-bought cocoa is perfectly fine, but most have a mixture of store-bought and homemade. You can use your coffee maker or crock-pot to make the hot cocoa. I suggest keeping water and/or milk in a stainless steel water bottle by the bar.

Note: Only keep milk out for a maximum of 2 hours.

The fun part is choosing the toppings. Some popular toppings are marshmallows, candy pieces, candy canes, chocolate pieces, cinnamon sticks, and sprinkles. I've also seen some syrups incorporated. There are also some extras like cookies and other candies.

SET-UP

You can just buy a hot cocoa kit or make your own. I found several kits you can buy if you're looking for something simple. (Hot chocolate, peppermint candies, and marshmallows). The cheapest I found was at Big Lots for under $15.

BIG LOTS

If you're going for something more, a little craft project will be in order. I suggest going to the dollar store to pick up decorations and some of the edible products in your arrangement. Most of the decorations you need should be here, if not you should check other discount stores.

partieswithacause

This setup was around $15 see how it was done here.

prudentpennypincher

A simple set-up cost around $15. Most moderate cocoa bars can be easily created for around $30. Unless you're willing to spend the money or are buying a simple set-up the best thing is to do a craft project.