A Christmas coffee bar in a small kitchen is one wood tray, about 12 by 18 inches, on the counter corner beside your coffee maker, or a slim cart 12 to 18 inches deep at the end of the counter. Put coffee, sugar, two mugs and spoons on it, then add one bit of greenery, one string of lights and one small tree.
Christmas Coffee Bar Ideas for a Small Kitchen
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How much room does a Christmas coffee bar need?
About 18 inches of counter. That is one coffee maker, one canister and one mug on a 12 by 18 inch tray, and you build up from there instead of out. Green Wedding Shoes puts it at 18 inches. Pretty DIY Home runs her whole bar on about two feet.
Measure the gap before you buy anything. If the coffee maker already lives on the counter, the coffee bar starts there, and all you are adding is a tray and three Christmas things.
How many inches does each coffee bar setup take?
A tray takes 18 inches of counter, a mug tree about 6, a cart takes none, and a cabinet shelf or mug rail takes none either. Here are the numbers side by side, so you can match a setup to the gap you have.
| Setup | Counter it takes | What it holds | Moves for baking day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood tray, 12 by 18 inches | 18 inches | Coffee maker, canister, 2 mugs, 1 small tree | Lift off in one go |
| Acacia serving tray, 17 by 13 inches | 17 inches (13 deep) | Coffee maker, 2 mugs, jar of candy canes | Lift off in one go |
| Round two-tier tray, 12.6 inches across | 13 inches | Toppings on top, mugs and spoons below | Lift off in one go |
| Mug tree, 6 hooks | About 6 inches square | 4 to 6 mugs | Slides aside |
| Under-cabinet rail with S-hooks | 0 inches | 4 to 6 mugs | Stays put |
| Slim cart, 12 to 18 inches deep | 0 inches (beside the counter) | Jars, extra mugs, syrups, cookie tin | Rolls away |
| Slim cart in a fridge gap of 6 to 9 inches | 0 inches | Syrups, cocoa tin, napkins | Pulls out |
| One cabinet shelf | 0 inches | Jars, 4 mugs, a string of lights | Door closes |
Space Corners recommends the 12 by 18 inch tray and the 12 to 18 inch cart depth. Decorumi points to the 6 to 9 inch fridge gap and says a mug tree takes about a six inch square against 12 inches or more for the same mugs sitting flat.
Counter corner or cart: which one fits your kitchen?
A counter corner fits if the coffee maker never moves. A cart fits if the counter is already full. Most small kitchens end up with both: the machine and a small tray on the counter, and the overflow on a cart or a cabinet shelf.
| Counter corner | Slim cart | |
|---|---|---|
| Space it takes | 18 inches of counter | A gap at the end of the counter or beside the fridge |
| Best for | A coffee maker that never moves | Counters that are already full |
| What goes on it | Tray, mugs, one jar, one decoration | Jars, extra mugs, napkins, cocoa, cookie tin |
| Moving it for baking day | Lift the tray off in one go | Roll it out of the way |
| Where the brewer sits | On the counter, at the back of the tray | On the counter next to the cart |
How do you set up a Christmas coffee bar on one counter corner?
Pick the corner that stays out of your cooking, put the coffee maker at the back of a tray, and work forward in three rows. Stonegable says to choose a spot out of the way of meal prep and near an outlet, which is usually the far end of the counter.
- Back row: the coffee maker and one taller decoration, like a small tree or a leaning sign.
- Middle row: the coffee jar or pods, sugar and one or two syrups.
- Front row: mugs, a cup of spoons, napkins and a small dish of toppings.
Suzette Gebhardt calls the tray the secret to a holiday coffee station that looks organized, because it gives everything a home. Lift the whole tray when you wipe the counter. On baking day it moves in one trip.
How do you set up a Christmas coffee bar on a rolling cart?
Buy a cart 12 to 18 inches deep, leave the coffee maker on the counter, and load the cart in three levels. Space Corners says that depth keeps it out of the walkway. For less, Decorumi points to the 6 to 9 inch gap beside most fridges, where a slim cart fits. Measure it at its narrowest point.
- Top shelf: glass jars of coffee, cocoa and sugar, and the mugs you use every day.
- Middle shelf: four more mugs, the syrups and a cookie tin.
- Bottom shelf: napkins, a basket of tea bags and the spare coffee pods.
The coffee maker needs a flat, steady spot and an outlet, and a cart that rolls is not that. The cart holds everything around it, so the counter stays clear. Lock the wheels while you pour, and tie a short cedar garland or a velvet bow to the handle.
What goes on a Christmas coffee bar?
Your everyday coffee setup plus five Christmas extras. Pretty DIY Home keeps hers to two mugs, coffee pods, hot chocolate and spoons for every day, and saves the rows of syrups for company. Start with the basics, then add the extras one at a time.
The everyday basics
- Your coffee maker: a drip pot, a pod machine, an espresso machine or a French press
- Coffee beans, ground coffee or pods in one jar or canister
- Two to four mugs, or hooks for them
- Sugar, creamer or milk, and spoons
- A small stack of napkins
- A tray to hold it all
The five Christmas extras
- One or two flavored syrups, like peppermint or gingerbread
- Candy cane stirrers, stir sticks or cinnamon sticks
- A jar of mini marshmallows, sealed so they do not dry out
- Hot cocoa mix, tea bags or apple cider for the people who do not drink coffee
- Whipped cream, kept in the fridge until someone wants it
If you want the full cocoa side with toppings and amounts per guest, our hot chocolate bar on one tray has the list.
How many syrups should a Christmas coffee bar have?
Two on a small counter. For a holiday party, Restaurantware says three or four flavors is the sweet spot, because more slows the line. Peppermint and gingerbread cover most Christmas drinks. If you set out more, put them in pump bottles on the cart or the cabinet shelf, not on the tray, so the tray stays 18 inches wide.
How do you decorate a Christmas coffee bar without crowding it?
Pick three things: one bit of greenery, one string of lights and one festive piece. On a small counter that is enough, and the decor stays out of the spot where you pour. Put the tall piece at the back and keep the front 12 inches of the tray empty.
For the greenery, a short cedar garland along the backsplash is the easiest, or a small wreath, or evergreen clippings in a jar of water. For light, tuck battery fairy lights around the jars or along a shelf edge, so you do not need a free outlet next to the coffee maker. Then add one festive piece at the back: a bottle brush tree, a small framed print or a leaning sign. Suzette Gebhardt adds height at the back of her tray the same way.
Pick one color story and repeat it. Stonegable uses mostly white with a little green and red. Red and white mugs, plaid and wood, or cream with greenery all work. Keep anything that can burn or melt away from the hot plate and the steam vent, and put the lights on a timer so they come on for the morning cup.
6 Christmas coffee bar ideas for a small kitchen
You do not need all six. Pick the one that fits the counter you have.
1. A wood tray beside the coffee maker
One tray is the whole coffee bar. A rectangular wood tray around 12 by 18 inches holds two mugs, a jar of coffee, a small glass of candy canes and a little tree. Decorumi notes that a tray with a defined edge stops the holiday things from creeping across the counter. When you need the space, lift it off.
2. A two-tier tray behind the brewer
A tiered tray goes up instead of out. Put the light things on top, like a bottle brush tree, cinnamon sticks or a jar of marshmallows, and the mugs and spoons on the bottom tier. The round tray linked below is 12.6 inches across and 16.3 inches tall. Decorumi likes it in the dead space against the backsplash behind the machine, where the counter is usually 8 to 10 inches deep and doing nothing at all. Space Corners suggests a narrow stand that fits under the upper cabinets without blocking the doors.
3. A mug tree or a row of hooks
Mugs take up more of a small coffee station than anything else. A mug tree lifts four to six of them off the counter and takes about a six inch square. Christmas mugs on a tree are the decoration, so you need less of everything else. Space Corners also suggests an under-cabinet rail with S-hooks above the coffee maker, as long as the mugs hang high enough to clear the machine, with four to six mugs in coordinating patterns.
4. A slim cart that rolls out of the way
If the counter is full, the coffee bar can live on a cart. Decorumi parks one at the end of the counter or in the gap beside the fridge for the overflow: spare mugs, the backup cocoa tin and the sprinkles you only need on baking day. Tie a short garland or a velvet bow to the handle and the cart is decorated too.
5. A cabinet shelf above the coffee maker
No counter at all? Clear one shelf in the cabinet above the machine and make that the holiday coffee station. Decorumi says to clear one shelf, not the whole cabinet. Line up the jars of coffee, sugar and cocoa, stack four mugs, and run battery fairy lights along the shelf edge so it glows when the door is open.
6. A coffee and cocoa tray for guests
When family stays over at Christmas, Stonegable moves her coffee maker to the end of the island so everyone can help themselves without getting in the way of breakfast, then puts it back afterward. In a small kitchen, do the same with your tray: coffee on one side and cocoa on the other, with a plate of cookies or gingerbread nearby. The coffee and cocoa tray in our hot chocolate bar guide shows how to share one set of toppings between the two drinks.
What are the most popular Christmas coffee flavors?
Peppermint, gingerbread, vanilla, caramel and hazelnut turn up on the lists we read, and eggnog is the one seasonal extra. The Coffee and Christ Shop lists peppermint, caramel, vanilla and hazelnut syrups with cinnamon and nutmeg on top. Pick two of those for the tray and rotate them each week.
How do you make a Christmas coffee at home?
Brew your regular coffee, add 1 tablespoon of flavored syrup and a topping, and taste before you add more. A bar pump gives about half a teaspoon a press, so 1 tablespoon is 6 presses. You do not need a coffeehouse machine or a milk frother. Most Christmas coffee drinks are your usual coffee plus a flavor and a topping.
- Peppermint mocha: a caffè mocha is coffee or espresso with chocolate and hot milk. Peanut Blossom has guests mix coffee, a splash of hot milk, a drizzle of chocolate syrup and a drizzle of peppermint syrup, then top it with whipped cream and chopped peppermint candies. Store-bought crushed peppermint works the same.
- Gingerbread latte: strong coffee, steamed milk and gingerbread syrup, with a pinch of cinnamon on the foam.
- Flavored coffee with vanilla and cinnamon: vanilla syrup and a cinnamon stick as the stirrer.
- Candy cane coffee: hook a candy cane on the rim and stir with it. It melts in as you drink.
A chopped peppermint chocolate bar on top works when you are out of crushed candy. A tea drinker can use the same syrups in chai, and a carafe of hot water covers the cocoa for kids.
How do you make a Christmas coffee bar on a budget?
Shop your own cabinets first, and spend only on the things people touch. Pretty DIY Home uses a thrift store wooden caddy that holds three mugs, with room on top for jars, and suggests a small wooden crate, a sleigh, a basket or a Christmas tray you already own.
A cake stand turns into a riser with the mugs underneath. Restaurantware’s rule is to spend on the coffee and the mugs and save on the decorations. For a small home that means good coffee and four mugs you like, then grocery store greenery, one strand of battery lights and jars you already have. Decant sugar and cocoa into matching clear glass jars and the station looks planned even when nothing on it is new.
How early should you set up a Christmas coffee bar?
When the rest of your Christmas decor goes up, since it is an everyday station. For a gathering, the Coffee and Christ Shop suggests setting up the decor the day before and putting out the brewed coffee and anything perishable 30 to 45 minutes before people arrive.
In January, take the Christmas mugs, the candy canes and the bow off and leave the tray, the greenery and the lights. It carries on as a winter coffee bar. For the rest of the year, our 7 coffee bar ideas for a small kitchen covers the everyday setups, from a cupboard shelf to a counter end.
What to buy
Prices change, so check the listing before you order. Cost: $ is the least, $$$ the most.
- Wood tray for the counter corner: 17 inch acacia serving tray with handles (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., $
- Two-tier tray: rustic wooden 2-tier tray stand (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., $$
- Mug tree: wooden mug holder tree with 6 hooks (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., $
- Slim cart for the gap by the fridge: 3-tier slim rolling cart sized for a fridge gap: 6 inches wide, 6 shelves, each 8.86 inches high (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., $$$
- Battery fairy lights, 4-pack: warm white with a 6 hour timer (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., $
- Mini bottle brush trees: set of 30 in five sizes, 2 to 4.7 inches (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., $
- Syrup bottles with pumps, set of two: 16.9 ounce glass dispensers with pumps, half a teaspoon a press (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., $$
The rest of the kitchen can follow the coffee corner. Our small kitchen Christmas decorating ideas covers cabinet wreaths, a washable towel and a garland on one shelf, all with the prep counter kept clear. For the whole house, start at the hub, small space Christmas decor ideas, and for the table beside it see Christmas table settings for small tables. A Christmas garland that fits a small home also works along the backsplash.
