How to Design the Perfect Halloween Bar Cart

Seasonal bar carts are my thing. They're the one small little decor project that I look forward to taking on every few months and make having a cocktail at the end of a long day just a little more fun.

For me, bar cart design is all about balance and layering; tall vs. short, big vs. small, and where to add in little pops of detail. Walking you through my process in today's post with some of my favorite tips and tricks for designing the perfect Halloween bar cart!

Shop my bar cart here // Check out all-things Fall + Halloween in the Fall Shop!

 

Halloween Bar Cart: Top Level

The top level of your bar cart will always be your main focus. In the spirit of Halloween, I wanted to bring in some fun decor with pops of black to go along with the theme. I used this marble lazy susan to add some height to my smaller decor pieces, and then balanced out the height in the opposite corner with two taper candles (holders here/here).

For me, the bar cart has always been about visual decor rather than convenience. For that reason, I'll often split up my glass sets and keep some on the cart, while others remain stored away with easy access. I buy most of my glasses in sets of 6 or 8, but you'll see that I used mostly sets of 4 and 2 for this design.

+ If I could have a room in my house just dedicated to glassware, I would! That being said, I only grabbed one new set of glassware for this year's Halloween bar cart; these skeleton scotch glasses (check out these cute wine glasses, too). If you want to add a candy display to your bar cart, this 3-bowl skeleton server is another fun option. (PS - notice the height on the skeleton glasses? I simply took empty tea light holders and flipped them upside down so they had a better view).

+ My coupe glasses from Anthropologie are such a pretty addition to a bar cart for all seasons. Joe and I usually have our martinis in these!

+ Frosted highball glasses are hard to come by! This "Dobra" style was an Anthropologie find from years back. Found a similar option here.

+ I brought in the 2 most Halloween-esque bottles of wine I could find for my top level. It's also a great place for a unique scotch decanter.

 

Halloween Bar Cart

Bottom Level

The bottom level of your bar cart is more or less your overflow...that should still look pretty. It's a great place for extra glasses, pitchers or bigger bottles that may take up too much room at the top. I opted for a simple balance of 3/4 glasses, 1/4 decor.

+ I went back and forth so many times on what to stack the pumpkins on, but ultimately decided to bring in two coffee table books (here + here) to balance the black on the top level.

+ We picked up these tour red wine + white wine glass sets this Summer, and use them all the time. I love the stemless wine glasses, and the modern oval-shaped ones, but this style is something Joe and I have always both loved. The shape is very modern, but makes for a beautiful and different addition to the bar!

 

Halloween Bar Cart

KEEP READING