No party’s complete without a bar. Unfortunately, it seems as though your small space doesn’t have enough room for a full bar. We’re here to tell you that you’re in luck — plenty of DIY projects exist to give you the entertaining feature that would make your parties complete.
As we said, not every living space has the square footage required for a full bar. But with a bit of creativity and elbow grease, you can create the perfect place to sling drinks. Here are five ideas to inspire your project:
1. Repurpose an Old Cabinet
A corner of space is all you need to make this DIY bar. An old or vintage cabinet makes the perfect base for your drink-making station. For one thing, the piece will have shelves inside of it. It’s up to you to decide if you want to keep the doors on or remove them and reveal the contents of your bar. Still, no matter what, you can use the top as the surface where you’ll mix drinks. And, underneath, you can store all of your alcohol bottles, glasses and mixology tools.
The best thing about this project is that it can be repurposed again and again down the line. In the above example, the same vintage furniture serves as a bar and a record cabinet. You could certainly find a third use for it, should you change your mind about bartending down the line.
2. Transform a Tool Cart
You’ve probably seen bar carts for sale at furniture stores, but the price tags have turned you away from purchasing. There’s no need to give up on your dream of a small-space bar because designer carts cost a lot of money. Instead, look for other pieces that could fit the bill without breaking the bank.
As one example, you could repurpose a tool cart meant to make a handyman’s equipment easier to transport. The wheeled shelving system helps you organize your booze and all of its included accouterments. You can wheel it around your apartment or home until you find the perfect corner for your extra-small bar, too.
Budget-friendly stores have options for you, too. For instance, Ikea sells a wheeled cart meant to hold bathroom accessories or other small knickknacks. The cart doesn’t cost a lot, and its tiny size literally fits the bill for your small-space libation station.
3. Try a Tray
Now, not every home has room for a designated bar area. That doesn’t mean you can’t serve drinks from your small home. Instead, invest in a bar tray big enough to hold your favorite liquors, mixers and garnishes. Make sure there’s space for you to mix up your drinks, too. Although you might just put out your tray to hold wine bottles and glasses, it could be a clean surface for creating cocktails, too.
Just make sure the tray you choose suits your dreams of making drinks. For instance, a metal one won’t get as scratched, as say, a tray made of wood. A tray with an outer edge will keep drinks from toppling over, and handles make it easier for you to carry your DIY portable bar with you.
4. Reclaim a TV stand
The DIY-er behind this project realized that a $5 secondhand TV stand would make the perfect bar cart. Chances are, your apartment or home already has space for such a small piece of furniture. You’ll then be able to maximize the provided surface because TV stands tend to have at least one shelf, as well as drawers to hold electronic accessories.
You can use all of that to house the booze for your next party. The good thing about a TV-stand-based bar is that you can fit a larger drink spread on top of it. As one example, the person who created this DIY project could fit an entire beverage bucket onto their TV stand’s second shelf. Even if your furniture piece isn’t that big, you can ensure that it’s just as functional.
5. Stuff Your Suitcase
Finally, don’t throw out your old suitcase just yet. You can use your luggage to maximize wall space — and turn it into a hanging bar. Start by attaching your suitcase to the wall so that it hinges out and swings open like a door. Then, line up your bottles inside of the suitcase. Use the built-in straps to hold them so they don’t fall out and voila – you have a built-in bar ready to hold all of your liquor.
Get Creative
Not every home has space for a bar and the above DIY projects prove that is okay. In fact, each non-traditional, space-saving option will make an eye-catching addition to your space. And, better yet, you can use each one as a perch for preparing drinks — and who doesn’t love a good cocktail? We see plenty of parties at your place in the future.
AUTHOR: KACEY BRADLEY
Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Guides for Brides, Hotel Online and more!
Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to her blog to keep up with her travels and inspiring posts!
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