Hosting holiday parties is my jam. The food, the friends and family, the fun. So, what’s the problem? No one likes the same drinks. Soda? Mocktails? Cocktails? Tea? Fruity, fizzy drinks? Water? Who knows what to serve? The easy way to combat that problem is to make a DIY Drink Station. If you need DIY Drink Station Ideas, I’ve got you covered. I prepared a Fourth of July party, but these ideas work for any time of year.
Drink Station Ideas
Drink stations begin with a theme. I grabbed some decorations from Dollar Tree to make my stations. You won’t need a lot of decor for the table but here are some ideas to consider.
Decor Ideas:
- Paper Fans– They’re easy to hang and come in several different sizes. Use a variety of these sizes on the wall.
- Tablecloth & Tablerunner– Depending on how fancy the party is, you can use either a paper or vinyl tablecloth or a cloth version. You can find cloth tablecloths and table runners at thrift stores for a few bucks.
- Garlands to Match the Theme– These can be hung on the wall or draped around the table
- Ribbon and Bow– Use a wide ribbon and a bow centered to the front of the table instead of table runners if you prefer
- Flowers– Fresh flowers always add an upscale touch to a table. Of course, I say this because I enjoy gardening.
Items Needed for a drink Station:
- Paper napkins and coasters in the color of your choice- I used red paper doilies for the coasters
- Different Sizes of Glasses in the color theme of your party- Choose plastic or glass, depending on the age of your party guests. I used red martini glasses, blue tea glasses, small plastic blue glasses for the kids (to keep them from breaking!), and clear milk bottles.
- Straws in the color theme of your party. These are optional but add a cute touch.
- Ice- Pro-Tip: Purchase several large bags of ice early in the day and store them in coolers until the party. You can never have too much ice.
Now the fun begins; creating the bars. Here’s some of my favorites.
Iced Coffee Bar
This can be adapted to a hot coffee and tea bar in cold weather. You’ll need:
- Prepared Coffee or Several Flavored Coffee Pods
- Creamer, Half & Half, Milk, or Cream
- Flavored Syrups
- Sugar and Artificial Sweetener
- Chocolate Syrup
- Whipped Cream
Iced or Hot Tea Bar
- Prepared Sweetened or Unsweetened Tea
- Flavored Tea
- Milk or Creamer
- Sugar or Artificial Sweetener
- Fresh Fruit- Lemon, Lime, Strawberries
- Variety of Fruit Juices
Soda or Beer Bar
- Several types of soda- diet, regular, and caffeine-free
- Several types of IPA, Craft, Non-Alcoholic, and regular beer
- Ginger Ale or Club Soda
Flavored Water Bar
- Infused water in several flavors- Good choices include mint, watermelon, cucumber, and pineapple
- Bottled or canned varieties of Sparkling Water
- Coconut Water
- Fresh fruit
- Fresh Mint
Mocktail Bar
- Several Pitchers of Prepared Mocktails such as Pina Colada Mix, Daquiri Mix, and Bloody Mary Mix
- Lemon-lime soda, ginger ale, or club soda
- Fresh Fruit- pineapples, strawberries, peaches, or your favorites
- Prepared Tea
- Non-alcoholic beers and wines
- Fresh herbs like Mint
To Set Up an Easy Drink Station:
I hung different sizes of fans on the wall and covered my patio tables with thrifted blue and white tablecloths. a USA bow and cute July 4th themed straws. I arranged an outdoor patio table and covered it with thrifted blue and white tablecloths to give a layered look. I added a ribbon runner and a bow to the front of the table.
I set up glasses in different colors on paper doilies, added straws and napkins, and several flavors of coffee and tea that could be prepared in my Keurig. On another table I added flavored syrups, sugar, creamer, and honey.
I placed a cooler of soda and flavored water beside my drink bar along with another cooler full of ice. The drink station was a hit with everyone, especially since they could prepare their drink the way they wanted. I liked the bar because I didn’t have to spend all my time preparing drinks.
What are your plans for the 4th of July? Are you planning a drink bar or DIY drink station? If so, what are you including?
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This is such great idea especially for a summer party!
What an absolutely fantastic idea, they sound like the perfect item for any party. x
I tried this machine and though I liked the idea for parties the downsides were too great to keep it. Maybe they’ll revise it for better success.
How fun to offer a bunch of flavors for everyone to choose. Can I try one of every flavor please, cuz you know I aim to come over and and see that baby and some sheep.
What a great idea. I love this it makes my life easier. Glad you share this
What a fun drink station idea for the holiday! Definitely a festive way to celebrate
I never thought about using the Keurig for cold drinks. This is a cute idea to have a drink station and to help people have a better time.
That is a really cute idea. I have never thought of putting so much diversity and uniqueness in the drinks that are being served. Very clever and decorative!
I am so interested in trying out the Keurig Kold. I had a few of their conventional models but this one seems cooler!
I love the idea of the single serve pods since everyone can get exactly what they want. And, I don’t have to waste a lot of punch or juices that didn’t get drunk all up.
I absolutely LOVE this idea! A tea & coffee bar will be at our next party for sure
We don’t have a 4th of July here but we have an independence day, it is a nice holiday to celebrate with your family. A drink station is cool.
This would be great for a summer BBQ! You can’t go wrong with some yummy ice tea on a warm summer day.
Your 4th of July decorations look great! I think a drink station sounds like a fabulous addition to a BBQ. It’s a fun idea!
I think that is a wonderful idea! That’s a great way for everyone to get their own drinks easily. I love using my Keurig, and I know many others that do as well. I think it’s the perfect item for at parties as well.
What a cute idea! I haven’t heard of the kold line before.
My Daughters birthday is the 4th of July. We always have a bunch of friends and family over to celebrate. This is a great drink station idea.
That is to bad that the Keurig Kold was discontinued. This is a great party drink station.
I love this idea! I think I’m going to do this with my Keurig Kold for the 4th. So clever!
My niece is having her grad party during the weekend of July 4th… a drink station would be great, especially when it will be HOT out.
My daughter was born on the 4th, so it’s always an extra special celebration for us. The drink station would be great for our party.
What a fun idea! This way even the host can enjoy the party and not have to wait on everyone the whole time. And guests don’t have to feel like they’re bothering the host – they can just help themselves!
What a fun drink station for the 4th of July! I am so excited to host our get together this year, I need to use some of these ideas for our.s
I love giving people the chance to choose with out having to make each choice!! this looks like an awsome idea
I had no idea Keurig had a Kold machine and I am sad to learn it has been discontinued. I do love the idea of a drink station to satisfy everyone.
Drinks are a great thing to have with all this summer weather coming up. I love the Fourth of July theme, it’s very festive
I really love your festive set up!
I must live under a rock because I didn’t even know about the Keurig Kold. I really want one now. The drinks look so refreshing.
These are great drink station ideas for 4th of July. I love them all, maybe setup a drink bar (non-alcoholic one).
What a neat idea! I am always looking for ways to make getting drinks easier 🙂
I love the idea of having a drink station for my fourth of July party! We always love eating great food when we get together for the fourth.
Honestly I would have never thought to do something like that! What a genius idea. I know I’m trying to cut down on my pop consumption (sugar consumption all together) and that’s what most people tend to do at parties. I like that I have the ability to choose!
I love this. It’s so cute! It’s a nice little way to class up an aspect that usually gets overlooked when party designing.
That Keurig is awesome! If I had one of those, it would be the centerpiece of any party. How cool!
Are those resuable ice cubes? What a fun way to bring color into a drink.
I was wondering about those ice cubes as well. I want to look for star shapes for our Fourth of July gathering.
Yes, they are! I purchased them from World Market several years ago and love how they add color to drinks.
I am totally all over this! What a fun idea to do for any party but it would be fun for the July when the whole family will be here.
We have a pool, so our summer party ideas always revolve around that. Pool party at my house! But only for me, my husband, and our dogs. LOL
Having a drink station is a brilliant idea for a 4th of July party! I love that Keurig Kold allows everyone to have their favorite cold beverage without making you slave away in the kitchen all day!
What a cool idea! I’m sure the drink station will keep everyone happy. The kids will definitely enjoy making their own drink. It will probably be a big hit.