If splurging on expensive custom bar designs is out of range for you, these 12 DIY home bar ideas culled from our decorators are sure to inspire.
From beautiful basement bar ideas, to nifty outdoor home bars, get creative with your approach and have fun with these cues for the next time you entertain at home.
A Petite Bar
If you love the idea of having your own bar at home but don’t have much space to lend it, there’s still a route to be had for your space. A small shelf can do and will work to keep kids out of reach while taking up hardly any space compared to other home bar ideas.
Granted, you won’t be able to have a huge bar stock, but a shelf is perfect for necessities.
Piano Bar
Got a piano at home you aren’t using? Well, if you do, why not turn it into a home bar? It’s surprising how many people have a piano at home that they aren’t using, whether that’s because the kids aren’t taking lessons anymore, or they’ve given up playing.
Instead of letting it sit there and gather dust, why not make use of it and turn it into a bar? Invest in some pretty trays to display your bottles on and turn that piano into a gorgeous cocktail making station.
Suitcase Bar
Short on space? Or short on DIY skills? Never fear, you can still creatively realize your very own home bar. Have a scour around thrift stores or look online for a vintage style suitcase; fill your suitcase with your favorite spirits and drinking vessels, to make a super easy and fun DIY bar, without any of the hassle.
And to top it all off, you can pack up your bar and take it with you wherever you are going…
Decanter Lights
Need a realistic use for old decanters you have lying around? Use them to create stylish pendant lights to top of your home bar designs. Get your hands on some vintage style pendant light fittings and convert your old bottles or decanters into light fittings.
You’ll need to cut the bottoms off the decanters to let the light out, enable you to replace the bulb, and prevent the bottle from getting too hot. If you aren’t confident doing this yourself (or you don’t have the tools) take your bottles or decanters down to your local glassworks and they will be able to help you out.
Champagne Chandelier
Whether your drink of choice is champagne, wine or beer, keep hold of those bottles and turn them into a stunning chandelier. The glass of the bottles will allow the light to filter through in such a beautiful way. If you want a really soft light, choose brown beer bottles; for something a bit more eclectic, stick with traditional green bottles.
If you want a bright and twinkly light, then choose clear bottles; keeping the labels to block out some of the light. A chandelier like this will look amazing in a basement bar, adding to the cozy feel of it.
Wine Bottle Candles
Candles made out of wine bottles are the perfect addition to home bars. Gone are the days of having to find a candle to shove in the top of the bottle and having to keep an eye on the candle wax running down the outside. You can purchase wicks specially made for wine bottles to easily make a completely hassle free wine bottle candle.
If you prefer the old fashioned way, get yourself a pack of slim candles to put in the top of your bottles and as the wax runs down the outside, your bar will soon resemble a traditional French wine bar. This is also a really frugal way of taking your home bar designs to the next level.
Traveling Trolley Bar
Don’t limit yourself to having your bar stuck in one room; forget those static wet bar ideas of the past. If you are big on entertaining and you like to be able to entertain your guests in any room of the house, then a bar you can move around is a great option.
Imagine a classic tea trolley stacked with drinks and glasses, ready to serve your friends from where you are sitting. Not only is this handy and practical, but it looks stylishly vintage as well, without all the bulk and imposition of standard home bars.
Bookcase Bar
An old bookcase is the perfect piece of furniture to use when creating a home wet bar. You can use the shelving to display different glasses and cocktail making books. There is plenty of space for trays, odd shaped bottles, and cocktail making gear.
If you have a bookcase with doors at the bottom, it will be great for storing unattractive elements (like cans or plastic bottles). This is also a great way of keeping your bar in sync with the rest of your furniture.
And now for some crafty upcycled DIY ideas:
Front Door Fun
Turn an old front door into a stylish outdoor bar perfect for parties. Add shelving so you can store glasses, bottles and a wine cooler, and you’ll be ready for summer parties. Make sure you paint the door with some hard wearing paint so it will withstand the elements, and your bar can service you all year round.
Other home bar ideas pale in comparison, and this idea encompasses the feeling of home.
Keg Bar Stools
If you are a real home bar enthusiast and beer is your vice, how about making comfy bar stools out of kegs? This is the perfect basement bar idea for a sturdy retreat.
They will add to a fun and industrial vibe of a home bar, and they aren’t too difficult to make yourself; you can even get kits which help you transform empty kegs into bar stools.
Bottle Cap Coasters
Making your own coasters out of bottle caps is a sustainable way to use all of those bottle caps you usually throw away. An effective way to do this is to set your bottle caps into squares of resin – creating a safe and hard wearing coaster for your home bar.
If you have a big enough collection of bottle caps, you could even lay them into the bar counter for a stimulating take on bar top ideas.
Recycled Can Lights
Make good use of empty cans by crafting them into cool, one of a kind lighting. It’s kind to the environment, as you are making something out of an item you would usually throw out, and you have the added bonus of creating something that no one else will have in their home.