We may have a small kitchen, but that doesn’t mean we can’t squeeze in a hot chocolate station! So we’re on a mission to make a scaled-down version of a hot chocolate station, complete with the hot cocoa tray we’re about to show you! There’s nothing more comforting than a hot cup of cocoa on a cold blustery day!

Hot Cocoa Tray

I can’t wait to show you how our hot chocolate station looks in its entirety when all the projects are complete, but first things first, right?

Our tray started out as something to hold plants (above, minus the plants) Then it migrated to adorn our coffee table makeover.

You might also remember this vinyl grasscloth wallpaper from the ReStore we used in our poinsettia Christmas decor! This roll is going to go a long way in my craft stash and today it’s coming out to play again!

Before we get into the tutorial, don’t forget to get your craft mojo on at Birdz of a Feather and subscribe to our newsletter:

You can also follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

Supplies

[If you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered (disclosure): Clicking on the affiliate links below means we may receive a commission. But don’t worry, you don’t pay a cent more! Thanks for helping to support our charitable fund driving efforts for Alzheimers!]

• Christmas Blend Hot Cocoa stencil from Old Sign Stencils
• Tray with glass insert (ours is thrifted)

Paint:

• Midnight Sky or Caviar
• Evergreen
• Daisy

Hot Chocolate Station DIY

To start, I measure and cut a piece of the vinyl grasscloth to fit the tray.

Stencil the Grasscloth

The Christmas Blend Hot Cocoa stencil from Old Sign Stencils is going to be a great tie-in for our Hot Chococate Station.

I centred the stencil vertically and horizontally. Because of the size of the tray, I don’t end up using the 5 lb bags wording at the bottom. Hold it down at the corners with painters tape.

Stencil Technique

You can complete this stencil in under minutes; it’s that fast!

I like to use plastic lids to hold my paint because I need so little of it. I find that once the paint dries, I can just peel it right off the plastic and reuse it again. The paint I’m using is PPG Break-through.

I’m using a #8 natural bristle stencil brush for the wording. Dip the tips into the black paint and offload most of it onto paper towels. It should be dry to the touch. Then swirl the paint on. Reload when necessary.

As you can see, even though the surface of the vinyl grasscloth is textured, there is no paint bleed. That’s why offloading most of the paint is so important. You’ll get clean, crisp lines – even if the surface isn’t perfectly smooth.

For the trees, I bump up the size of the stencil brush to #10 and am using green paint.

Last, but not least, I’m using a 1/2 stencil brush to complete the stars.

I only did one coat of black, but two coats of the green and yellow.

Peel up the tape and set the stencil aside. Let the paint dry before assembly.

Reassemble Tray

With the tray taken apart, take advantage of the opportunity to clean both sides of the glass with glass cleaner before reassembling. Reuse whatever backing came with the tray and put it back together in the reverse order.

Hot Chocolate Station – Project #1 Complete!

Our new tray will be a permanent part of our hot chocolate station! It’s so nice to have a festive tray this season that will allow us to carry our hot chocolate from the kitchen to the family room.

If you don’t keep it for yourself, it makes a lovely hostess or Christmas gift. Wrap it up with a few mugs!

And it’s so fast and easy to do! Make a few different versions using the same stencil! Then, you can even swap out ‘Christmas Blend’ for 5 LB BAGS as you see below. Then, you can have a Christmas and winter tray appropriate to the season!

There’s two more projects to come before our Hot Chocolate Station is fully complete. The cups may be empty now, but that doesn’t mean we won’t enjoy a cup or two of cocoa before then :). I can’t wait until it’s fully up and running. The last project that wraps this up is going to be something quite spectacular (if I do say so myself)!

Update: See our hot cocoa bar sign and wooden shelf display for the next two projects that complete our hot chocolate station.

For more holiday inspiration, check out these 31 Christmas Craft Ideas for Adults!

Pin our Hot Chocolate Station

Interested in learning more stencilling techniques? Visit our tag, how to stencil, for more projects.

Pinning is always welcome and appreciated!