Building your own bar can be a rewarding experience, it is not really that difficult for anyone with tools and a bit of woodworking talent. There are many sites online offering to sell you plans, if you browse a few of them you may come up with some ideas of your own. What you will discover is that basically you will be building a backward bookcase, a box with shelves in it.

The bar should be 42" high, the front should have a 12" overhang if stools will be used, otherwise 6" is adequate. Be aware that that a 12" overhang can cause stability problems if the base is too narrow and you are using a heavy top, foot rails can often do double duty to stabilize the base.

What gives a bar character is the material used to cover the front and sides and the actual top. Depending on the material used this may be incorporated into the structure or to cover up a mdf or plywood carcass. The top can be any material that is impervious to the affects of water and alcohol, wood with a suitable finish on it, tile, real or imitation marble or slate.

Free Bar Plans from Canply (.pdf)

How to Build a Tiki Bar (free plan)

To mix and serve your drinks, you'll need bartending tools.

• Shot glasses
• Cocktail shaker
• Bar caddy
• Bottle openers
• Bar mats
• Blender
• Bottle pourers
• Straws and stirrers
• Margarita glass rimmer
• Cocktail napkins
• Ice bucket and tongs

• Beer mugs
• Hi-ball glasses
• Wine goblets, red and white
• Champagne flutes
• Liqueur glasses

Avoid plastic at all costs, companies like Ikea have great deals on glassware that are almost as reasonable as plastic and add a touch of class to your parties.

Your bar will likely have shelves to store the alcohol and perhaps most of the glasses, some type of cooler is also necessary for beer, mixers and white wine. An apartment size refrigerator will work well for beer and mixers as well as ice. Eventually you will likely desire a dedicated cooler for your wine, and may even establish a wine cellar for all your wine.

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