Whether guests like their drinks on the rocks, shaken or stirred, it is easy to create an instant bar that brings fun to the party as a great conversation-starter.

All that’s needed is a surface, great bar ware and a tray, said Yvette Freeman, owner of the Foundry (foundrybyfreeman.com), a Parisian-style flea market on U Street. Freeman transformed a 1920s vintage ironing board into a bar.