Woohoo it’s time to bring in the New Year! Are you hosting the celebrations this year? Then here’s your guide for throwing the best New Year’s Eve party ever!
1. Send Out Invites
Want people to come to your party? Then it’s probably a good idea that they know about it. Whether it’s via Facebook or the old fashioned way, spread word that you’re celebrating the end of the year! Also, this is the step to pick the time for your celebration to begin, we recommend around 8ish – that way you can get away with serving just finger foods and not have to worry about dinner for a bunch of party guests.
Since we’re pretty big fans of the old fashioned way (aka snail mail), here are some of our favorite invites:
New Years Party Invite by Mini Moi Prints
Ring in the New Year by Kim Nelson Creative
Holiday Cheer in the New Year by The Pretty Paper Studio
Cheers! New Year’s Eve Party Invite by Design Twenty-Five
2. Set the Theme
No, this isn’t a necessary, but who doesn’t love a good theme party? Plus, by deciding this you’ll help guests figure out what to wear. Do they dress up? Do they rock flannel? Do they dress normally? Or do they channel the twenties? A theme can help set the mood for your party, and here are some of our favorites:
Gold, Black and White – We absolutely love this color combo. Festive, bright and fun – tt’s perfect for celebrating the start of a brand new year. Get some great ideas how to use these colors here.
One Last Hurrah – Since the new year is associated with resolutions, indulge your guests before they take that first step. Have everyone dress however they want, but have a large assortment of fried food, cakes and drinks for everyone to enjoy one last hurrah!
Black Light Party – Spice things up by throwing a black light party. You could pair this with an 80’s workout themed party, aka everyone wears bright colored clothes that will look super fun in the black lights.
The Great Gatsby – Flapper dresses, speakeasy inspiration and boys in bowties, we adore this party theme. It’s perfect to make your party both glamourous and fun – oh and totally Instagram worthy. Not to mention the super easy jazz soundtrack that completely sets the mood – we’re getting excited just thinking about it!
3. Decor and Supplies
Now that you’ve chosen your theme (which in case you haven’t, please return to tip #2), it’s time to get down to decorating…which is always the fun part. We’re not saying you have to be extravagant and go all out, but we think having some creative New Years decor is a seriously awesome perk to hosting. From cups to balloons to hats to signs – let’s get inspired:
Pop Fizz Clink! Balloons
Kiss Me at 12 Gold Foil Balloon Letters
New Years Eve Party in a Box
Tissue Paper Tassel Garland
New Year’s Resolutions Kraft Paper
4. Drinks
Let’s be real, New Year’s Eve is synonymous with drinking champagne. While we’re all for it, we just remind you to always be safe – drinking and driving is not the way to start off the new year. That being said, here are a few cheers-worthy adult beverages for you to partake in this holiday:
Champagne – Don’t forget to stock up on the bubbly! It’s a New Year’s Eve tradition to pop the cork and clink in the new year with some champagne, so make sure you have a good amount on hand to serve your guests. We’d estimate one bottle of champagne for every 5 people. If you feel like being fancy, have a make your own champagne bar with fruits, juices and more!
Punch – A great drink option for guests is punch because it’s relatively cheap to make and serves a lot of people. Check out some of the punch recipes we have on the site.
Mixed Drinks – This always varies for people, so make sure you have basics on hand. Meaning you need vodka, rum, whiskey and gin for alcohol, then tonic, club soda, juices and coke for mixers, and limes and lemons for fruit. A great way to not spend too much money on this is to double your party as a “stock the bar” party, meaning guests bring a bottle of alcohol, assuring you’ll have plenty of supplies.
Beer and Wine – Don’t forget the staples – if you’re hosting a party, having beer and wine on hand is a must. Check out this guide for what beer and wine you should stock up on.
5. Food
Even though it is New Year’s Eve, you can’t just expect your guests to have a liquid diet – you have to feed them too! This is where we come in (being a recipe site has its perks). Here are a bunch of recipe round-ups you’ll definitely want to pin for later:
19 Appetizers to Start Off the New Year
15 Glorious Finger Foods for Your Party
17 Meatball Recipes that are Amazeballs
21 Munchie Madness Recipes
23 Sensational Salsa Recipes
5 Delicious Guacamole Recipes
20 Fudging Delicious Recipes
New Year Party Recipes
6. Games/Activities
Keeping guests entertained is a necessity when it comes to a phenomenal New Year’s Eve party. We’ve searched low and high (aka did a lot of Pinteresting) and found some really fun ideas for you:
Bests of the Year – Everyone will be reliving awesome and fun memories from the past year in this game. From most embarassing moment to the most overrated celebrity story to best movie of the year, we love how this game gets everyone to share fun stories!
DIY New Year’s Resolution Party Hats – Get guests of all ages in on the fun of making their own New Year’s Eve hats! Just set up a craft station with some fun accessories, scissors, glue and markers and let everyone get creative.
New Years Photo Props – We’re big lovers of photo booths, so take advantage of your friends’ and familys’ sillyness with these fun props. From mustaches to crowns to champagne bottles, these fun photo props will help bring the new year in with style.
7. Entertainment
Okay, number one (you would think this goes without saying), have your tv turned to ABC to watch the ball drop. Don’t be THAT host who forgets and then scrambles at the last minute. No one wants to be that person.
Two, music makes you party great. There are plenty of roundups out there that will keep the tunes going strong throughout the party – such as:
Best Songs of 2016 Playlist
Best Songs of 2000s Playlist
Best Songs of 90s Playlist
That’s just a little inspiration – get creative by putting together your own playlist on Spotify or picking a station on Pandora to keep the music on all night long!
8. Make Room
If you’re hosting the party, it’s always a pro-tip to have extra blankets, pillows and space for people to stay. Keep all your loved ones safe by offering a sleepover so everyone can have fun without worrying about getting home. Encourage guests to bring air mattresses, sleepover gear and more for peace of mind.
