New Year’s Eve is a special night. If family and friends choose to celebrate the occasion by attending your New Year’s Eve party, you’ll want to make sure that everything is designed to make the evening a wonderful celebration. From the food to the beverages to the infamous countdown to the New Year, there are many ways to make your party one they will always remember.
One of the best things about New Year’s parties is that they can be as casual or as formal as you want them to be. With the right foods, decorations and entertainment, your party will be the talk of the New Year.
Below are a few entertaining ideas that will help get the creative juices flowing for your own fabulous New Year’s Eve party.
Food:
Good food is always a must for any party! When planning your New Year’s Eve party, you’ll want to make sure that your menu will keep your guests happy throughout the whole evening. For a casual party, consider using items from holiday gift baskets so you can serve lots of munchies like finger sandwiches, fruit and veggie trays, and fruits and nuts that your guests snack on throughout the night. If you are planning a formal party with a full meal, keep guests satisfied until dinner time with some simple, yet tasty, hors d’oeuvres. Beef Summer Sausage, smoked cheddar and sweet hot mustard from our gourmet food gifts are a great combination that will tide your guests over until the entrĂ©e is served.
Food gifts from Hickory Farms.
No party is complete without dessert! Keep it simple with our Sweet Celebrations Gift Box. It’s filled with delightful treats like a Chocolate All Nut Mix, Shortbread Cookies, Dark and White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, and Mini Melt Away Mints.
Holiday gift baskets from Hickory Farms.
DĂ©cor:
Festive decorations will add to the spirit of your New Year’s bash. Since the big countdown to midnight is the most anticipated part of New Year’s Eve, try adding a whimsical clock vignette in your decorative scheme to build the excitement and suspense!
Photo via Martha Stewart.
For a dinner party, don’t forget to decorate your chairs in addition to creating a festive tablescape. You can easily make your own elegant chair décor that is sure to impress with clock printouts and bows, like in this example featured on the Whimsy blog.
Photo via Whimsy Decor
Here’s a more casual take on the clock theme that we came across on Pizzazzerie. These accordion clock circles are easy to make – and a perfect craft for a party where children will be present. Old wine and champagne corks can be used to display countdown numbers.
Photo via Pizzazzerie
Games and Music:
Games and music will get the party started while you wait to ring in 2013, and perhaps keep it going a few hours after midnight, too!
Here’s an idea we shared on Pinterest: Blow up some balloons for a New Year’s countdown, placing a small piece of paper inside with an activity written on it. Pop one balloon each hour up to midnight to determine the next fun activity everyone enjoys, such as a silly game of charades.
New Year’s Eve party games from Hickory Farms. (Photo via Savvy Sassy Moms)
Another fun New Year’s game involves guessing the resolutions your guests have made. Have them write down their resolution early in the party and place them in a box. As you’re winding things down, take turns reading the predictions and guessing who wrote each one.
Of course, don’t forget the tunes! Most any kind of music works for a New Year’s Eve party, but try to pick something that compliments the theme of your party. Place your iPod on shuffle for a more varied selection, or stream music through a website like Pandora. Just remember to include Auld Lang Syne to properly ring in 2013.
Do you have any tips to share for a successful New Year’s Eve party? Leave a comment to share with us.
