Hosting your own New Year’s Eve party can be a fun, but daunting experience. With the right resources, however, you can plan this party effortlessly and without blowing your budget. Whether you’re planning on having a grandiose party or an intimate one, ring in the year with good vibes and decisions with help from our tips below.
1 | Host It At Your Place
If you want an intimate get-together, consider hosting it at your place. Not only does is it provide a more comfortable atmosphere for guests, but it’s also budget-friendly. You don’t have to rent a space or pay for overpriced cocktails with weird holiday puns for names. You also have more control over your party’s design theme and atmosphere, which is way better than dive bar chic.
2 | Plan Games Ahead of Time
We all know about making New Year’s resolutions, but what else can you do while waiting for the ball drop? To ensure a lively soiree, plan games that keep the party going. You can whip out card games, board games, or charades to keep the energy high. Another game you and your guests can play is to guess NYE resolutions. To play, everyone has to write their resolution anonymously on a piece of paper and then throw it into a hat. From there, people can take turns drawing and guessing whose resolution is whose. And whoever has the highest number of correct guesses wins!
image via neatobonito.com
3 | Serve Finger Food
Nothing is worse than a party with no snacks, so prepare finger food for people to munch on throughout the event. Fun and easy to prepare snacks are key to making this shindig effortless. Bowls of chips and dip placed strategically around the room become gathering spots where people nosh and converse. Also, try a cheese board with salami and olives — total crowd pleaser.
4 | BYOB Drinks
Invite your guests to be a part of the party plans, too! Ask everyone to bring his or her favorite drink. That way, no one can complain about your selection and everyone gets their favorite drink. Win-win situation. Just make sure you provide the champagne so everyone will be ready when the countdown hits 1!
image via lauratrevey.com and fabfitfun.com
5 | Party Favors
Everyone loves party favors. Think poppers, confetti, sparklers, and noisemakers. You can make some of these ahead of time or take a quick trip to the dollar store for other budget-friendly options. If you want something even more festive, get helium filled balloons. And don’t be afraid to use your Christmas decor! The more sparkles, the better.
image via lauratrevey.com
6 | Use Previous Holiday Decor
Speaking of Christmas decor, use them! You don’t have to spend more on nichey New Year’s decorations. Christmas decor inherently goes with the New Year’s theme and it will save you from having to buy or make extra decorations that end up sitting in a box for the next 364 days or getting thrown out. You can keep your lights up and re-arrange ornaments in a cute clear vase. Anything that sparkles will do — especially black, white, gold, and silver.
image via omgtoptens.com
7 | Fun Cocktails
Instead of going out to buy expensive cocktails while bar hopping, mix fun cocktails at your place using the BYOB drinks your guests brought. You can make holiday-inspired drinks like sangria from champagne and berries or margaritas with mint and cranberry juice!
8 | Play the Right Tunes
Music is everything at parties! They can make or break a mood and get the party moving. You can have people take turns putting on songs your guests can reminisce about. And for when everyone is done with making requests, make sure you have a playlist ready. You don’t want to be stuck asking everyone what they feel like listening to or subject your guests to awkward silence when you have no idea what to play. There are premade playlists for this sort of thing, so the work is already done for you.
9 | Perfect Company
All in all, the best company makes the best parties. Invite people who will surround you with food, laughter, and fun. You don’t have to invite a million people for a good time, just the ones you can create moments with. Keep your list of guests short and simple. That way, the party can be casual with no pressure on you to impress. You also don’t want to be stuck cleaning a huge mess afterward, so definitely consider that.
If you enjoyed these tips or think I left something out, please let me know by commenting below. I would love to hear from you! Share some of your New Year’s Eve traditions or some budget-friendly advice of your own — the more the merrier!
