Decorating for the New Year
The new year is right around the corner and you’re gearing up for a night of celebration, reminiscing on the past and looking forward to all that the new year will bring. Whether you’re planning a big soiree or a more intimate gathering, we have a few ideas for festive décor and flourishes to help get your home ready for the celebration.
DIY vs. Store-Bought New Year Décor Ideas
So, do you buy your New Year’s Eve decorations, or do you make them yourself? There are benefits to both, and you may find that DIYing some things and buying others is the perfect solution. It all just depends on the plans for your party, what you’re willing to do and what your budget is.
Pros and Cons of DIY Decorations
Pro: Gives you the chance to use existing décor in new ways.
Pro: Offers the opportunity to set up craft stations, like one to make DIY party hats.
Con: Your timeline may not allow for DIY decorations, or it may be hard to make certain decorations yourself.
Pros and Cons of Store-Bought Decorations
Pro: Premade decorations can be easier to set up.
Pro: Themed parties are easier to decorate for. You may be able to find party kits with a variety of décor to match your theme.
Con: Time between holidays may be limited, making it hard to purchase the decorations you need or want.
Some ideas offer ways to transition some of your Christmas décor into looks that can work with your New Year theme, making it easy to use what’s already out. It could be as simple as swapping red and green ornaments with silver, white and/or gold ones, using the greenery on your mantel as part of a table centerpiece, or repurposing elements like pinecones into beautiful wintery displays. Take a look at what you’ve already used to decorate and pull from that to create your New Year look.
DIY Decoration Ideas
Glitter Champagne: Make your drinks sparkle by spray painting the outside of your glass champagne flutes with glittery spray paint. Make sure you tape off the parts of the wine glass you don’t want to paint on. Create tinsel-topped swizzle sticks to really make beverages shine.
Transition Christmas Décor: Flocked garland or garland pre-lit with white lights and metallic finish ornaments are great pieces to carry over into your NYE décor.
Confetti Station: Fill clear glass jars with different kinds of confetti. As it gets closer to midnight, let everyone fill a cup with their choice of confetti to toss up in the air when the clock strikes 12.
Photo Booth: Wrapping paper offers an easy way to create the perfect backdrop for a DIY photo booth. Use wrapping paper in a color or with a pattern or design that suits your theme. Add some fun props, string or fairy lights, balloons — anything to make the photo op extra festive.
Balloon Clock Countdown/Balloon Drop: Transform empty wall space into a giant balloon clock, updating the time every hour. Cut out the clock hands from construction paper, cardboard or poster board. Balloons make a good stand-in for a ball drop — release them from a bag hung from the ceiling at midnight. In either display, incorporate the colors of your celebration. Multicolor balloons can be used for festive fun or choose monochromatic schemes of gold, white or black for more formal gatherings.
You can use a shower curtain to hold the balloons up on the ceiling until it’s time for them to drop.
If you’re decorating with the balloon drop, use regular air to blow up the balloons. If you want to decorate the ceiling with long tails of ribbon tied to the balloons, use helium so they’ll stay afloat all night.
Store-Bought Decoration Ideas
Large Clock: On New Year’s Eve the focus is on time. Make it a focal point of your décor by hanging a large clock.
Gold Garland: Dress up mantels with shiny gold garland or layer it into a tablescape to add a touch of glam to your New Year decorations. If your tree is still up, tinsel garland is perfect for weaving into the branches and giving it a new look.
Neon Signs: Make your décor glow with the lights of a neon sign. “Cheers” is the perfect fit for a night of celebration.
Throw Pillows: Create a cozy touch and give your guests a comfortable place to sit by changing out the throw pillows on your couch to fit with your party theme.
Shiny Chandeliers: A new light fixture can cast the right glow for your party décor. Gold finishes and crystal detail add a glamourous touch.
Choosing a Theme That’s Best for Your Party
Set the tone for the night by choosing the best theme for your party. It should be something you love, which will make decorating and planning for it easier.
Color Schemes
Traditional Color Palette: Typically, New Year’s Eve party colors include black, white, silver and gold. Shiny and elegant, this color palette is easy to pull together for a quick way to get festive.
Two-Tone Color Palette: If you’re looking for ease, a black and white color scheme is simple, elegant and classic. It can work for a fancy dinner party or a movie night theme.
Bright, Multicolor Color Palette: Colors like red, white, pink, green and purple create a scene full of fun and frivolity. Some colors are associated with certain attributes that are perfect for New Year parties. Red is typically paired with luck. White can symbolize new beginnings and fresh starts. Gold nods to prosperity. Play into the meanings of these hues for a creative touch to your party. Hosting a game or karaoke night? Multicolor is the perfect backdrop for these themes.
Game Night
Game nights are great for bringing adults and kids together. Pull out some of your favorite board games and other group party games for entertainment through the ball drop. You can even craft this into a themed party, decorating your home or party space like a casino. Set up a poker table, use decks of cards and poker chips for playing and for decorations. Or turn the night into a murder mystery. Have guests dress up as their character and see if they can figure out “whodunit” before midnight.
Fireside Celebration
If the weather allows, take the party outdoors and enjoy the company of friends and family around the fire. A cozy fire pit setting is great for smaller gatherings and gives you the opportunity to make fun treats like s’mores. Light up your patio or deck with strands of white string lights and have plenty of throw blankets available to snuggle up with. Solar lights can also add to the festive display, especially if they’re shaped like fireworks.
Movie Marathon
Pass the popcorn, please! For a more relaxing New Year’s party, feature some of your favorite New Year’s Eve films as entertainment for the evening. Make sure you have plenty of pillows and blankets for comfortable viewing, snacks and drinks to munch on and a way to keep an eye on the clock so you know when to cheers the new year. If the weather permits, consider creating an outdoor movie theater on your deck or patio with a projector and screen.
Winter Wonderland
Despite the chill of winter, a winter wonderland theme can bring warm and cozy vibes to your New Year’s Eve party. This could be a good opportunity to incorporate some of your Christmas décor into your New Year décor. Leave out pieces that can carry you through the winter season, like white and silver ornaments, flocked garland, twinkling white string lights and snowflake decor. Winter calls for warm beverages, so turn your bar cart into a hot chocolate bar to elevate the theme.
Dinner Party
Make dinner the focus of the evening and host a lavish sit-down dinner. Since guests will be around the table for most of the night, a stunning tablescape is a must. For this formal soiree, an elegant color palette of gold, black, white and silver is perfect for the occasion. Set the table with white plates, gold chargers and gold flatware. Linen napkins and napkin rings are also great touches and elevate the feast. Incorporate festive centerpiece décor such as a gold mesh table runner overlaying a black runner, tealight candles in silver holders, an arrangement of small glittery gold ornaments or disco ball ornaments, noise makers and small, old-fashioned clocks. Add confetti or glitter to the centerpiece to really make it sparkle.
Brunch at Midnight
Keeping with the food theme, what better time than New Year’s Eve to have your favorite brunch food at midnight? This setup can be more casual, but you may still want to dress up your table with a festive display even if you won’t be formally gathered around it. Colored glasses offer a fun touch. Have a mimosa bar and a coffee or hot chocolate station as beverage choices to enhance the brunch theme. A soft color palette of white and gold can be the perfect option here, offering the freshness of white and the shine of gold that’s associated with the New Year. But don't be afraid to use colorful décor for a more playful vibe.
Create Your Unforgettable Evening
Feeling inspired to host your own New Year party yet? All of these ideas are perfect for individual themes, but you can also combine elements from more than one of these ideas to create a party that suits you completely. Whatever theme you decide on, decorations you choose and colors you go with, the most important thing is to have fun. And don’t forget the champagne toast.