How To Host An (EASY) New Year’s Eve Party!

As the clock winds down on 2015, there is still time to host a New Year’s Eve party. Whether it’s a party for two, a few close friends or a big shindig, we’ve got some fun and EASY ideas to help bring your party together. A lot of these ideas can (and will) be converted over for a Noon Year’s Eve Party as well.

New Year’s Eve | Decor

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Prints

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Take advantage of all the amazing and talented bloggers out there who are creating and offering their printables! I love to print mine out and frame them for tablescapes. How darling is this FREE printable designed by Thyme Is Honey? I love it! You can never go wrong with photo booth props, they are great for birthday parties, weddings, and now these darling ones for New Year’s from Kristen Duke (she has lots of great stuff).

 

Tissue Paper Garland

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Next you can make a fun and easy garland out of tissue paper. For the in- depth tutorial click here. You can make these out of any color to match your party decor palette. For my Noon Year’s Eve party I am throwing this year, I am using silver, black & gold.

Sequin Photo Booth

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If you need still more DIY decor inspiration to help host your New Year’s Eve Party check out Soho Sonnet’s amazing round up! I used the glitter champagne bottle tutorial they shared to cover my Martinelli’s bottles for my party. They turned out so cute! Disclaimer **(Do this one outside because you know what they say about glitter).**

Games

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We love to play board games with friends, especially Curses. Or we started playing Dominos last year after one of my husbands patients taught him how.

Card games are fun with any size of group and you can print off these cute cards here for a fun game with a spin on your resolutions.

You can have everyone fill them out and then guess whose resolutions are whose. This can be done really funny or seriously depending on the group dynamics.

Countdown Bags

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This is such a fun idea, we did this last year while it was just the two of us with a new baby at home. When you can’t go out, bring the party to you! Ha! The Dating Divas is such a great resource and I absolutely love Tara the founder. She is such a genuine and fun person. She was “my first” (BLOG). Haha.

Kiss Me Kits

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This is another good one for those who will be staying in with a loved one, or to give as a party favors to all your guests. Keri from Shaken Together Life put these together to celebrate their first date anniversary! Meeting your future husband on New Year’s Eve is so sweet. How is that for a “meet-cute” story!

Supplies for each kit:

• 1 small large (no judgement zone) bottle of champagne, sparkling cider, soda, wine, etc. whatever your choice of something fizzy & fun to share!
• 2 straws
• 2 noise makers (if you don’t have sleeping children)
• 1 box of sparklers
• 1 pack of gum
• Your favorite lip balm
• Printables for setting new years resolutions! This is my favorite part
• Small paper bag
• Kraft tag
• Ribbons
• Marker for writing your tag (or check out our Pinterest board for some darling free NYE bag tags)
• Small bag, basket or box

 

 

 

 

Food & Beverages

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You can make plenty of yummy cocktails, both alcoholic and non. I love a yummy holiday punch that you make a day ahead to let the flavors meld and then garnish with cranberries.

Supplies You Will Need:

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1/3 cup white sugar

1 quart cranberry juice

2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice

3 T almond extract

1 (2 liter) bottle ginger ale

Whole cranberries and/or sliced oranges to garnish

Check out Kimberly at A Night Owl Blog for some amazing recipes, including sparkling jello cups! These are so pretty and such a fun idea to have kids anyone “toast” the New Year with!

For food, since we live on the southeast coast we are having a low country crab boil (our favorite). We are having a baked brie tray, fruit and veggies to munch on before.

Low Country Crab Boil

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• 1/2- 2/3 cup concentrated Louisiana-style shrimp and crab boil seasoning (such as Zatarain’s or Old Bay)
• 5 pounds medium red potatoes
• 3 to 4 medium sweet onions, such as Vidalia, peeled and quartered if large
• 3 pounds cured, smoked pork sausage links, cut into 3-inch pieces
• 9-10 ears of corn, cut in half
• 5 pounds medium shrimp
• 5 pounds of crab legs

Directions
Fill a REALLY large stockpot halfway with water (or use 2 large pots and divide the ingredients between them). Add the seasoning and bring to a rolling boil. Add the whole potatoes to the pot. Allow the water to return to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Add the onions and sausage. Bring the water back to a boil and cook 10 minutes. Add the corn and crab, bring the water back to a boil and cook 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are done. Add the shrimp, bring the water back to a boil and cook until the shrimp turn pink, about 3 minutes. Drain through a colander; discard the liquid. Serve on newspaper or a platter.

Don’t miss the video tutorial we created for your New Year’s Eve makeup look and our collection of cute coats- that way you can arrive in style regardless of you wearing an LBD or your comfiest PJs. 🙂 Head on over to Pinterest and join us as we gather up more ideas!

What are your plans? We love hearing (and seeing) what everyone is doing! A huge part of my New Year is always planning the next year and reflecting on the last. This year is no exception and we are excited to post about that later this week so stay tuned! 🙂 Also MAKE SURE you enter our Ultimate Photography Bundle Giveaway we have going live! So exciting- I wouldn’t mind winning it myself!

XOXO~ M&D