Throwing a New Year’s Eve party can be a daunting task. Everyone wants to throw a fun and memorable party that their friends will still be talking about when the next year rolls around, all while staying within their budget. Throwing a party doesn’t have to stress you out, this “how-to” will supply you with creative ideas to make your New Year’s party one for the record books.
The first thing you should do to make the party a memorable experience for your friends is to include them in the planning process. Most people feel better about attending a party when they have something to contribute. On the invitations, or even on the Facebook event page, request that your guests bring some food or beverages you’d like to have at the event.
Some great foods to ring in the New Year that are said to bring good luck on the holiday are black eyed peas, pork, greens, fish and long noodles. These foods are all symbols of good luck and fortune in the New Year and are great party snacks. No one will starve at your get-together, and providing desserts like mini cheesecakes is always a nice gesture.
It is also possible to stay cost-effective with your decorations and party favors. There are the old favorites, such as streamers and noisemakers, but getting creative with your own traditions brings luck and prosperity in the New Year.
For example, when your guests come through the door, have them write down their New Year’s resolutions on a scrap of paper. Have your guests stuff their scraps of paper into a deflated balloon and then inflate it. Once the clock strikes midnight, everyone can pop their balloon and the resolutions will rain down. The balloons can be found at Party City for about $6, making this activity affordable and unique.
Sending your guests home with party favors is sure to make them feel special. Providing them, on the other hand, might seem like it will burn a hole in your pocket. However, giving out small gifts doesn’t have to be costly. Take a Chinese take-out box and decorate it to your choosing. You can then put seven good luck charms inside the box, so your friends can take some good luck before heading home. Include four-leaf clovers, a rabbit’s foot, a mini horseshoe or a penny. You could also throw in some glow-in-the-dark stars, rainbows or pots of gold. If your party is large, you can always change the number of good luck charms you put in each box in order to stay on budget. You can find Chinese take-out boxes at Target for about $5.
Keeping your guests entertained is also a must while throwing any party. The holidays are about bringing people together and creating great memories. The best way to accomplish this at your party is with games and activities. Have your guests fill out a scrap of paper with a past New Year’s resolution that they actually kept and drop them into a single jar. During dinner, everyone can read a note from the jar. Hopefully, funny stories, confessions and accomplishments will be shared.
You can also keep your friends entertained while waiting for the ball to drop by playing a 2012 trivia game. You and a friend can make the game with strips of colored construction paper and write down some questions about memorable events from 2012. For example, you could ask who J.Lo dated this year, what movie made the most money or what famous actress cheated on Robert Pattinson. The person with the most questions answered correctly could win a prize.
These are just a few of the things you could do with your friends on New Year’s Eve. However, the most important things to remember are to have fun, don’t spend too much money, and make the party your own. If you follow these tips, your New Year’s Eve party should be one for the ages.
Reach the reporter at alexnelson2007@yahoo.com
