2020 was a wild ride, but there are plenty of good things on the horizon — and that's worth celebrating. We know it's hard around the holidays, which are normally a time filled with parties and family festivities, but it's important to practice social distancing to minimize the spread of COVID-19. You can either celebrate with the people you live with, or have your party over Zoom. From decor ideas to delicious New Year's desserts, we've got some great tips to start 2020 off on the right foot. Of course, we've also included some photo wall ideas, because you'll want to show off your best look (don't forget the perfect New Year's Eve Instagram caption!)
No matter what your NYE party theme is, you can never go wrong with cute decorations, a sparkly outfit, yummy appetizers and lots of champagne. Whether you're keeping it small with a few friends or going all-out by inviting everyone you know, here are some of our favorite New Year's Eve party ideas to help end 2020 with a bang. And don't worry, we've got your New Year's Day brunch covered, too.
1. Play a Party Game
Get the party going with a good, old-fashioned board game. Scrabble and Yahtzee are always fun if you're celebrating in person with people in your household, but Pictionary is definitely ideal if you're playing over zoom.
2. Try Your Hand at Mixology
Cocktails and New Years go hand-in-hand, after all. If you're celebrating in person, have everyone in your household come prepared to make a batch cocktail of their favorite drink — just make sure you get enough supplies ahead of time. If you're celebrating over Zoom, find a fun cocktail recipe on YouTube that everyone can follow along with at home as you video chat!
3. Recap the Year
A lot can happen in 365 days, and New Year's Eve is a great time to reflect on it all. Choose the most special moment that you experienced this year, and everyone can join in on your feel-good story!
4.Dance It Out
Have everyone you're celebrating with choose one song, and then turn them all into one big dance party playlist. Spotify has a feature were multiple users can edit a playlist — so that should make it easy. It'll be fun trying to guess who added what — who knows? You may just learn a thing about your friends' music tastes...
5. Build a Disco Wall
A fringe backdrop like this is a simple way to completely (and non-permanently!) transform your space, and a silver or gold one will help create cool disco atmosphere. You can add some celestial balloons or a pastel garland for a pop of color.
6. Have a Party Game Handy
Instead of traditional card games, try a printable challenge like this "Drink If" game. You can instantly download a PDF of these game cards on Etsy and print them out on card stock — or you come put them in randomize generator if you're playing over Zoom. You can also customize the text on the bottom to fit your group better!
7. Decorate Your Drinks
Sure, champagne is already festive — but there are a few ways to kick it up a notch. Before your party, hot glue a few gold pom-poms onto wooden skewers to make your drink a little more exciting.
8. Light Glitter Votives
Every New Year's Eve party can benefit from more glitter and more mood lighting. Accomplish both by DIYing a few glitter candle votives and placing them around your party space.
9. Create Your Crown
Instead of a generic dollar store crown, create your own festive tiara this year. This silver star headpiece is perfect for the occasion, but remember, a little glitter goes a long way.
10. DIY Your New Year’s Eve Noisemakers
A New Year's Eve countdown isn't complete without noisemakers. These adorable, glitter infused bells are perfect for shaking when the ball drops.
11. Add Some Sparkle to Your Champagne
Ditch the red Solo cups (and your breakable glasses!) and opt for sparkly plastic flutes instead. They'll make you look (and feel) fancier without having to risk breaking the good stuff (not to mention the cleanup will be a breeze).
12. Create an Instagram-Friendly Balloon Wall
Spell out an inspirational phrase in balloons on the wall and share it with everyone in Instagram. You can also purchase a full set of matching party balloons for an extra $25, but you'll need helium if you want 'em to float.
13. Deck Out Your Bar Cart
This bar cart definitely makes the case for wreaths past Christmas, especially when they're a chic silver color like this one. Don't forget to grab the ingredients for season cocktails, like a Blood Orange Spritz, Cherry Bomb Fizz and Sparkling Wine Mojito Punch.
14. Have a Countdown Wall
Another adorable photo wall idea! The countdown is a big part of NYE tradition, and this easy-to-make backdrop is the perfect way to ring in the New Year.
15. DIY Your Confetti Poppers
Feeling crafty and don't mind a mess to clean up on the first day of the New Year? You can make your own confetti poppers to pop at midnight by using tissue paper and cake pop shooters.
16. Create Mini Champagne Bottle Labels
Your pals will be so excited to see they each get a mini champagne bottle as a party favor (even if they live at home with you, and they probably saw you assemble them). You can print up your own, or go for a surprisingly cheap label designed by a pro.
17. A Photo Booth Station
You know everyone in your household is going to be taking tons of photos all night, so make sure you set up a cute spot with festive supplies and a gold fringe backdrop. Bonus points if you keep an instant camera around for pictures!
18. Serve Boozy Desserts
On New Year's Eve, it's totally acceptable to put alcohol in everything — especially dessert. These champagne cupcakes will be a hit all night long.
19. Have a New Year's Resolution Jar
Get everyone to start thinking about their New Year's resolutions by encouraging them to write down their goals. Put a jar out with blank cards or pieces of paper so everyone can stash theirs in their purse or pocket.
20. Don't Forget the Sparklers
If there's one thing that's for sure, it's that you need a plan for when the clock strikes midnight! Sparklers are a fun (and often inexpensive) idea to go with a champagne toast.
Google