After all the holiday gatherings, chances are you are still in the spirit of the season. Since many of us visit family during Hanukkah and Christmas, many of us opt to host the New Year's bash ourselves. If you are throwing a party at your place, make sure to have a few cocktails ready to serve and some festive decorations.
This holiday hack guide will help you decorate for the big evening so you can start off the year with happy memories.
New Year's Centerpiece
If you are serving dinner, the centerpiece should be your main focal point in your dining area. However, you don't have to go all out for just one evening. Use a cake display tray that you have lying around in the kitchen to use as your centerpiece base. Then create mini goody bags that guests are welcome to use during the night. Get small brown bags with handles and print out "Happy New Year" signs from your computer and attach them to the right hand corner. Tie black, white and silver ribbon into bows on the other side and fill the bag with noise makers, confetti, and tinsel.
Mini Bottle Place Cards
Now that the table is set and your centerpiece is finished, your guests will need to know where to sit. These creative place cards allow guests to locate their place at the table in a stylish way. Write a message such as a prediction or a quote on a nice, small piece of paper and place it in a miniature envelop with the guest's name written on it. Pick up miniature champagne bottles from a craft store and tie silver sparkly ribbon in a neat bow around the bottle's neck. Punch a hole in the corner of the envelop and attach the bottle to card and place on top of a dinner napkin.
DIY Photo Booth with Resolution Board
As your guests begin to arrive, you may want them to capture the memories. Photo booths are often the best aspect of a party. You can create your own at home with a backdrop by using gold cardstock, glitter, scissors, mod lodge, fishing line, a hot glue gun and a cheap curtain rod. Cut out stars on card stock, you will need about 100 of them. Coat the stars with adhesive and sprinkle on glitter. Cut fishing line and tie to a curtain rod that is placed onto a wall. Attach stars to rod and place some party hats nearby for props.
Set out a digital camera to capture photos and promise to send the collection to guests via email. You can also get a dry erase board with marker and have your guests write their resolutions to include in their photos.
Fringe Numbers
Instead of buying decorations from your local party store, make your own fringe numbers using leftover cardboard from Christmas. Trace 2, 0, 1 and 5 outlines onto cardboard and cut. Put glue onto cardboard and wrap on strips of tinsel. Continue until the entire number is covered. You can cut off excess strips that hang or leave them as is. Hang your numbers above the designated table where you will serve drinks.
Circle of Friends Confetti
Imagine your guests delight when they get to throw confetti in the air with all their faces on it. Have your friends and family fill the air by using a photo-editing program to give photos a sepia tint and print on matte photo paper. Use 1/2 inch circle punches to cut out faces as well as other circles from colored paper. Package them into envelops and pass out before midnight.
Bringing in the new year with style is easy thanks to these DIY decorating hacks. Now let's toast to a happy and healthy year!
[Photo Credit: Nana B Agyei/Flickr]
