Kick Off the New Year with a Bang!
New Year’s Eve is one of my favorite party excuses, and this year won’t be any different! Even in tough economic times, we have so much to celebrate as we bring in the New Year. Let’s put our heads together and come up with some easy, inexpensive ways to do it up right this New Year’s Eve. Here are my contributions:
New Year’s Eve Party Themes
Why simply greet your guests with drinks and hors d’oeuvres when you can build your party around a theme? Entice your guests to get into the spirit with theme invitations, decorations and refreshments. Here are some great party themes that easily lend themselves to ringing in the New Year:
• 60s, 70s or 80s Party! Depending on your guests’ age group, pick a decade and go all out! No need to spend a lot on decorations, invites or food. For a Sixties Party, draw a pair of bell bottom jeans or a peace symbol as your invitation template. A disco ball would make a great 70s invitation, as would a printed picture of an 80s movie cast.
Invite everyone to wear their “hippie gear”, Disco wear or 80s leg warmers and big bangs. Ask them to bring pics from the past, too. Put those pictures on a table or wall and see who can identify the most “Golden Oldies.” Decade trivia questions and a dance contest to music from your theme decade round out the party.
Sixties food: fondue and anything on a stick, “red beer” made with tomato juice or Vodka Collins. Seventies party food: Watergate salad, fried cauliflower or mushrooms, deviled eggs and chicken ‘drumettes’ with sauce. Cocktails should definitely include daiquiris. Eighties food: Pasta salad, chocolate mousse, mini pesto pizzas and quiche; at the bar, serve pina coladas.
• Casino Party! Another way to handle a large crowd is with a casino party. No need to buy expensive equipment; poker tables can be created with cards and poker chips. Set up an area for throwing dice, and even a bingo game can work into this theme. There are playing card invitation templates available, or make your own, then decorate your party area with playing card-themed centerpieces and wall designs.
Keep things friendly by playing for inexpensive prizes such as small gift certificates or baskets of cookies. Serve food that’s portable (think “bar menu”) so no one has to leave the tables long. Make the party BYOB and provide setups, or furnish beer. Whether your crowd is into Texas Hold’em or less intense gambling, there’s a way to hold a casino themed party that works.
• Fiesta! It’s easy and inexpensive to entertain a crowd with an Hispanic-themed New Year’s Eve party. Choose brightly colored paper to print invitations. Serve easy food like chili con carne’, tacos, burritos and nachos, or get fancy with seviche’, carne’ asada or fish tacos. Make your own salsa to save some cash. Have the makings for margaritas available, and serve domestic or Mexican brews.
Decorate your house in cactus, sombreros, chili peppers, and tissue flowers. Use red, white and green tablecloths. Mini terra cotta pots holding a cactus or two make good center pieces, accents and take-home gifts. Use larger terra cotta pots to hold chips and utensils.
No matter how you set the theme for your New Year’s Eve party, this is definitely a good year to hold one! Start everyone’s year on a fun note and it could be the start of a truly Happy New Year.
Filed under: New Years, Party ideas
