A New Year's Eve party should be full of decadence where you dress your best, use your fine china & crystal, and leave your worries behind.
The room where the party is held should have a magical quality with a touch of fantasy and whimsy.
Here are a few tips and tricks for decorating for a New Years Eve party.
Consider using a theme
Themed New Year's Eve parties often have a more memorable atmosphere where guests can escape to a different place and/or be a different person for the night.
Several popular New Year's Eve party themes include Las Vegas, 1920's (or any other era), black light, around the world, disco, casino, Alice in Wonderland, masquerade, winter wonderland, tropical paradise, champagne & diamonds, Parisian chic, neon glow, enchanted forest, murder mystery, vintage circus, fire & ice, Wizard of Oz, or any other theme you can dream of.
You can decorate your home using a theme or make your New Year's Eve party a costume party where everyone dresses according to your selected theme.
A theme is optional.
Select a color scheme
The color scheme selected for your New Years Eve party should complement the room or rooms where your party will be held.
Black, white, silver, and gold are popular colors, however consider using other fun and unexpected colors to set the mood.
Make sure your color scheme is appropriate for the theme you have selected, if you are using a theme.
Select decorative items that are shiny and sparkle for extra New Year's Eve flair.
Crystal and metallics are always a favorite in New Year's Eve decorating.
Darker jewel toned colors that feel opulent & luxurious are also popular.
Consider selecting your clothing to complement your color scheme.
Decorations:
Reuse Christmas Decorations
Since Christmas lasts for 12 days, New Year's Eve is still in the season of Christmas, so having some Christmas decorations is acceptable on December 31st.
Christmas lights and simple metallic Christmas ornaments can be used to decorate your home for a New Year's Eve party.
Shy away from anything that looks too much like Christmas that guests might think they are attending a Christmas party, such as decorations that are red or green, unless it coordinates with your color scheme.
Reduce the amount of snowmen, Santas, candy canes, Christmas trees, stockings, or other Christmas related items so your home feels more like New Years and less like Christmas.
Use Quality Items
New Year's Eve is a time of opulence and abundance, so avoid cheap decorations such as paper streamers and store bought paper Happy New Year's Eve banners.
Decorate for New Year's Eve with sparkly metallic colored beads, tinsel, clocks, crystal drops, vintage top hats, disco globes, metallic confetti, candles, vintage pocket watches, champagne buckets, and other festive items in your color scheme.
If you want to use balloons, make sure to use metallic looking high quality balloons and not basic colored generic balloons that belong at a children's birthday party.
You can add decor to your front porch, guest bathroom, fireplace mantel, light fixtures, curtain rods, stair rail, and most any other stationary surface.
This is one of the few occasions where it is hard to overdo the quantity of decorations.
Add a Centerpiece
If your New Years Eve party is a cocktail party where people stand to eat appetizers instead of sitting for a full meal, make sure to have a large opulent centerpiece decorating your table. The center piece will be your focal point and the primary item that reinforces your theme and color scheme.
If your guests are sitting for a meal, make sure to pay close attention to your entire dining room tablescape decor, which includes your tablecloth, table runner, napkins, napkin ring, crystal, charger, combination of china pieces, utensils, and centerpiece. Layer many unique yet complementary items to create a unique tablescape that your guests will remember.
Lighting
The lighting for your party will help set the mood, so make sure to get it right!
Avoid using overhead lights that can cause a glare and make your party feel sterile. Either turn off the overhead lights or dim them to a very low lighting level.
Instead, add lighting throughout your room that is closer to eye level.
You can use string lights, candles, wall sconces, a fireplace, and uplights along the walls & corners of your room to add dim lighting for a sophisticated, romantic, elegant, and special feel.
Other Things to Consider
When decorating for your New Year's Eve party, make sure to also consider the music. Music creates a tempo for the evening, whether soft and romantic or upbeat and fun. You could create your own playlist or hire a DJ or band for the evening. Make sure the music complements your party theme.
Scent is also important in a party setting. The scent could come from yummy food or it could be from a diffuser or candles.
Consider creating one or more vignettes around the party venue to use as a backdrop for photos to be taken.
Don't forget a countdown clock! Whether the clock is on TV or a stand-alone clock in your party room, all eyes will be on that clock as you count down to midnight.
