8 Ways to Make Your New Year's Eve Party Unique
New Year's Eve is a time for celebration and reflection; it’s for letting go of the past year and looking ahead to the year to come. It’s also about spending time with friends and family and enjoying yummy snacks and bubbly champagne. Check out this list for 8 of the best ways to make your New Year's Eve party a fun and unique night to remember.
Make It Themed
A great way to make your New Year's Eve party a unique and memorable experience for you and your guests is to have a themed party. Don your best tall maxi dress and platforms, hang up some mirror balls, cue up a good 70's music playlist, and dance your way into the New Year at a disco-themed party. You could also travel back even further in time and have a roaring '20's-themed party: just play some zippy jazz music, sip champagne cocktails, and nibble on some delicious little pimento cheese sandwiches.
Don’t limit yourself to time periods, though—get creative! There is no limit to how silly or elaborate your theme can be. Crank up the heat and have an indoor beach-themed party to beat the mid-winter blues while getting to wear your favorite swim skirt in December! You could also host a murder mystery night and work with your friends to solve the crime before midnight. Or, try a simple theme like a white party (don’t forget your favorite white jeans! or have a glitter-themed party.
2) Have a Tasting and Try New Things Together
Is there a new food or drink you’ve been meaning to try? Or perhaps you’ve recently discovered a new item and have been dying to share it with your friends. Here is your perfect opportunity. The New Year is all about letting go of the old and embracing the new, right? Have everyone bring their favorite vintage wine or craft beer and get to sharing and sampling. Have a blind taste test to check out the connoisseurs in your friend group.
Not a group of epicurean drinkers? Stick to snacks! Request that your guests bring their favorite snack and/or a snack they’ve never tried before. If you have the time, Google unique snacks and have foreign canapés delivered for your party.
3) Set Up a Photobooth
Photobooths are a cute and fun way to preserve the memories of the night. Just hang a shiny New Year's Eve-themed background on a wall, leave out some silly props such as costume masks, glasses, and signs, and let the highly Instagrammable times begin.
4) Play Fun Games Together
Make sure your guests are engaged and having fun by providing games and activities. Many newer games, both for children and adults alike, can now be found online. Playing cards and rules can be printed out and set up before the party. You could also set up old-school board games, try charades or Twister, or just play group video games on your favorite console.
5) Dress Up or Dress Down
Similar to having a themed party, you could host a very fancy New Year's Eve party with a formal dress code for your guests. Everyone likes a chance to play dress-up now and then. Flaunt your best special occasion dress and enjoy some champagne and caviar. Otherwise, try a dress-down New Years' Eve with a pajamas party! Get some cute and comfy flannel pajamas and cozy slippers and party in comfort and style.
6) Arts and Crafts
Have an arts and crafts night! Fun for children and adults alike, creating art is an awesome way to ring in the new year. Set up stations and have several options for crafting to make sure there’s something for everyone (like paints, clay, collaging, knitting and crocheting, sticker books, and more). You can also provide poster boards and stacks of magazines to encourage your guests to create a vision board for their new year!
7) Host a Cocktail Competition
Invite friends and family to pool together their liquor collections, grab your favorite juices, sodas and mixers, and see who can come up with the most unique and delicious beverage. Not a drinker? No problem. Mocktails made with juices, syrups and sodas can be just as fun and delicious—just don’t forget the festive garnishes!
8) Have a Bonfire and Let Go of the Year
If you have the space and the weather permits it, having a bonfire is a fantastic way to make your New Year's Eve party special and unique. Give your guests a meaningful New Year's Eve by providing pen and paper near the fire. Encourage them to write down things they’d like to let go of from the past year and burn the papers in the fire at midnight. Release the past and embrace the New Year together!
Providing a basket of hats, gloves, and fashion scarves to help keep guests warm outside is also a nice touch!