‘Tis the Season for parties! Unless you really want to sit at home and watch the ball drop in Times Square again, here are some tips for celebrating New Years without depleting your wallet or your energy. After You can make your New Year parties glitzy — but easy and casual too. Here are some tips to keep your New Year’s Eve party stress-free, budget-friendly and fun.
Start your party later in the evening; around 8:30 or so. Guests won’t expect a meal so they’ be happy with just appetizers to go with drinks and champagne. Also a later start will mean everyone is still awake, happy, involved and energized when the ball drops and the New Year officially begins.
Don’t put away the Christmas decorations – add a festive look to your New Year’s party by using those Christmas tree lights. String colored or white twinkling lights about the room and add some candles with glitter at strategic spots to make a sophisticated and festive look with little or no expense. For a festive memento, fill empty decorated fruit or vegetable cans with candy. Use leftover Xmas wrapping and ribbons to decorate, and personalize with your guest’s name labeled on the gift.
No New Year’s Eve toast is complete without champagne! You can save your budget by making a festive champagne cocktail. Add lemon syrup and champagne into a punch bowl garnished with lemon wedges. An eye-catching centerpiece can be made by simply filling a vase or large bowl with pine cones and branches, the bigger the pine cones, the better. Have your guests write New Year’s wishes or resolutions on colored not pads to hang on the branches. Share them, (anonymously if desired) as you sip your champagne celebrating the New Year.