New Year Party Ideas

Here are a few ideas when it comes to planning and hosting the party of the year…thanks to BGH.com and hostess with the mostess for the inspiration!

1. Pick a theme It'll help guide your choices for everything from the invitations and decor to the food and drinks. Your theme can be as simple as a favorite color to as specific as an Old Hollywood Glam Cocktail Party, Fortune Telling Party or how about a Vegas inspired setting! Having something in mind will help make the planning process much easier.

2. Make a guest list

The number of guests you invite depends on how much space you have, your budget, and the amount time you have for party planning. Eight to sixteen guests for an intimate, full-course dinner party. For cocktail parties, twenty-five to fifty people. Anything over this number is a full-on, blow-out bash.

3. Plan in advance

With the Christmas just a week before make sure you have everything you need – and that you’ve sent out all your invites well in advance. This time of the year calendars fill up quick so plan and invite early!

4. Time it right

The most important part of a New Year's party is when the clock strikes midnight, so don't start the party too early. If you're hosting a sit-down dinner, start the party at around 8 p.m. with drinks and very light appetizers, and serve dinner around 9 p.m. For a cocktail party, ask guests to start arriving around nine and serve heavy appetizers and finger foods throughout the night.

Appetizers on Tap

A table full of finger food allows for easy munching from the party's start to the big countdown at midnight. Bring out your good china serving pieces for this elegant meal; after all, it isn't often you get an excuse to stay up until midnight to eat hors d'oeuvres and drink champagne.

5. Think bright and bold

Pick a dramatic, high-contrast color palette to liven up the night. Bring in a little sparkle with a metallic accent. How about combining deep red and shimmery silver, or mixing copper tones with a vibrant aqua color.

6. Pop the cork

Champagne is a must on New Year's Eve, but be sure to include sparkling cider or another alcohol-free alternative for non-drinkers. In addition to liquor, stock up on mixers (think club soda, pop, and juice) and drink garnishes (don't forget lemons, limes, olives, and cherries). For a budget-friendly bar, stick to wine, beer, and champagne, and serve one signature cocktail.

Beverage Table

A cocktail bar with plenty of alcoholic and nonalcoholic options serves as the centerpiece of your New Year's party. Be sure to refill guests' glasses or provide fresh drinks before the toasts. To toast after sipping or with an empty glass is considered bad luck.

7. Opt for appetizers

Focus on creative presentation to give the food table a festive look. Serve sweet potato fries in mini Chinese takeout boxes, for example or offer bite-size grilled cheese sandwiches along with tiny tomato soups served in espresso cups.

Vase of Finger Food

Non-traditional containers provide extra interest at the table. These snacks double as decoration when they're layered in a clear glass vase.

8. Crank up the tunes

Create a playlist ahead of time, set the iPod to shuffle, and let it do its thing! Mix up the styles and eras of the songs, but make the tunes in your mix mesh well -- and avoid ballads and somber songs.

9. Dress it up

Forget standard balloons and streamers. Create a chic party atmosphere with festive white lights (the more the merrier!), lots of candles, and unique, contemporary decor. Fill large bowls and vases with shiny ball ornaments, colorful vase gems, or mini disco balls.

10. Celebrate

Create a "celebration buffet" area full of party hats, noisemakers, feather boas, and costume beads for guests to dress up in. Stack piles of glittery hats in neat rows and hang paper tiaras from the rim of a tall vase. Fill bowls and other containers with different styles of noisemakers, horn blowers, and confetti poppers.

11. Say cheers!

Since the toast is the most important event of the night, don't scrimp on stemware. If you don't have enough wineglasses or champagne flutes to accommodate all of your guests, borrow extras from friends or purchase inexpensive additional sets at discount department stores.

Party Keepsakes

Toast the New Year with champagne flutes in custom-etched designs. To make your own, wrap self-adhesive vinyl around clean glasses, and use a crafts knife to cut away the design elements (wherever the vinyl remains, the glass will be clear). Apply etching cream, following the manufacturer's instructions.

EXTRA NOTE: Keep things stress-free with stylish disposable plates, napkins, and utensils that coordinate with your party decor. People are there for the party- so don’t sweat the small stuff. And why not give people a night to remember.

Party Favor Tins At the end of your celebration, present each guest with a small gift tin filled with sweets -- to be savored on the way home or saved for another day.

Enjoy and HAPPY NEW YEAR!