New Year’s Eve Party Ideas

Ring in the New Year! Throw the ultimate black tie bash or an intimate dinner party with friends to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Mix up delicious champagne cocktails, hand out chic personalized party favors, and quiz your guests on trivia from the past year. Discover the perfect theme idea for your event and a scrumptious New Year’s Day brunch menu.

New Year's Champagne Cocktail Recipes

 

It is tradition to toast the New Year with a glass of champagne. No ball drop is complete without it! If you want a sweet twist on this old classic for this year's New Year’s festivities, try one of these delicious champagne cocktail recipes.

 

Here are seven heavenly champagne cocktail recipes to tickle your fancy:


Bellini


A bellini is a nice alternative to your New Year’s bubbly, and makes a perfect drink for a New Year’s Day brunch. This classic mix of champagne and peach nectar is enjoying a revival among cocktail enthusiasts. Use the champagne cocktail recipe below to create your own delightful version of the bellini:

• 2 oz peach juice or peach puree

• 4 oz champagne or prosecco


Pour peach puree into a champagne glass and add champagne. You can also create a “Baby Bellini,” which is a non-alcoholic version of the drink. Simply substitute sparking cider for prosecco to make this yummy mock-tail.

Kiwi Sparkle


Enjoy this unexpected take on New Year’s cocktails with champagne. Garnish with a slice of kiwi to give guests a hint of what’s inside.

• 3 oz champagne

• ½ oz kiwi liqueur

• 1 oz kiwi juice


Pour all ingredients into a champagne flute and serve.

Black Velvet


Serve this twist on traditional Irish stout to your beer-drinking guests. This is great if you're having a casual party but still want to toast with champagne cocktails when the ball drops.

• 1 part stout beer

• 4 parts champagne


Fill your glass with your favorite stout beer and then float your champagne on top of the stout by holding a spoon turned upside down over the drink and pouring slowly over it. This will allow the liquid to run gently down the sides of the glass and the differing densities of the champagne and beer will cause them to remain largely in separate layers.

Champagne Fizz


Sugar and lemon give this fizzy drink a lemon-drop flavor. A good combination of sweet and sour, this champagne cocktail will be sure to please your guests.

• 3 oz. chilled champagne

• 1 ½ oz. gin

• 1 oz. lemon juice

• 1 tsp. sugar.


Pour the gin, lemon juice, and sugar into a cocktail shaker that is half filled with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into a champagne flute and add champagne. Serve chilled.

Champagne Sangria


Try this bubbly adaptation on traditional sangria.

• ½ cup of orange juice

• 1 cup strawberries, blended

• Chopped fruit (apple, mango, orange, lime)

• 1 bottle of champagne


Prepare a large bowl or pitcher. Add in the orange juice, strawberries, and fruit. Mix together well. Allow to sit for at least a few hours (and preferably overnight), so the liquids absorb the flavors of the fruit. Add in the champagne just before serving, so that it doesn't go flat.

Poinsettia


Perfect for holidays, these ruby red champagne drinks will punch up your party.

• ½ oz Cointreau or triple sec

• Champagne

• 3 oz cranberry juice


Pour the Cointreau and cranberry juice into champagne flutes. Top off with champagne.

French 75


Named after WWI French artillery guns, this drink packs as much power as its name implies.

• ½ oz lemon juice

• 1 oz gin

• ½ oz Cointreau

• Champagne


Pour the lemon juice, gin, and Cointreau into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes and shake well. Strain into a champagne flute and add champagne.

Champagne & Strawberries


When in doubt, keep it simple and give guests the option to have their champagne as is or garnished with strawberries for a hint of flavor.

Need an occasion to try these fabulous champagne drink ideas? Host a New Year's party and start planning your menu around these beautiful and tasty drinks!

New Year's Eve Finger Foods

 

Whether you're having a big New Year's Eve party or just hanging out with one or two people, it's always a good idea to have an assortment of New Year's Eve finger foods and a New Year's snack or two for guests to nibble on. Build a New Year's snacks menu around a particular theme, or just pick a few favorites. Try some of these classic finger foods for New Year's that will be popular with all your guests!

 

Here are some New Year's recipes for you to try at your festivities:


Stuffed Mushrooms


Ingredients:

• 2 dozen fresh mushrooms, no stems

• 1 cup chopped spinach, frozen

• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped

• 1 package cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup Parmesan, grated

• Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

1. Clean mushrooms and dry.

2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, except mushrooms and Parmesan.

3. Fill each mushroom with mixture and bake at 350 degrees on a large cookie sheet for 10 minutes.

4. Sprinkle each mushroom with Parmesan and bake again for 5 additional minutes.


Shrimp and Cheese Crostini


Ingredients:

• 8 ounces herbed cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 1 tbsp. garlic paste

• 1/2 tbsp. onion powder

• 2 tbsp. melted butter

• 2 dozen fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 2 dozen crostinis

• fresh parsley


Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except butter, shrimp, and crostinis in a bowl.

2. Saute shrimp and a dash of garlic paste in butter over medium heat until pink.

3. Top each crostini with a dollop of cream cheese and a shrimp. Garnish with parsley.


Cheese Straws


Ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1 1/2 cups white flour

• 1/4 teaspoon salt


Directions:

1.Combine cheeses and butter in a mixing bowl.

2.Gradually add in flour and salt.

3.Form the mixture into 7 balls of dough. Roll the balls into long strings and cut into 4 straws each.

4.Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until browned on top.

5.Serve with warm marinara sauce.

Spicy Jalapeno Poppers

Ingredients:

• 10 long green jalapenos, cut in half and de-seeded

• 2 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

• 4 spicy pork sausages

• 1 cup panko bread crumbs mixed with Mexican seasoning


Directions:

1.Lay each pepper on a baking sheet and fill with cheese.

2.Cut sausages into tiny pieces and fry over medium heat for 10 minutes.

3.Scoop several pieces of sausage into each pepper.

4.Sprinkle with bread crumbs and cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Pizza Dip


Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 teaspoon each of basil and oregano

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 cup pizza or marinara sauce


Directions:

1. Combine cream cheese and herbs, and spread in the bottom of a glass bowl.

2. Sprinkle the other cheeses over the top and then spread marinara sauce over the entire dish.

3. Microwave for 4 minutes, until bubbling.

4. Serve with French bread, slices of pepperoni, or other cured meats and olives.


Serve these New Year's Eve appetizer ideas at your party along with an assortment of cheese and crackers, chips and dip, and leftover holiday cookies. New Year's finger food will give guests something to fill their bellies as they load up on wine and spirits and prepare for the coming year with friends and family. Bon appetit!

New Year's Day Brunch

 

Feeling the pressure to make big plans for New Year’s Eve? It’s okay to stay in and do something low-key like dinner and a movie, or watching the countdown on TV. Save your energy for a New Year’s Day brunch on January 1st! Turn a day of football and parades into a fun-filled New Year’s brunch with family and friends. This is a great time to get together for some good conversation with great company. Check out these fabulous New Year’s brunch ideas!

 

Send out invitations to your guests to let them know about the festivities. Create your event on Punchbowl to access a wonderful selection of free New Year’s invitation designs. Since many people will likely stay up until midnight the day before, they may want to get a little extra sleep in that morning. Your New Year’s day party will be the perfect way to kick off the year with a delicious meal and fun gathering. Cook up some of these delicious New Year’s dishes:


Brunch Buffet: One option for a New Year’s Day menu is to serve a traditional brunch with bagels, omelets, hash browns, bacon or sausage, and fresh fruit. Try this decadent recipe for mushroom omelets, which serves six!


Mushroom Omelet Recipe


Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds mushrooms (a flavorful variety are Champignons de Paris)

• 3 tbsp salted butter

• 12 eggs

• 2 tbsp crème fraiche

• chives, finely chopped

• ½ tbsp crushed white peppercorns

• salt


Directions:


Slice the mushrooms into large pieces. Cook in 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat to soften. Combine all the eggs and beat at least 10 minutes until thickened. Stir in the crème fraiche, chives, salt, and crushed peppercorns. Melt the other tablespoon of butter in a fresh pan over low heat. Add the egg mixture and cook 2 minutes. When the edges begin to look done, but the omelet is still soft in the middle, add the sliced mushrooms. Continue to heat until the eggs are cooked through.


Sweet Treats: Whip up fresh pancakes or waffles with everyone’s favorite toppings or show off your baking skills with hot out-of-the-oven muffins and scones. Donuts with powdered sugar are a sweet treat that also represent good luck since their round shape symbolizes “coming full circle.” Here is a fabulous basic scone recipe that makes a great foundation for any add-ins you’d like to try.


Traditional Tea Scone Recipe


Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1/8 tsp salt

• 1/3 cup margarine, chilled

• ½ cup heavy cream

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup of add-ins


Add-In Ideas:

• Fresh fruit (blueberries, raspberries, or chopped strawberries)

• Chunks of white chocolate

• Small pieces of toffee

• Dark chocolate chips


Directions:


Combine dry ingredients, then use a pastry cutter to cut in the margarine until you have a crumbly mixture. Mix the rest of the ingredients in another bowl and then combine with the dry ingredients. Mix lightly, and pour in any add-ins. Use a large ice cream scoop to scoop the dough onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes at 425F, until the tops just begin to turn golden.


Delicious Drinks: Vanilla hot chocolate and cafe au lait can be the perfect antidote for a chilly morning. Don’t forget to top off your New Year’s Day brunch menu with some yummy cocktails made with extra bottles of champagne saved from the night before. Mimosas or Bloody Marys are classic brunch drinks everyone will love.


Mimosa Recipe


Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of champagne, chilled

• 1 carton of orange juice


Directions:


Fill half a champagne glass with champagne, and top it off with the orange juice. Squeeze your own fresh OJ for some added flair. You can also add a splash of Grand Marnier, or decorate the glass with a slice of fruit.


Inaugurate this fresh beginning with a special New Year’s Day meal and let your festive celebration shared with families and friends be a sign of all the happiness to come in the year ahead.

Directions for baking:

1. Bake the cake as directed on the box in a 13 x 9 inch pan

2. When the cake has completely cooled, break it apart into small pieces in a large bowl.

3. Mix the cake with frosting. Combine thoroughly.

4. Make quarter-size balls out of the mixture and place on wax paper on top of a cookie sheet.

5. Follow the directions for melting the chocolate from the package.

6. Dip each lollipop stick in melted candy coating and insert into each cake ball.

7. Place in freezer to firm (about 15 minutes).

8. Carefully insert each cake ball into the melted candy and rotate to cover completely, and tap gently to release extra chocolate.

9. Place stick first in styrofoam to dry.


Decorating Supplies:

• White candy melts

• Black confetti sprinkles

• Orange sunflower seeds

• Black edible ink pen

• Regular and miniature Oreos


Directions for decorating:

1. Separate all the oreos and take out the creme center.

2. Melt more candy melts and attach three mini Oreos to a large Oreo and set aside. These will be the snowman hats.

3. Attach a sunflower seed and two sprinkles to the cake pops for the face.

4. Attach the hat to the top of the pop with melted candy.

5. Draw a mouth on the face with the pen.

6. Place in the styrofoam block to dry.


Recipe for cake pops that look like reindeer:


Directions for baking:

• 1 box of chocolate cake mix

• 1 can of chocolate frosting

• Brown candy melts (found at most craft stores)

• Wax paper

• Lollipop sticks

• Piece of styrofoam


Bake and coat according to directions listed above.


Decorating Supplies:

• Brown candy melts

• Brown M&M's

• Bag of waffle pretzels

• Black edible ink pen

• White candy confetti dots


Directions for decorating:

1. Break waffle pretzels in half and put aside.

2. Melt more candy melts and attach a brown M&M to the center of each cake pop with a dab of melted candy.

3. Attach two white candy confetti pieces for eyes, and draw a black center for the pupil.

4. Puncture two small holes on top of each cake pop, drip a bit of melted candy and place pretzel waffle pieces inside for antlers.

5. Draw a mouth on the face with the pen.

6. Place in the styrofoam block to dry.


Recipe for festive winter cake pops:


Directions for baking:

• 1 box of vanilla cake mix

• 1 can of vanilla frosting

• Red candy melts (found at most craft stores)

• Wax paper

• Peppermint candy sticks

• Piece of styrofoam


Decorating Supplies:

• Crumbled peppermint sticks

• Red edible sprinkles

• Mini red cupcake cups


Directions for baking and decorating:

1. Bake and coat according to directions listed above, except use candy sticks instead of lollipop sticks.

2. Before the candy melt covering dries, roll each cake pop in crumbled peppermint sticks and sprinkles.

3. Place each cake pop upside down in a mini cupcake cup and display on a tray.


If you think you don't know how to make cake pops, think again! Surprise everyone, including yourself, with these adorable snowmen, reindeer and winter cake pops and enjoy eating them on New Year's as much as you did making them.

DIY New Year’s Hats

 

Prepare to celebrate the upcoming year in style with DIY New Year’s hats. Create a whole ensemble and coordinate your New Year’s Eve hat with your clothing. Plan the Happy New Year hats around the clothes, or the clothes around the hat!

 

Here are a few ideas for fun, do-it-yourself New Year’s hats:

•Classy: Make your own New Year’s Eve hat with a touch of class. Use a simple hat such as a top hat in the color black. Brush glue onto the hat, sprinkle it with black glitter and cover the entire hat in sparkles. Purchase thick white satin ribbon and glue it to both the top rim and bottom rim of the hat. Keep the decorative lines clean, and don’t go overboard. Remember, sometimes less is more!

•Fun: Gather the kids together to make hats for New Year’s Eve crafts. Show the kids examples of pre-made hats, but encourage them to use their own creative ideas. Supply the kids with hats and fun decorations. Give the option of top hats or cone hats. Provide glue, feathers, gems, sequins, puffy paint, and stickers. Let the kids go wild! Print out “Happy New Year” text on a piece of card stock paper small enough to fit on the front of the hat. Cut out the text with jagged edges, and offer the kids the option to glue it to the fronts of their hats.

•Tiara: Satisfy a diva’s desire with New Year’s tiaras. Purchase plain New Year’s tiaras from your local party store and add girly decorations such as pink feathers and stick-on diamonds for extra sparkle.

•Traditional: Stick with traditional New Year’s party hats to ring in the New Year. Decorate a black, white, or colored New Year’s Eve top hat with a simple, “Happy New Year,” written on the front. Write out the text first with permanent marker and then write over it with sparkly puffy paint for one option. For another idea, print out “Happy New Year” on card stock. Run a piece of ribbon from one side of the card stock, around the back of the hat, and attach it to the other side of the card stock. Add silver fringe to the bottom of the hat for extra décor.


Throw a New Year’s party and encourage guests to either decorate New Year’s Eve hats at the party or bring decorated hats made at home. Have a contest and award prizes for the best classy, fun, and traditional New Year hats.

New Year’s Eve Favors

 

When the clock strikes midnight, you’ll want to be able to celebrate with festive New Year’s Eve party favors that capture the spirit and pizazz of the evening. Don’t worry about breaking the bank over the expenses either. New Year’s favors can be simple and inexpensive, but still add a big bang to your occasion. Plus, if you’re ever going to try your hand at making party favors New Year’s is the perfect time!

 

Check out these fabulous New Year party favor ideas:

•Goody Bags: Some of the best New Year’s Eve favors are ones that will help your guests celebrate. Encourage a big ruckus when the ball drops by providing everyone with their own personal noisemaker and stash of confetti. Fill a small, clear cellophane bag three-quarters of the way full with confetti. Fold the top of the bag over the stem of a noisemaker and seal with a bright sticker.

•Party Hats: Extend the celebration to your outfits with these New Year’s favors. Make your party hats as silly or sophisticated as you’d like. You’ll need construction paper, glue, ribbon, and a pair of scissors. For each hat, trace the outline of a 10-inch plate onto your paper and cut out the circles. Overlap the shapes over one another about one-third the diameter and glue together so that they create the point of a cone at one end. Curl ribbons for a tassel and affix to the top. You can also use ribbon to make sturdy chin ties so that your party hats will stay in place until the fun is over.

•Friend Confetti: Your guests will go dotty when they see their own smiling faces decorating these New Year party favors. Print out digital photos of family and friends onto matte photo paper and then use ½-inch to 1-inch circle punches to cut out faces. Add some circles of brightly colored paper and vellum as well and package in envelopes for each of your guests. Hand out your favors at midnight for a celebratory toss of confetti as the new year arrives.

•Good-Luck Gifts: New Year’s party favors take on a sweet and serendipitous note with these lucky charms. Did you know that in Italy lentils are thought to bring prosperity because they resemble little coins? Down in the South they also believe that eating black beans shows humility and thus brings good fortune. For your guests, package dried black-eyed peas or lentils in a jar with some savory dried herbs such as bay leaves, oregano, and thyme. Attach a gift card with a favorite recipe and handwritten cooking instructions.


Inaugurate the New Year in style with these fun and easy party favor ideas. They will add that special little boost to the holiday and ensure that everyone enjoys a new beginning with high spirits and good company.

New Year’s Decoration Ideas

 

To celebrate a new beginning, get inspired by these New Year’s decoration ideas that are sure to capture the joy of the holiday. Festive New Year’s Eve decorations can set the right atmosphere as you pop a bottle of champagne, make a toast, and count down to midnight. Everyone will be in good spirits and in good company at a celebration crafted with the following New Year’s decorating ideas.

 

Here are four fabulous ideas for New Year’s decorations:

•Shimmering Streamers: Instead of tossing leftover scraps of holiday wrap, recycle them into glamorous New Year’s party decorations. Cut metallic or pretty patterned paper into graduated circles ranging from 2 to 6 inches in diameter, and arrange them by size with the largest at the top and smallest at the bottom. To begin assembling your chains, you’ll need to punch two holes on either side of each circle, except for the smallest one which only needs one hole punched. Connect the links using ribbon or jump rings, and attach a longer string to the top so you can hang your streamers. As they descend from above, they will look just like the ball dropping in Times Square!

•Bubble Wrap Runner: Save all of your packaging supplies and turn them into a fun and colorful floor runner for your home. Color the flat side of a strip of bubble wrap with permanent marker and securely tape the runner along a walkway. At midnight, you will have an appropriately loud way to celebrate the New Year!

•Party Banner: For this project you will need colored construction paper, markers, glue, scissors, and string. First, pick a message that you want to display. This can be as simple as “Happy New Year,” or “Cheers,” or simply the date of the new year you will be ushering in at midnight. Cut your paper into triangles and write one letter or character onto each. For a whimsical touch, alternate the color of your paper as you go. Affix these flags to your string by folding the top of the triangles over and gluing the flap down to the back of the banner.

•Floral Pom-Poms: These floating decorations for New Year’s will impart a cheerful radiance during your party. Start by stacking eight sheets of tissue paper and making 1 ½ inch accordion folds along the length. Using either floral wire or a twist tie, slip it over the center of your folded tissue and secure. Next, trim the ends of the tissue into either a rounded or pointed shape. To reveal the final product, carefully separate the layers by pulling them away from the center one at a time and attach a ribbon or monofilament to the center so you can hang your decorations. Voila! You now have a beautiful way to add charm to your party. Create a few poms-poms that match the color scheme of your event.


Pick a theme for your New Year’s decorations that will set the tone for the whole night. White and silver balloons can add instant drama to a room while brightly colored lights create a cool vibe. No matter where you find your inspiration, your decorations can help you create a wonderful celebration and ring in the New Year in style.

New Year’s Eve for Families

 

Ring in the New Year with your closest loved ones and plan a New Year’s Eve for families. Take everyone’s likes and dislikes into consideration and also plan age appropriate activities. Consider ideas such as a party at home, a party at a venue, going out to dinner and a fireworks show, enjoying a town event, or venturing to a vacation destination.

 

Take advantage of these fabulous New Year’s Eve ideas for families:

•Party at Home: Enjoy New Year’s Eve from the comfort of your own home. Invite your loved ones over to help celebrate with a family New Year’s Eve party. Decorate the house with Happy New Year signs and banners, and put confetti on the dining room table. Order Chinese food or Italian takeout from a local restaurant and eat it on Happy New Year plates. After dinner, prepare a special New Year arts and crafts project for the kids such as decorating New Year’s hats. Keep the adults busy by scratching scratch tickets. Take up the remaining time before midnight with a family movie or watch a New Year’s celebration on TV. Pass out noisemakers before the ball drops and ring in the New Year.

•Venue: Throw a family New Year’s Eve party at a local restaurant or venue. Hire a professional lighting crew, a local DJ or band, photographer, decorator, and party planner to help prepare for the event. Set up tables for the adults and separate tables for the kids. Have the photographer reserve a small section of the room for picture taking. Encourage the adults and kids to pose with a New Year’s Eve theme set-up, and have the photographer snap family photos. Have the DJ or band announce a special countdown for midnight and have the party planner arrange for balloons and confetti to fall from the ceiling. At the end of the evening, pass out favors such as cellophane bags filled with candy.

•Out to Dinner: Take the family out for a special New Year’s dinner at a local restaurant. Make reservations in advance to avoid New Year’s crowds. Check for fireworks displays near your city or town, and plan your dinner reservation around the fireworks show. To prepare for the show, bring chairs or a blanket and warm clothing for chilly weather. Make it an extra special evening and hire a car service or local limo company to drive your group to the family New Year’s Eve events.

•Town Event: Check with your town or a nearby city to ask about events planned for New Year’s Eve. Ask for specific details about the events to ensure they are family friendly. Depending on the climate of your hometown, enjoy ice sculptures, ice skating, and maybe even a live performance. Buy tickets in advance, if possible, to reserve a spot. Invite other friends and families to attend as well.

•Trip: Plan a family trip to visit out-of-town friends, family, or a get-a-way destination. Consider ideas such as a tropical island, a theme park for the kids, or a cruise. Pack New Year’s props such as noisemakers in your bag to enjoy the celebration away from home.


Plan New Year’s Eve family events based on your particular family situation. Mix some of these ideas together. Pull one idea, such as throwing a party at a venue, and then hire a bus to bring all of the guests to see a fireworks show. The possibilities are endless!

Design and send beautiful and free eCards for New Year’s from Punchbowl. Even if you don't have time to create a newsletter, address it to all your family and friends, and find time to go to the post office, you can still get the word out about your important news. Personalize free eCards for New Year's and easily send it to all your email contacts.

 

Send free New Year’s ecards to family and friends in order to:

• Wish your loved ones a very happy New Year.

• Build a stronger relationship with those who have lost touch.

• Put a smile on the faces of family and friends.

• Share family news from the previous year and for the upcoming year.

• Provide updated pictures of the kids to relatives.

• Tell family and friends about prestigious honors earned by family members.

• Display pictures from fun and exciting recent family vacations.

• Share information about family hobbies.

• Stay in touch with distant out-of-state relatives.

• Send a free ecard, and earn brownie points from your boss.

• Highlight the kids participating in their favorite sports.

• Show family and friends that you appreciate them, and they are an important part of your life.

• Send free New Year's ecards to keep in touch with co-workers and clients.


Personalize the happy New Year ecards to fit your personality and the personality of the recipient. Select free New Year ecards with beautiful designs and add your own personalized message for a perfect New Year’s wish.