Can you believe it’s almost New Year’s Eve?! Where did 2015 even go?
Every year around this time, we’re faced with the same choice as to how we will celebrate this festive occasion. Do we go out and celebrate at a restaurant or bar or do we stay in and perhaps host our own party? The majority of the time, my friends and I opt for the first option. Going out usually means less stress, less mess, and more freedom (however, it usually comes with a hefty price tag.)
Last year, I decided to switch things up and host an awesome party right at my home. After how much fun we all had (and how easy it was), I’m totally planning to do this again!
Hosting a New Year’s Eve party can be festive, fun, and provide an intimate celebration. It also ended up being a lot less stressful than going out. Now, before you roll your eyes and say there is no way, here me out! Imagine how much fun it’ll be to invite over your closest friends, eat great food, and watch the ball drop in NYC all from your cozy and impeccably decorated living room?
I partnered with Coca-Cola to share some tips and tricks to planning a stress-free (but totally memorable) New Year’s Eve party that won’t have you frantically running around in preparation.
Tip #1. Keep it Simple with the Decorations
There is no reason to overthink your soiree. To keep things easy, pick up some gold/silver matte balloons and let them cover your ceiling or just disperse throughout the apartment or home. This will give your party a major festive feel. Choose simple black table cloths and accent them with glitter and confetti spread loosely over the fabric (I’ve learned you simply cannot go wrong with confetti, glitter, and balloons).
If you want do something a little more interactive for your guests, you can attach a card to the ends of the balloons and have each one of them write their New Year’s resolution on them. At midnight, you can all let them go outside together!
Also, get fun hats. Everyone loves a fun, holiday-themed hat.
Tip #2 DIY Food!
I’m telling you right now, there is nothing easier (and more adorable) than DIY food. Not only is it super interactive, but your guests are bound to leave happier because they were able to eat exactly what they want to eat!
For this occasion, I recommend a DIY bruschetta bar! To create it, just set out some grilled bread, tons of yummy vegetables, meats, various cheeses, different sauces/toppings! So simple.
Here is how I build my ultimate bruschetta bar.
What You’ll Need (any of the following)
A load of bread, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces and toasted
olive oil for drizzling
balsamic for drizzling
Jam(s) of your choice
roasted garlic
roasted tomatoes
Pesto
fresh arugula or spinach
caramelized onions
sautéed mushrooms
smashed avocado
3 soft cheeses (I like brie, goat cheese and a fresh mozzarella)
3 harder cheeses (my choice would be cheddar, gruyere and gorgonzola dolce)
A few meats like prosciutto di parma, soppressata and and capicola
What You’ll Do
1) Get a large wooden cutting board and arrange all your meats, cheeses and vegetables out on the tray
2) Have a few pre-made toasts to get people started! You can even create a few recipe cards and display them to give your guests some ideas on great combinations. My favorites combos are:
-Goat cheese, caramelized onion, prosciutto and arugula.
-Roasted tomatoes, pesto and arugula
-Smashed avocado and roasted garlic
-Sautéed mushrooms and capicola
So easy and so delicious. This is also great because it caters to all different dietary restrictions!
For dessert, having a make-your-own sundae station complete with festive sprinkles, a variety of toppings, and different types of ice cream is perfect for New Years Eve.
Here is how I create the ultimate Sundae Bar.
Sauces Ideas
-chocolate
-strawberry
-caramel
-peanutbutter
Topping Ideas
– fresh fruit (like strawberry, banana or fresh berries)
– chopped nuts
– chocolate chips and peanut butter chips
– crushed up candy of your choice
– maraschino cherries
– fun breakfast cereal
– shredded coconut
– festive colored sprinkles
– marshmallows
– gummy bears
– cookies (these can be used to make ice cream sandwiches too)
– whipped cream
At dessert time, simply arrange all the toppings and sauces for your guests. Just make sure to hold off on setting out the ice cream until right before you’re about to eat or you’ll have a melty mess!
Tip #3 -Have a beverage bar
One of things I struggle with when hosting a party is checking in to see if anyone needs a refill on their beverage. It is impossible to anticipate what everyone wants or be able to keep track of what everyone is sipping on.
This is why I love having a pre-set beverage bars! Not only does it take the guess work out of what to serve, but your guests can fill up their cup whenever they want! I designate a section of my kitchen counter to drinks. One of my must haves at my beverage bar this year is the new mini, 7.5 ounce Coca Cola cans! They are literally the perfect portion-controlled size and really easy to set out for your guests. The cans are also super festive meaning you won’t have to worry about finding another container to put it in to keep with your holiday theme!
Cheers!
Tip #4 Lighting is Everything
I’ve found that lighting is the key to setting the tone of a party. It’s also probably the first thing people will notice when they come into your home. Since first impressions are SO important, you should be sure to make sure the lighting looks awesome!
When planning a cozy New Year’s Eve bash, I recommend you dim the lights and use lots of candles to help set the mood. I also find that keeping the lights dim seems to allow people to unwind and feel comfortable in the space. You can get the candles in whatever colors and sizes you wish (though I do recommend going unscented as it may be overpowering if you have 15 candles lit with the different scents). My suggestion would be to opt for some neutral color (like a cream) and pair it with some fun glittery ones if possible!
Tip #5 Music sets the Mood
I love this time of year because of the music!
In my opinion, you can never go wrong with Sinatra (who just celebrated his 100th birthday btw), but think about who is coming to your party and what type of music they are most into. For my New Year’s Eve party, I like to keep the mood sexy by setting-up a playlist of John Legend, Michael Bublé, and Josh Groban.
Don’t feel like playing DJ? No worries, Pandora and Rhapsody both offer awesome New Years playlists that you can literally turn on and not worry all night long.
See, hosting a New Years Eve party is actually much easier than you think! Happy New Year!
Love always,
Erica
This post was sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company. The opinions are completely my own and based on my experience.
