December and January are full of times of celebration — and excuses to deck the halls and tinsel the town while you’re at it! With Christmas out of the way, there are few final exciting festivities left, and if you can muster a little bit of inspiration and energy, you can create cheerful settings for your New Year’s party with these celebratory and crafty decoration ideas.
SHIMMERING STREAMERS
Don’t toss those scraps of leftover holiday paper — use them to make glamorous streamers, inspired by the Times Square ball. Weave fishing wire through dots cut out of glitzy wrapping paper and fasten to window sills or over archways and entrances for a smattering of holiday fun.
SPARKLING CENTREPIECES
Ball-shaped ornaments displayed in glass flutes mimic the rising bubbles in a glass of champagne — easy and pretty all in one.
COUNTDOWN TOAST
For a fun twist on the New Year’s Eve countdown, pass champagne in glasses marked with numbers representing those anticipated last 10 seconds. Self-stick numbers can be found in office and art-supply stores. On Jan. 2, either peel off numbers (use a cotton ball and adhesive remover to wipe away residue) or save the flutes for next year.
METALLIC TRAY LINERS
Spruce up your drink trays for the occasion by lining them in metallic paper. Cut out a liner using left over gift wrap, festive scrapbooking sheets, or overlap highly decorated Origami sheets over one another to cover the bottom. Set drinks on top and voila.
CLEVER CUBES
Say cheers to the New Year by freezing water tinted with food coloring (or juice) in number-shaped ice trays — a fun way to keep the drinks chilly and unexpected all night.
SILVER AND WHITE BALLOONS
Add easy drama instantly with silver and white helium balloons — tie them off with long ribbon streamers and let them float to the ceiling. Nothing coaxes a party atmosphere faster than a room full of balloons.
CLOCKS AND NUMBERS
It wouldn’t be a party without an infamous countdown — gather all the clocks you own and set them atop a mantle or in the middle of your serving buffet for a humourous reminder of the time remaining throughout the evening. Paper fans with dials, and brightly coloured number cut outs set into cork place card holders are another great way to set the stage.
CHINESE NEW YEAR
Look to the East perhaps when gathering ideas this week: I love the look of an Asian-inspired New Year party — bright hues of red, orange, and tangerine can take the place of traditional white, black, silver, and gold instead. Paper lanterns, bowls of shiny hard candies, dragon details and miniature take-out boxes as party favours make for a fantastic way to celebrate an eastern-infused New Year.
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition December 29, 2012
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