How to Have a Fun New Year’s Eve From Home
While New Year's Eve is one of the most magical and sparkly nights of the year, it can also be the most costly.
From dinners to parties to dressing the part, truth be told, this extravagant event is exhausting just to think about.
Whether you feel like skipping the stress or your 'rents won't let you hit the town on NYE, you can actually have a really fun night at home. Continue reading to find out how to make an at-home celebration your best New Year yet:
Host a Party (Large or Small)
Bring the party to you this year. With food, games and decorations there's no better place to be than at home for the holidays—NYE included. You get to have all of your friends in one place and you don't even need to worry about holiday traffic.
(Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life via Netflix)
Of course it wouldn't be a NYE party without the velvety or sequin-sparkling dress code, so encourage your guests to dress up for the event. Have fun holiday props on hand such as noisemakers, poppers and confetti cannons.
Partake in Traditions
There are plenty of traditions around the world that involve celebrating the coming of the new year. Pick and choose which worldly customs you want to incorporate into your night.
Some favorites of ours include eating 12 grapes at midnight for good luck like they do in Spain, surrounding yourself with "round" objects to represent money (i.e. a basket of oranges to wearing polka dot patterns) like they do in the Philippines or eating a stack of crepes like they do in France. Make the night extra fun by partaking in as many traditions as you can.
Write Your Resolutions
Whether you're flying solo on NYE or you have a party of your closest friends sleeping over, sit down and write your resolutions and goals. This is one of the most popular traditions in the country and, sure, while many make a mockery of these half-lived goals, many others of us enjoy the enthusiastic attempt to better ourselves.
You could even make this activity into a game by writing your lists anonymously and then trying to figure out who wrote which list.
Make a Photo Booth
What would a party be without a photo booth? These are both fun to create and even more fun to snap photos in front of with your besties. Include over sized "year" glasses, top hats and confetti to make the photo booth pop.
Make a 2017 Playlist
Make a playlist of 2017's best jams to listen to during your festivities. Consider burning this year's soundtrack and gifting each of your friends the mixed CD. You'll be able to reminisce on your fave beats of the year while looking forward to the upcoming music releases. It's also a great way to cement the moment in time so that these songs remind you of good times with best friends.
Dine With Fondue
We're not totally sure why, but fondue just screams NYE party. It's easy to set up a snacking table with breads, fruits and meats surrounding a hot pot of melted cheese. Feeling a tad intimidated by making this dinner dip? Don't fret! Trader Joe's sells premade multi-cheese fondue packages that simply require a microwave for heating.
Make Mini Time Capsules
Again, this activity can be accomplished solo or with your party guests. Sit down with a piece of paper and an envelop and write yourselves mini time capsules. In the letter include your best moments of 2017, your hopes for 2018 and questions to answer at the end of the year (i.e., did you finally catch the attention of your crush?). Consider adding small tokens such as a dollar, coins or even Instax photos from your night to surprise the future you. Seal these babies up and keep them hidden to open a year from now.
Make a Change
The new year is all about the new you. Ring in the momentous occasion by making a change, big or small. You could do mani-pedis with your friends in bold new colors or even buy a box of bottle dye and change up your hair (with your parent's permission, of course!).
Read Horoscopes
We may think of horoscopes as being a daily or weekly prophesy, but you can learn what the stars hold for the upcoming year as a whole as well. Take turns reading each other's horoscopes and decipher what the news may mean.
Make Vision Boards
In this context, vision boards are practically the visual version of new year resolutions. Cut out scraps from magazines and paste them onto poster boards, making sure to include pictures and phrases that exemplify the life you want to have in the upcoming year. Whether you have fitness goals, dating dreams or academic aspiration, post these images onto paper so you can visualize your fantasies as reality.
Make a DIY Balloon Drop
A DIY balloon drop is a simple way to bring the excitement of the countdown to your at-home NYE. With a few supplies, you can create a dramatic drop that will make for the best photo ops.
Watch the Times Square Coverage
From holiday performances to the national countdown to the ball drop, Times Square is the place to be on NYE. Since not all of us can be in the Big Apple on this night, tune into the coverage of these exciting events from the comfort of your own couch.
Watch the Fireworks
If you have rooftop access , you'll want to head up top to watch the neighborhood or city-wide fireworks. There's no grander way to celebrate than by watching the beautiful cracks of color light up the sky.
Not sure how you really feel about this glittery holiday? Click HERE for the NYE expectations versus their less-than-glamorous realities.