I cannot believe how fast New Year’s Eve has come around – time flies when there’s a lot going on. It’s safe to say nobody knew if this NYE would be another virtual one or if we’d be able to surround ourselves with those we love – and the drinks we love. If you are going to be surrounded by those you love, in person, this New Year’s then haven’t we got the blog for you. After some thorough research (and I take all my party planning very seriously I can assure you) I’ve compiled a list of the most important things to consider when working out how to decorate for New Year’s Eve for that ultimate, showstopper party. New Year’s Eve is the time to wrap up 2021, whether it’s been good to you or bad, let it go, and set a precedent for 2022 – and this precedent is probably best set at the beginning of the night rather than the end!
How to Decorate for New Year’s Eve
Pick a theme
Don’t be alarmed, just because I said the word theme doesn’t mean you need to get the fancy-dress box out and put on something silly. To decorate for New Year’s Eve – for that showstopper party – you need a theme, this may be a casual, chic soirée, a glitz and glam disco night, or a sophisticated black and gold night of luxury – or you may event want to get dressed up and have a laugh, it’s New Year’s Eve after all!
A casual chic soirée
If the whole show of New Years Eve isn’t really your scene, then maybe you’re planning a night in with a few of your closest loved ones. Just because it’s not all glammed up and shiny doesn’t mean you can’t still decorate for New Year’s Eve in a stylish way. For a casual soirée stick with neutral tones and pastel colours, scatter some cushions around the living room for a relaxed environment – perhaps surrounding the coffee table for a low-key dinner set up. Although I said a night in, it doesn’t mean it has to be quiet, and it doesn’t mean you can’t let your hair down, ensure you’ve got the essentials sorted with some stylish highball glasses suitable to whatever drinks you may be serving, homemade punch, cocktails, spirits, soft drinks. Tie the whole chic, relaxed setting in together with some scented candles to give your room that warming and refreshing glow.
A glitz and glam disco night
Now, if you are into the excitement, glitter, and extravagance of New Year’s Eve then a glitz and glam disco night is certainly for you (surely, it’s not only me!). It’s the perfect way to blow off some steam after a year of uncertainty. When I say ensure everything shimmers and sparkles, from wall to wall, ceiling to floor, and everything in between, I mean go all out! Go crazy! Although, try to keep it a little classy so when you look back at photos you’re not totally appalled. Decorate for New Year’s Eve by sticking with a colour scheme, silvers and golds, pinks, purples and silvers, blues, and silvers - then go crazy. You’ll want to push all the furniture out to the walls to ensure everyone has enough room to rock a few dance moves and drift around conversing, laughing, and reminiscing.
An evening of luxury
How about meeting somewhere in the middle with an evening of luxury that can go either way; decorate for New Year’s Eve with an evening of luxury in mind. With this theme, you could even tailor it around a 1920’s theme for an extra touch of elegance and opulence. Go wall to wall with blacks, golds, and silvers, grab some 1920s inspired signs – or create them yourself with slate boards and a touch of creativity, and don’t forget the feathers; drape them over tables, stand them in vases, and of course, save one for the hair! Leave room for plenty of champagne flutes and saucers, even a champagne tower if you’re feeling confident. A night of luxury can be elaborate, it can be fancy, but it’s classy – at the beginning anyway.
Set up the bar
Arguably, the most important part of the night is the bar – well, is it really an argument? So, let’s get right to it.
How to decorate for New Year’s Eve 101 is certainly ensuring you have all the right glassware and barware you will need. This means you need plenty of table top space to pack in bottles, glasses, and cocktail shakers; you could do this by having one designated bar area, or you could have a few small tables spread around so people can top up drinks wherever they are (of course, if there’s not lots of people or lots of space this isn’t always an option!). You want to ensure you’re serving drinks that will impress, so grab an ice bucket or two to keep filled up and keep bottles of fine champagne refreshing all night long.
Perhaps you’re thinking you want to serve cocktails, maybe you have a keen mixologist among your loved ones, well this is their time to shine. With some striking cocktail shakers, they’re the perfect accessory to decorate for New Year’s Eve, but they will also make some flavourful concoctions that will keep you on the dancefloor all night long. Of course, to complement the spectacularly made cocktails you need the right cocktail glasses. Have a variety of martini glasses, highball glasses, Pina coladas, and of course gin glasses to ensure you’ve got everything, and everyone covered.
Fill the table
Something to consider when you’re planning to decorate for New Year’s Eve is whether you can make do with what you’ve got – it’s ok to go out and buy some exciting new things but if you’ve got things, you can reuse and repurpose then that’s always better – for the environment and for your bank! Let’s focus on creating a table display that will wow, even with reusing things you’ve got.
Dig into your cupboards for any storage jars, cake stands, and vases, even check the recycling bin for some empty wine or champagne bottles, and any glasses you’re not drinking out of will make great decoration too! Fill your storage jars with sweet treats, use your cake stand to glamorously display a cake you slaved over for hours (or that’s what everyone will think!), and poke feathers out of your empty bottles and vases – even stick one in the cake. My favourite trick if you’ve got a glass hurricane lamp is to fill it to the brim with treats or chocolates – I think they look so classy, and you’ll be surprised how well this works with a trifle bowl too!
The main thing to remember when you decorate for New Year’s Eve is to not clutter the clock! Go big, go all out, fill the room, but ensure when it comes time to gather everyone together and toast to a new year, new beginnings, new journeys, and new memories, you get the right time!
I hope this has given you a few ideas on how to decorate for New Year’s Eve for a showstopper party. If you use any of our ideas or found some inspiration then please snap some photos and tag us on Instagram @rinkithome, or use the hashtag #rinkithome, we would love to see how your night starts and ends!
We wish you all the best for the new year, and hope it’s filled with happiness.
As always, thank you for reading,
Love, Poppy, and the Rinkit Team.