25 Comments
I’ve collected at lot of at home New Years ideas for throwing a great party largely out of necessity. We live a good 30-45 minutes away from anywhere a New Year’s Eve event might be held, and the prospect of driving that far in the dark during the winter has never been very appealing.
But staying home on New Year’s Eve doesn’t have to be boring — not by a long shot! To prove it, I’ve rounded up dozens of brilliant ideas to help you ring in the new year from the comfort of your own home, whether you’re hosting a dinner party or hanging out with your family.
As you’ll see, there’s no shortage of things to do on New Year’s Eve if you’re celebrating at home. The list below includes plenty of ideas for everything from food to games to decorations. Many of these New Years Eve party ideas are perfect for adults and kids alike, and affordable to boot! So turn up the music and get the party going, because a fun and sparkly New Year’s Eve party at home awaits!
38 Fun And Festive At-Home New Year’s Ideas
Get Crafty With New Year’s Eve DIYs
1. New Year’s Eve Kit
From inchmark
Before you spend New Year’s at home, swing by your local party store for noisemakers, balloons, blowers, poppers and some sparkly confetti. Package it up in a party bag and with a small bottle of Martinelli’s for instant fun!
2. Party Hat Headbands
Back in 2022, I couldn’t find ANY New Year’s Eve party decorations, so I ended up making my own party hats using cheap birthday party hats, Christmas tree tinsel, and pompoms. And since I really don’t like party hats that have that annoying elastic band that goes under your chin, I found some cute, sparkly headbands and hot glued them to the hats instead.
3. Midnight Kisses
From Create.Craft.Love.
This New Year’s Eve printable is perfect for that special midnight “kiss!” A super easy party favor!
4. Paper Plate Shakers
Make these simple “noisemakers” out of two paper plates, a popsicle stick, and some uncooked rice or beans, then decorate them with spray adhesive and glitter. This could be a fun activity to keep kids busy while you countdown the hours ’til the clock strikes twelve.
5. Countdown Balloons
Fill several balloons with helium and tie them in a row to help the little ones keep track of the hours as you countdown to midnight. You could also do these balloons without helium and just tape them to a door or wall. Pop one each hour, on the hour, until midnight!
6. Countdown Bags
Ringing in the new year with your family? Make some quick and easy “countdown bags” that will keep everyone busy and having fun. Just fill a few bags with fun activities or toys, and open one every hour leading up to midnight. You could use treats, disposable cameras, a new board game, supplies for a craft project, noisemakers and confetti, etc.
7. Cupcake Countdown Clock
From The Soccer Mom Blog
Create an edible clock with a small cupcake representing each of the final hours before the new year. (Store-bought cupcakes would work just fine!) Add party hats and noisemakers, and you’ve got a celebration at any hour.
8. Paper Number Piñatas
From A Subtle Revelry
More Ideas You'll Love
This would be a fun way to count down to the new year. You could even make your own 2025 piñatas!
9. New Year’s Tree
From Our Best Bites
Use your New Year’s Eve celebration at home to start a new family tradition! Strip your Christmas tree of all the decorations (except the lights) and dress it all back up again with inexpensive New Year’s decorations.
10. Giant Paper Fortune Cookies
Fortune cookies are a fun New Year’s Eve idea, and I love the look of these oversized paper “cookies.” Print out some of your own customized “fortunes,” then read these instructions on how to roll your own paper fortune cookies. In addition to being a fun activity, they make a cute decoration.
11. DIY Photo Booth
From House & Home
Photo booths can be really easy to set up! All you need is some kind of backdrop, props, and a camera. The backdrop could be something as simple as a tablecloth hung from the ceiling, and the props could be something as easy to find as crazy scarves or glasses.
12. Printable NYE Photo Props
From Mum In The Madhouse
Speaking of photo booths, photo props are equally fun ways to make memories of celebrating New Year’s Eve at home, and these couldn’t be easier to make!
13. Printable Bottle Labels
From Bespoke Bride
If you’re going to be throwing your own party this year then why not jazz up the decor even more by adding these fun, colorful labels? These would work for any party.
14. Swizzle Sticks
Add a little sparkle to your bubbly this year with these simple DIY swizzle sticks. Bamboo skewers, gold pipe cleaner, some glittery gold pompoms, and a hot glue gun are all you need to give your champagne or sparkling cider a bit of extra flair. They’re perfect for festive cocktails or mocktails, too!
Reflect Back On Last Year & Make Resolutions For Next Year
15. Wishing Wall
From Mark Addison
Every year in New York City, visitors from around the world write their wishes for the New Year on colorful pieces of paper and attach them to the Wishing Wall in Times Square. The wishes are collected and then become the confetti that flutters down at midnight on New Year’s Eve!
Make your own version of a Wishing Wall by designating an area where your guests can post their wishes on sticky notes. (The more festive the colors, the better!)
16. Printable New Year’s Resolution Cards
From Lia Griffith
Setting goals and intentions for the year ahead is an inspiring way to celebrate! Set out a vase full of these cute little cards and invite your guests to set their intentions for the new year.
17. New Year’s Resolution Cups
Whether you’re hosting a party with friends or staying up with the kids, make your drinks extra festive by adorning them with your New Year’s resolutions. Just jot down your resolution on an adhesive label and stick it to your drink cup.
18. Dry Erase Board Resolutions
Add some sparkly geometric shapes to a dry erase board for people to write their resolutions. Your collective vision board can even make a fun spot for picture-taking!
19. Reflection Questions
From The Art of Simple
Follow the link to download a free printable with 20 questions to use as a springboard to reflect on the past 365 days. There’s also a 10-question version that’s perfect for the kiddos!
Make It A Game Night
20. Minute-To-Win-It Games
These quick and easy games are guaranteed to liven up any party! Stock up on treats or small gifts to give out as prizes to the winners, and watch the hilarity ensue.
21. Build The Ultimate Blanket Fort
From Pretty Providence
Gather every pillow, sheet, and mattress and bring the comfy party to the living room. Order in some pizza and put on your favorite movie and enjoy a relaxing and cozy New Year’s Eve at home in your pajamas. This idea is sure to be an easy win if you have young kids at home!
22. New Year’s Eve Bingo
From Thirty Handmade Days
Grab this printable New Year’s Eve Bingo game that you can play while you wait for the ball to drop on TV.
23. Scavenger Hunt
From Reasons To Skip The Housework
This scavenger hunt will keep the kids busy until midnight searching for things on their list. Little ones can simply put an X on items as they find them. Have older kids at the party use their smartphones and challenge them to take photos of each of the items on the list.
24. New Year’s Conversation Starter Game
Inspiration from Alice and Lois
While New Year’s Eve is a great time to look forward to the coming year, it’s also a good time to reflect on the previous year. This printable conversation starter game is all about reminiscing about the last twelve months! Everyone is sure to have a blast discussing all the highlights.
25. Mini Marshmallow Shooters
Gather up balloons, cake pop containers (or plastic cups), and mini marshmallows and make these really easy and inexpensive marshmallow launchers! Have a contest to see who can pop marshmallows the farthest or get the most into a bowl.
Enjoy Party Foods & Festive Cocktails (Or Mocktails!)
26. Good Luck Grapes
Many Spaniards usher in the new year by eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight on December 31st. The tradition promises prosperity and good luck throughout the coming year, and who couldn’t use a bit of good luck?
The challenge is that you must eat all 12 grapes before the clock stops chiming at midnight. If you don’t have a clock that chimes out the hour, there are smartphone apps you can download to supply the chimes. Make sure to get your grapes down in time — you don’t want to risk an unlucky year!
27. Sparkling Cider “Jello Shots”
From Something Swanky
Toast to a new year with a cool, sparkly dessert that wiggles and jiggles. They make a great appetizer, too!
28. New Year’s Eve Donuts
Inspiration from The 36th Avenue
These sparkly donuts would make a perfect New Year’s Eve treat or a great breakfast for New Year’s Day! Serve with plenty of edible glitter and a big glass of milk to wash them down.
29. Kid-Friendly Milk & Cookies “Champagne Toast”
From Style Me Pretty
Let the kids in on the fun of “toasting” the new year! Grab some plastic champagne flutes, get everyone their favorite cookies, and when midnight strikes, everyone can toast together!
Celebrate At Midnight With A Countdown, Balloon Drop, & More
30. Balloon Drop
Making your own “balloon drop” to rival NYC’s ball drop is as easy as filling a plastic tablecloth full of inflated balloons. Start by cutting the tablecloth into quarters, then reattach them with a few pieces of masking tape. Tape some long pieces of ribbon along the seams, then give them one strong pull to send the balloons tumbling down! It’s so much fun, and a terrific way to ring in the New Year at home!
31. Washi Tape Poppers
Dress up inexpensive party poppers with glittery washi tape. All it takes is two pieces per popper! It took me all of about 10 minutes to finish this bowl full. They’ll make a festive addition to your tablescape and to the evening’s entertainment!
32. Confetti Balloons
To make your own confetti balloons, add store-bought or homemade confetti to untied balloons with the help of a funnel, then either blow up the balloons or fill them with helium. At midnight all you need is a pin to start the new year off with a BANG!
33. Bubble Wrap Stomp
Ring in the new year with a fun and festive bubble wrap stomp! Just lay out a big sheet of bubble wrap (the bigger bubbles work best), and stomp your way into the new year when the clock strikes midnight. It sounds like firecrackers, and it’s a lot safer!
34. New Year’s Bell Noise Maker
From Paging Supermom
Ring in the new year with this fun noisemaker! These New Year’s bells made with silver bells, golden yarn and wrapping paper are genius.
35. DIY Confetti Throwers
From Oh Happy Day
For a creative twist on traditional confetti, fill a plastic tube with confetti and hand them out to all your guests. With just a flick of the wrist the confetti propels out of the tube and goes everywhere. Perfect for New Year’s Eve!
36. Confetti Bar
From kojodesigns
Whether you make confetti shooters or simply place small plastic boxes or glasses filled with confetti around the house, this is a fun way for you and your guests to celebrate when the clock strikes midnight!
37. Confetti Push Pops
In my opinion, you just can’t have too much confetti on New Year’s Eve! So I decided to see if I could make my own confetti “poppers” using some recycled ice cream push pop containers. I washed and dried them (after eating the ice cream, of course), covered them with glittery scrapbook paper, then filled them about one-third full of confetti and covered with a piece of tissue paper. One powerful push from the bottom, and you have another way to spread New Year’s Eve cheer all over the place! :-)
38. New Year’s Eve Noise Makers
From Teaching Mama
This craft only takes about 20 minutes and you probably have everything you need for them around the house. Break open the noise makers at midnight (or 9 pm, if that’s more your style) and eat the candy!
Will you be ringing in the new year at home this year?
