With so many seeing a drop in income from the economy these days, you don’t have to forgo the New Year’s Eve party this year. There are plenty of ways to host a New Year’s Eve party on the fly and a next to nothing budget.
Tips for collecting items for the party favors and decorations.
The following tips are ones I came up with to help you save even further on making your party favors or decorations. With garage sale season being over at the time I wrote this article, using this resource won’t be available to those who live in areas around the country where the fall and winter seasons have snuck their way into our lives.
Check your glasses you already have on hand.
The centerpiece in the ebook at the end of this article has a centerpiece using a champagne style glass as the base of the centerpiece. Check your glasses you have in your cabinets, buffet, or stored away to see if you have a stemmed glass to use. It doesn’t have to be a blue stemmed glass like the one shown in the picture. The glass can be the start for the color choices you will be using for your centerpiece or centerpieces. If you have more than one in different colors and shapes, you can make more than one centerpiece for different areas of your home.
Check your crafting supplies.
For those who are crafters, more than likely you have a wide variety of different sparkly and shiny items you can use in your stemmed glasses.
Check with the kids.
That’s right, check with the kids. You may be surprised at the things the kids latch onto from their gifts or from art projects they did for school or at home. Think about the team spirit weeks your teens participated in during school for sports. More than likely the girls have hair accessories that can be wiped down or washed to use as part of your centerpiece. The guys may some kind of streamer they held onto for some reason and never threw away.
Keep your empty plastic jars for the noise makers.
Forget going to the craft stores to buy small empty paint cans for the noise makers. Keep all sizes of empty plastic jars because you can create different sized noise makers.The boys can help you with punching the holes in the lids of the jars.
Check to see if you have electrical and duct tape on hand.
Before buying the tapes listed for the noise makers, check to see what you have on hand. This will save you from having to buy extra.
Filling the noise makers.
Everyone has some type of small item they can use to fill the homemade noise makers. Think legos, beans, rice, popcorn, marbles, nuts and bolts, and buttons for the filling. The fewer things you buy at the store, the more you will have to spend on snacks and drinks for your New Year’s Eve party.
Use your other holiday decorations.
Use any of the other holiday decorations that don’t have the holiday written on them. For instance, Christmas tree bulbs can be used instead of buying items to make the balls for the other centerpiece decorations. Use your Halloween and Christmas lights as part of your New Year’s Eve party decor. Garland and streamers from other holidays can be used too.
Tips for buying the fillers for your party decor.
By pass the craft stores if you can. You can go retro with your New Year’s Eve party.
Shop the dollar stores.
Rather than going with the trendy items for this years party, go with a variety of different items from the local area dollar stores. Each store carries a different supply of party items such as poppers, table cloths, paper plates, and plastic cups. You may also find the items for the decorations you don’t have on hand far cheaper than Hobby Lobby.
Shop thrift stores.
I often mention thrift stores in articles like this because you can find holiday decorating items and craft supplies that have gone out of style for next to nothing. In addition you are helping the thrift stores with their job skills for out of work vets and the disabled.
Shop the clearance racks.
No matter which stores you prefer to shop at, look through their clearance racks or sections for party supplies, home decor, and kitchen and dish areas. Be sure to check out the bathroom accessories for soap dishes because you may find a few that can be used as part of your table centerpieces or serving trays. Sounds crazy, right? Think about the dipping sauces for your finger foods. A small decorative soap dish can be used for mustard, ketchup, tarter sauce, sweet and sour sauce, mints, nuts, and other candies.
Don’t have enough glasses for your guests?
While at the dollar and thrift stores, check out the glassware. By pass the paper and plastic cups and go for ones that are of different shapes and sizes at either of these places. By going this route, you can wash them and store them for other parties you may have throughout the year. Everything doesn’t have to match. Showing your and your guests personalities through the glassware can be just as much fun as the games and other things at the party.
Tips for your New Year’s Eve Party food and drinks.
If you can’t afford the alcohol for the drink recipes in the ebook, make those drinks virgin for the kids and those who don’t drink. Also consider, cheaper alcohol for those who like to have a drink or two at your party.
Check the sales fliers from now through the end of the year.
For items like nuts, frozen shrimp, bacon, candies, and cereals for mixes check the dates on the packages. By doing this, you can buy them when they are on sale and get them cheaper now. If you have a large enough freezer the meats like shrimp, cocktail sausages, wieners for pigs in a blanket, and similar items can be bought when on sale and kept frozen until you need them for your party.
Free New Year’s Eve Party ebook
This free New Year’s Eve party ebook is one way to help you get started with a cheap party on the fly. There are party favors, food, decorations, and drinks in the ebook.
14 New Year’s Eve Party Ideas, Recipes, Drinks & Decorations eBook