The countdown is on until we bid farewell to 2019 and welcome in a whole new decade! With the rush and flurry of Christmas still in full swing you may not be thinking about New Years Eve just yet but instead of staying home and watching the fireworks on TV again this year Roxanne from Lovely Occasions Party & Balloon Bar on Oxford Street, Bulimba shows us how to create a fabulously easy NYE Party at home in just 5 simple steps! Send off 2019 with a (backyard friendly) bang and see 2020 in with your friends, family and neighbours – Here’s how:
Make it feel like a party with NYE decorations, after all it’s not really a party without balloons! A DIY balloon garland kit is the easiest way to dress up any space – over the doorway as your guests enter, flowing down besides the drinks station or bar cart, draped along the grazing table or on its own as a feature wall. Fully air-inflated (no helium required) these DIY Balloon Garland kits can be put together the day before or morning of New years Eve which will save you so much time when setting up. They can be used inside or outside and are small to pack if you need to take your party on the road. We dressed up the balloon garland by adding gold foil fringing, white and pink crepe fringe and a Happy New Year banner. We also added a few fun ‘Pop Fizz Clink” and “Happy New Year” printed balloons filled with helium to either side of the bar cart to add some fun create a perfect backdrop to feature bar cart.
2. GamesAdd a little fun and keep your guests entertained while you count down to midnight with a game or two. Board games, lawn games, and drinking games are the most popular.Lawns games such as Giant Jenga, Jumbo Naughts & Crosses, Quoits, Boules or Wooden Skittles will please guests of all ages, while after the sun goes down drinking games like the popular Prosecco Pong (a fun new take on Beer pong for the ladies), G&T Pong or Pong Wars are always a winner for NYE! Depending on your type of crowd you could also opt for family-friendly table games like Lucky Dips Dipsticks or Charades. And an easy way to keep the kids entertained is with a backyard treasure hunt, a game of hide and seek or set up an outdoor movie. A few flashlights and glow sticks will also be a huge hit. If you are invited to a NYE party it’s always a good idea to bring a game to play, they also make great hostess gifts.
3. Drinks Station
An easy (and practical) way to set the scene and WOW your guests on arrival is to set up a drinks table or bar cart for your guests to easily serve themselves. Make it fun and festive by adding a few details to create a perfect party centrepiece. Add a table runner to give it a pop of colour before layering on other items. We added colour coordinating items on both the top and bottom of our bar cart in gold glitter, black and pink as well as a clock to countdown to midnight. Gold party hats and fun headbands are perfect for styling your bar cart and your guests will love taking fun NYE selfies! Our centrepiece was an amazing cake by The Sweet Society Co. with two beautiful acrylic cake toppers Studio T55 – Both amazing local Brisbane business. Pink florals, a cute table sign and NYE coasters tied the whole look together. And let’s not forget the champagne! Here we opted for reusable plastic champagne flutes and paper cups to eliminate any chance of broken glass and dressed up each one with fun ‘Cheers’ drink stirrers, paper straws and DIY sparklers. A few large tubs or eskies with ice placed around the party is also a great idea for keeping all the extra bottles, cans and soft drinks cold. Don’t forget extra paper cups and paper straws!
4. Selfie Backdrop
A decorated photo area has become a party staple and it’s easy to theme for NYE with a streamer backdrop, foil curtains and a few fun oversize champagne bottle and glass shaped foil balloons. You could also add party hats, fun glasses, head bands, feather boas and signs.
Most guests will snap a few photos on their phone but a better idea is to have an instant camera or instant printer on hand to have a few ‘hard copy’ souvenirs from the final night of 2019!
5. Backyard “Fireworks”
We will all be looking forward to seeing some fireworks as the clock strikes midnight but instead of heading inside to watch them on TV you can create a fun “firework” display in your backyard instead by giving everyone a confetti filled balloon to pop at midnight! We filled black “Happy New year” balloons with colourful paper confetti which created a colourful ‘fireworks’ display when popped. Sparklers are also a NYE staple or try a confetti popper to see the new year in with a (backyard friendly) bang!
Inspired to host your own New Years Eve party – Get started with this FREE invitation, sparkler card and confetti popper label set from Lovely Occasions. Download yours here:https://www.lovelyoccasions.
Photography @kheavenerphotography
Model @nattyfaulks
Cake & Custom Cookies @thesweetsocietyco
Acrylic Cake Topper @studiot55
Model Wears @onenightstanddesignerhire
Party Stationery – One Eyed Designer