Want to throw a perfect New Year’s party this year? We’ve got the formula to a perfect tablescape!
**This post was written prior to 2020, so the suggestions to have a big dinner party with your friends is probably on hold until next year! You can still plan a special celebration at home with your family!**
We enjoyed our food at Thanksgiving. We counted our blessings on Christmas Day. And now, a new year is upon us. Celebrating the past 365 days and ringing in a whole new time is such a fun annual occurrence…so your table settings need to be fun, too!
If you are hosting a New Year’s Eve party this year, make sure you follow these seven steps, in order to make it super festive.
7 Steps to a Perfect New Year’s Party Table
1. Choose a theme
First thing’s first, you need a theme. This will help you narrow down which plates to use, which napkins to buy, what to wear, what music will play and so on.
Some great options include a Gatsby-inspired party (with black and gold art deco decorations), one with an Alice in Wonderland theme (since playing cards, teacups and clocks make for easy and whimsical decor) and a winter wonderland party (filled with icy blues and whites and crystals).
2. Focus on the centerpiece
After you have a theme, you will want to focus on the centerpiece of your table. This will be a huge focal point, something that everyone gathers around.
You could buy something wild that goes with your theme, such as an ice sculpture or a large vase of flowers in your colors, or you could DIY it; set up a motif with items from around your home, make your own candles, paint pretty bottles that match everything else you’re using…Just have fun with it!
3. Give everyone place cards
Another way to make your table festive is by making everyone feel very special and included – through place cards. Again, you will follow along with your theme (using certain colors or items as place cards), and you can make people feel celebrated by handwriting their name and giving them their very own spot. Plus, this looks super cute in all the photos everyone will be taking!4
4. Create a fun drink
Obviously, the silverware, cups, place mats and anything else on the table will coordinate, but you can continue all of that in the kitchen, too. And one of the best ways to add in some cheer is through a fun drink. There are tons of recipes out there for big batch drinks, so find one in a color that, of course, goes with your theme…How fun!
5. Incorporate party favors
While party favors are not required, I think you should throw them in, since they will also be serving as decor! Take that Wonderland-themed party for instance. The packs of playing cards you use…The cute little teacups…The shiny pocket watches…These could be scattered about your table and then taken home by everyone at the end of the night, too.
6. Pull out the fancy dishes
The theme you choose and everything you select to go along with it is up to you, but I will say this, you should probably not use paper plates.
Why? First off, spills are more likely to happen. Also, it seems wasteful. And third, you probably already have lots of plates, right? Maybe even some fancy china you never use? Well, now’s the time!
Work with what you have, and if you just need to buy some salad plates in one new color or new glasses that tie everything together, that’s fine. I just think you might as well show off what you have at this party!
7. Layer it up
And speaking of those plates…Festive tables are all about layers. A tablecloth, place mats, chargers, dinner plates, salad plates, place cards…When all of this is surrounded by cute little trinkets and one awesome centerpiece, it just oozes fun!