Time for a Change: A New Years Eve Theme Party

It’s the New Year and time to celebrate the many changes that are happening this year – new attitudes and new (or recycled) resolutions! So why not have a Time for a Change New Year's Eve party– it’s easy, fun and probably the kind of party your friends have never attended before.

New Year's Eve Party Invitations
A great party begins with a great invitation – it starts generating excitement for your event immediately. And, it doesn’t have to be expensive, especially if you’re creative.

What says change more than a clock! Design your own clock invitation either by cutting one out of colorful construction paper (and writing the information on the back in glitter pen) or finding a graphic online.
A calendar is another way to show the passing of time. Copy the month of December from a favorite calendar and circle December 31. Invite your guests to “Come Change the Page” with you.
If you don’t have “time” to make an invitation, personalized New Year's Eve invitations are the perfect choice.
And one final thought…send a candy watch as an invitation. Write or print out the information on a card and attach it with a colorful ribbon to this timeless treat. Wrap it in tissue paper before putting it in the envelope to guarantee it doesn’t break. Or, if you’re not having a huge party, hand deliver them.
Add some streamers confetti or even a confetti popper or two for an invitation with a bang!

Try one of these fun wording choices on your invite:

Raise a glass and celebrate

The New Year with Amy and Charles!

Turn back the clock for one night only

At Jason and Susan's New Year's Party!

Time for a Change!

Welcome in the New Year

With the Mason Family!

Whatever type of invitation you decide to use, mail it as early as possible. Remember, this is a busy time of year and people book up early.

New Year's Eve Decorations and Party Supplies
Welcome your guests with a personalized New Year’s banner. Add your own message (Time to Party!) to a festive, weather resistant banner (we even have one with a clock on it). It looks great inside or out.

As friends and family walk into the party room, they’ll be delighted with all the New Year’s party supplies. Choose from colorful ceiling danglers or glittering Happy New Year banners. I recommend going with either a metallic (gold/silver/black) or colorful bright party goods. Picking a color scheme will help tremendously when you are choosing decorations.
Scatter bunches of balloon bouquets in a variety of colors around the room for a celebratory touch. Place them in corners and around doorways. Use them on your tables as centerpieces but place each bouquet in a glass bowl filled with coins. This is after all Time for "Change"!

Just remember, stick to a black, silver, and gold color scheme to tie your New Year's party together!

New Year's Eve Menu and Table Decorations
New Year’s Eve is always a late night party, so you may not want to start the festivities until after 9pm. This makes menu planning much easier. Offer heavy hors d’oeuvres and desserts; they can easily be made in advance and will still be tasty at midnight. Follow these fun decorating tips to make your buffet and tables pop:

Whatever you serve, place it all on fabulous Happy New Year paper goods because New Year’s Eve is not the time to be doing dishes!
Whatever types of beverages you decide to have, serve them in light up glasses that change colors. Or, give your regular glasses a little extra splash with light up ice cubes that will flash to different colors all night long. They’re sure to be a huge hit with your guests.
Pile wind up clocks in the center of each table to tie in the theme. Surround the centerpiece with star confetti.
Turn your centerpieces into dessert with a cupcake display! Decorate 12 cupcakes with piped frosting, each with a number, 1-12. Arrange the cupcakes on a white circular tray just like a clock face. Use licorice rope as the "hands" of the clock and have them pointing to midnight!

Along with decorations, make sure to keep your guests entertained as you ring in the New Year!

New Year's Eve Activities
First and foremost, hang a big clock on the wall so everyone can watch as the year changes at midnight. If you prefer to watch it happen on tv, just make or buy (from a school supply store) a big colorful clock. It will be a great decoration. Hand out some noisemakers for everyone to use as they celebrate the New Year:

New Year's Horns
2020 Party Glasses
LED maracas and light ups

Entertain your guests with one or more of these New Year's activities, too:

It’s a night of fun and merriment as you wait for 2015 to change to 2016, and music is key to any party. Create your own cds (don’t forget to include the classic song “Changes” by David Bowie) or just plug in your personal music device and you will have tunes all night long.
Capture the evening forever with great photos of your guests. Consider a New Year's Eve photo op of Father Time or Baby New Year from Party411.com. Your guests will love having their photos taken as these classic characters, and after the party, you can post them online for everyone to enjoy.
Party games are great for people of any ages. Time honored games like charades are always fun but how about some games about change? Give your guests pieces of paper and colorful markers and tell them to finish the sentence “I want to change my………in 2016.” Who knows what people will say, my hair color, my job, my relationship with my mother-in-law! Have them post them on the wall and then let everyone guess who wrote it. There are sure to be lots of comments and laughs about them. (You can add another sentence like “The changes I want to see in the world this year are…” a little more serious but you’re sure to get some wonderful answers.
As the clock ticks down to midnight, hand out balloons filled with paper confetti. Have guests pop them as the clock strikes midnight. (Want a less DIY route? Try easy confetti poppers.)
If you have the space, a balloon drop is always a favorite!

Karaoke is another great activity for a New Year's Eve party. Buy, rent or borrow a karaoke machine and throw in a few songs about time and change for your guests to sing:

The Times They Are A-Changing – Bob Dylan
Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and His Comets
Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper
If I Could Turn Back Time - Cher
A Change is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke

Don't forget to send your guests home with a treat as they head out the door!

New Years Party Favors
Just like the year, all parties have to end but send your guests home with a souvenir of a great evening. There are lots of choices but consider some of these:

Small calendars either purchased or created by you. What better way to start the New Year than to change your calendar?
Inexpensive watches, candy watches, and even a little “spare change” like new shiny pennies for good luck, are all wonderful party favors.
Decorate cookies with piped frosting to look like the face of a clock. Guests will love to munch on this themed favor on their way home!

Don't forget favor bags for guests to fill! Check out these custom New Year's Eve favor bags.

Not everyone loves change, but with a little help from Party411, your Time for Change Party will be memorable for everyone!