12 DIY Decorations for Your New Year's Eve Celebration

Sparkling Place Settings

A super easy centerpiece idea, gather Champagne flutes of different sizes and shapes (these are easy to find at a thrift store, for instance) and fill them with small ball ornaments in gold and silver tones.

Glittering Gold

This classic polyhedron can be made by cutting 20 individual pieces of gold paper into 6-inch circles. Then, fold the edges of each small circle down to form a triangle and attach 10 of the circles together with double-sided tape. Once the ends have been attached to form a loop, you can make the top of the polyhedron by attaching sides of four of the remaining circles together so they make a dome shape. Do this twice, and then finish by attaching the bottom and top to the newly constructed central ring.

Hanging Bubbly Ball Decorations

These festive decorations are reminiscent of Champagne bubbles rising to the top of a glass, which makes them the perfect adornments at any New Year's Eve bash. They may look fancy, but the spheres are made from two commonplace, inexpensive materials: foam balls and baking cups.

Use a needle to thread monofilament into the ball and out again. Knot the monofilament, creating a loose loop from which to tie a ribbon. Place a pencil eraser in the center of a baking cup and bunch the cup around the pencil. Hot glue the cup to the ball, pressing with the eraser to adhere to the ball. Repeat, covering the ball. Hang from the ceiling with ribbon and removable adhesive hooks.

Metallic Silver Balloons

Let these puffed-up balloons loose in your space, and any gathering is transformed into a veritable bash. We swapped out common string for wide satin ribbons in cheerful colors. Sticky gift-wrap pom-pom bows placed beneath each balloon cinch the celebratory look.

Gilded Champagne Glasses

Dress up a tray of Champagne coupes to match the bubbly they hold. Dip a small paintbrush into metallic craft paint; brush off any excess. Gently touch your brush to the glass to make dots, spacing them farther apart as you work your way up the glass. Let them dry completely before drinks are served.

Countdown to Midnight Balloons and Horns

You needn’t spend a fortune to deck out your New Year's party. Instead, customize a few basic party supplies. Number, letter, and dot stickers convert balloons into "almost midnight" clocks, create festive messages, and act as "confetti." (Make clock hands and the center dot out of extra strips and the inside of a V and an O.) Party horns create a garland when wrapped with metallic origami paper and secured with double-sided tape, then threaded with a needle and monofilament. (Tie a knot in between horns to keep them from slipping.) Finish with a few other metallic decorations, and you’re ready to usher in 2024.

Glowing Reflection Wreath

Welcome guests to a night of glitz and glamour with this opulent wreath. After all, few decorative touches say "Let's celebrate!" quite like silver. It looks exquisitely detailed, but the technique is simple: We arranged floral appliqués onto a craft ring, then spritzed it with spray paint to help the bedazzled ring blend into a beautiful mirror display.

Instant Antique Candleholders

Like magic, you can turn clear vases and candleholders into "mercury glass" and make plain framed glass look like an age-worn mirror. To give everyday objects a pleasing patina, try this trick: Use mirror paint and add water for a result that looks authentically old.

To start, work on a protected surface in a well-ventilated area. Clean your glass before starting and cover the vessels' exteriors with paper or remove glass from its frame. Then, spray the interiors of vessels or frame glass lightly with water and then with mirror paint (the water will make the paint appear mottled).

Party Favor Decorations

You'll want to provide guests with confetti and noisemakers for the big ball drop at midnight, but you can incorporate these favors into your tablescape display well before the countdown, too. Store everything you need in these cute, bright bundles of fun.

Balloon Display

Here, we've transformed an empty wall into an essential part of the décor with an epic balloon display that adds a pop of sparkly color to a Champagne and punch bar. Balloons are a classic addition to any New Year's Eve event, and this evening may be the one occasion that adults can have just as much fun with these pliable fixtures as kids do. Simply blow up iridescent balloons in various sizes and stick them to a blank wall in a creative display.

Bubbly Decorated Invitations

Put guests in a bubbly mood before they even arrive with these invitations. Download a flute template, print, and cut out; trace it onto the front inside cover of a blank card and cut it out with a craft knife. Use a glue stick to secure the card's open side shut. Cut a piece of cardstock to the height of the card and one inch narrower than its width. Rubber-stamp the bubbles onto the front of this cardstock and write your details on the back before sliding it into the card.

New Year's Hats

Children go crazy for New Year's Eve—when else do they get to stay up so late? But while the grownups will happily sip Champagne and chat, the junior set might need some help killing time before the big ball drop. Create a make-your-own-hat station by setting out plain plastic top hats, along with a selection of basic crafts supplies (streamers, stickers, pom-poms). Have child-safe scissors, craft glue, and double-sided tape on hand for assembly, and let the little ones go to town. They'll love modeling their creations as much as making them.