Make New Year’s Eve at Home A Night to Never Forget in 2024

This post will give suggestions on how to make New Year’s Eve at home better than being with the crowds.

Getting together with loved ones to ring in the New Year is fun, don’t get me wrong. But, there are some years where staying home and ringing it in with only your kids and your husband is just too perfect an idea to forego. It may be the fact that I’m a homebody or simply that I’m getting older, but I’m all about doing New Year’s Eve at home!

If that idea is tempting, but you still want to make it special, I have a few ideas for you.

This post is all about the steps to make your New Year’s Eve at home one you will remember.

What to Do on New Year’s Eve?

Follow these simple steps to create a New Year’s Eve that may even become a tradition for your family.

Setting the Mood

It’s still New Year’s Eve, and you want to create memories, so let’s set a mood that feels cozy and celebratory.

Start with lighting. 

Keep the harsh overhead lights off and create a mood with ambiance lighting. You may still have strings of lights up from Christmas which is a perfect way to soften the lighting and set a mood. If not, you can run to the store and grab some on discount.

Drape them across the mantle or television console. You can also light candles to give the room a soft glow. The goal is to make make the room feel cozy.

Keep setting the mood with music. Grab your phone and create a playlist. Your playlist can be a throwback to songs you listening to when you were dating your husband, or they can be your favorite songs now!

Which Food to Serve

When I was younger, my parents would make a ton of finger foods that we would nosh on all night long. To this day, pigs in a blanket are synonymous with New Year’s Eve in my head!

If pigs in a blanket isn’t your thing, you can impress your partner with a delicious home-cooked meal. Make it an event by starting with a light salad or appetizer.

Then, for the main course, consider a classic like steak and potatoes or a more adventurous dish like seafood pasta.

Make a plan. Decide whether you want to make a scrumptious meal that’ll wow or if you want to graze the night away with finger foods.

Either way, don’t forget dessert! Indulge in a rich chocolate cake, a decadent cheesecake, or a simple fruit tart. A glass of champagne or wine can complement your meal and add to the festive atmosphere.

Snacks for New Year’s Eve

Great snacks for New Year’s Eve obviously include pigs in a blanket, but a charcuterie board is another amazing addition for your grazing appetite! 

The best snacks are the ones that are easy to prepare and can stay out for the long haul. That way, you can grab something before you move on to fun activities.

{Related Post: How to Make a Charcuterie Board}

New Year’s Eve Games

A low-key New Year’s Eve night is not complete without board games! If the kids are joining, they will have a blast. I would suggest selecting games that move fast, so you can play a variety of games instead of a long game like Monopoly or Axis and Allies.

Our Favorite games include:

• Chess or Checkers
• Mancala
• Clue
• Scrabble

Or, if time permits, plan ahead and create a “trivia of the year” game that focuses on the family or current events of the year. 

Midnight Toast

Don’t forget the prosecco or champagne! If you want to get festive, grab some hats and horns!

When the clock strikes midnight, have a glass of champagne or prosecco ready to raise and toast to the New Year.

{Related Post: How to Make a Strawberry Vodka Prosecco Cocktail}

You can use this opportunity to make resolutions together or share your top 5 favorite memories of 2024.

If the kids are with you, you can grab some sparkling juice for them, so they can partake as well.

Added bonus* If you have young kids, and you don’t plan on having them up until midnight, there is usually a searchable ball drop on YouTube. Your kids can celebrate before bedtime.

This gives your family the chance to be together, and not ruin any bedtime schedules. Then, you and hubby can spend the rest of the time together.

Happy New Year!

A cozy New Year’s Eve at home can be just as special as a night out. If you take the time to set the stage by creating an atmosphere and planning activities, you will wind up never wanting to go out again!

Let’s Summarize

1. Create ambiance with soft lighting by using string lights or candles
2. Make a playlist of songs (you can theme it by favorites of the year or even throwbacks)
3. Decide on a meal plan: fancy and formal? Casual and light?
4. Plan ahead with snacks that are easy to leave out
5. Gather board games so that the time is filled with laughter. Better yet, create a Trivia of the Year game
6. Decide on the ball drop- Will the kids be there? Will you do a pretend one earlier for the kids?
7. Prepare you champagne toast! Talk about what your year blessed you with or what you want for the new year.

If you have special traditions that you and your family have for New Year’s Eve, I would love to hear them!