As soon as Christmas is over, the focus becomes the New Year's celebration with only a week to decorate!  How can a host or hostess do it? To speed up the preparation for the New Year's Eve party, use the Christmas decor as a base, but not all of it.  Pull out the storage boxes and pack up part of your Christmas decor, re-working the rest.

What to clear away for the New Year's Eve Celebration

Pack up the "aw factor" to make room for the "wow factor"; switch out the nostalgia of Christmas for those decorative items that reflect the beginning of a prosperous new year! 

Pack up:

• All things Santa, Frosty, and Reindeer
• Cutesy kid's decorations and ornaments.
• Rainbow colored lights
• Christmas serving pieces with Christmas scenes, etc.
• Real candles

What to keep out for the New Year's Festivities

There are many decorative items already on display that will work perfect for the glitz and glamor expected for a New Year's celebration. Keep out the:

• Christmas tree
• Mistletoe and poinsettias
• White lights
• Battery-operated candles
• All metallic ornaments and decor (silver, gold, copper)
• All neutral Christmas decor (Peacock plumes, icicles, snowflakes, etc)
• All non-traditional colored Christmas items (turquoise, purple, blue)
• Crystal, glass and silver serving pieces
• Berry and crystal garlands

Modify for the New Year's Celebration:

Now the decorating begins! Using the items that remain, modify the decor into an explosion of New Year's fun!

1. Starting with the tree, keep the white lights, shiny metallic, glass and non-traditional colored ornaments. Add to it some or all of the following:

• Mardi gras type beads
• New Year's horns, blowouts, and noise makers
• Minature champagne glass ornaments
• Happy New Year's string garland
• Serpentine Streamers
  

2. Tie wide silver ribbon around poinsettias, hanging mistletoe and candles.  Add 2010 cut-outs hung from gold curling ribbon to the wide ribbon's bow.  Weave silver or gold curled ribbon through berry garland, letting ends dangle.

3. For a big WOW, decorate a wall with a trendy holiday wall decal in a festive theme.  They're temporary and easily removed after the party!

4. Since alcohol is usually involved in a New Year's eve celebration, display only battery operated or flame-less candles during the party festivities.  There are many products today that create the same ambiance as real candles without the danger of being knocked over and starting a fire.  Look for:

• Scentsy warmers (get the smell and glow with a light bulb!)
• Real Beeswax flameless candles with automatic timers
• Battery operated tealights and votives (Battery life is 72 hours!)

5. Bring out the carnival glass bowls, Grandma's silver tray (polish it up!), and crystal platter.  Hang up the copper baskets and shine up the brass candle sticks..  Take old baskets and give them new glitz by spraying a layer of silver or gold paint on them; line them with crisp white linen napkins or Gold Metallic Tissue Lame fabric and use for serving nuts, chips or cookies.

6. Hang metallic midnight hanging swirls from fans and doorways.  String Chinese lanterns and dragons, using the Chinese New Year to represent a prosperous upcoming year.

7. Fill a clear acrylic or stainless steel ice bucket with champagne and ice. Create an impressive food display by using a few electric or sterno buffet serving dishes, filled with yummy food (some black-eyed peas for good luck?),  and set out the fancy glasses and bar accessories.

Voila! It's party time.  Celebrate the upcoming New Year with abandon, but as a responsible host or hostess,  please don't let friends drive home drunk!  Bring in the New Year with gusto and a positive attitude!  Happy New Year!

Related reading:

"Party Food Display and Serving Tips"

"New Year's Day Food Traditions and Superstitions"