10 New Year Party Ideas at Home for 2023

Say “peace out” to 2023 and ring in the new year -- this year, from the comfort of your own home. While New Years Eve celebrations may still be socially distant, you can still make sure the night is exciting, fun, and memorable. Whether you’ll be staying inside with your family, or hosting a video chat party with friends, there are plenty of creative ways to ensure the evening feels special. Check out this guide to help you come up with thrilling New Years Eve party ideas.

10 New Year Party Ideas for Home

Before you gather around the TV to watch the ball drop, give your friends and family a night to remember with good food, activities, and entertainment. By the time the clock strikes midnight, everyone will be ready for a brand new year. Get the party started with these enjoyable ideas:

Pick a theme

Selecting a theme sets the stage for the whole evening. Once you pick a theme, the rest of the details around your New Year's Eve celebration fall into place, from the decorations you buy to the food you serve. For example, if you choose a winter wonderland theme, hang paper snowflake decorations, serve “Sno Ball” cakes, and plug in a portable USB light to turn your living room into a laser-lit snow globe.

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Make bite-sized appetizers

Instead of putting out a bowl of chips and dip, spice things up with delicious bite-sized appetizers. Think outside the box with delicious options that offer something more substantial than snacks. Smaller, bite-sized choices give your guests the flexibility to eat and mingle without having to sit down with a knife and fork to enjoy some amazing food. Plus, if you’ve chosen a theme for your party, it can be your north star as you choose the best food options for the evening.

Try a New Years Resolution jar

Holding yourself accountable to a New Years resolution can be hard if it's just said out loud or thought about in your head. Give yourself and guests the opportunity to write it down with a New Years Resolution jar. Supply your guests with blank pieces of paper or cards and pens so everyone can jot their desired resolution down. Drop them in the jar and read them aloud! Encourage others to share their resolutions and find ways to support one another’s goals into the New Year. If your party is virtual this year, have each attendee grab their own supplies and put their paper somewhere safe, or use an interactive whiteboard like Jamboard to write down your resolutions.

Decorate with lights

Transform your home into the ultimate New Years Eve party without making big changes to your decor. Colorful, patterned lights bring that festive atmosphere at the touch of a button or a quick lightbulb change. Use the BlissLights BlissBulb to shine thousands of sparkling stars around the room, or break out the Ark aurora light for a drifting nebula that’s out of this world. You won’t have to stand outside to kiss under the stars at midnight -- just turn on the lights instead!

ARK Aurora Light

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Build an Instagram worthy photo area

Taking pictures and posting them on social media is a must at a New Year's Eve celebration. Design a nook in your home that’s picture perfect for sharing on social media, whether that’s a quick pic, a Boomerang, or a quick video clip. Decorate empty wall space with a countdown clock, shimmering streamers, balloons, or themed wall stickers. Add some fun photo props like masks, 2024 glasses, and party hats to really get everyone in the mood.

Enhance your photos and videos even more with the BlissLights Sky Lite Evolve TikTok (and Snapchat) viral sensation. Capture a quick video of your countdown to post on Instagram reels, or record yourselves doing a TikTok dance with an ethereal multicolor cloud and stars in the background. That mesmerizing galaxy is certainly like and share-worthy!

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Use countdown bags

Keep everyone of any age engaged at your celebration when you create “countdown bags.” Fill paper bags with noisemakers, candy, crafts, confetti, and anything else you can think of to make for a fun New Years party at home. Mark each paper bag with a timestamp reflecting each hour before midnight. The final bag should be marked as 11:59 p.m., right before the new year arrives. Take turns opening the corresponding bags while the clock counts down and keep the party going with whatever is inside.

Have a dance party

Get everyone on their feet and pumped for 2024 with an energizing dance mix! Put on a playlist of your favorite hits from 2023, or ask your guests to each come up with a song they love. Pair the dancing with a disco ball, flashing lights, and crazy wearable props for some added entertainment. Consider switching things up with a dance-off to really get everyone in the partying spirit, or even throwing it back with the Macarena or the Electric Slide right there in the living room.

DIY confetti poppers

Show your crafty side by making your own confetti poppers to shoot off at midnight. These DIY confetti poppers can be enjoyed by guests of all ages and only require a few supplies that you may already have at home. Customize this simple craft by choosing your favorite colors, shapes, and even glitter for a little sparkle. For an easier cleanup, fill the poppers with mini pom-poms or fill them with mini marshmallows for a fun and yummy hot cocoa topping.

Play games

As the evening goes on, guests may begin to drift off or lose interest. Keep everyone engaged (and awake!) by breaking out some board games or card games. You can keep the game New Years Eve themed game with options like NYE bingo or charades, or break out a classic family favorite like Sorry, Life or Clue. For those hosting virtual parties, a scavenger hunt is a great way to get everyone participating regardless of where they are—you might be surprised by what interesting objects your friends and family have in their homes.

Talk about the year’s highs and lows

Take some time to reflect on the year with the people who matter the most to you. Go around and have everyone talk about their favorite moment or blow off some steam about their not-so-rosy moments. This would also be a great time to introduce the New Years resolution jar!

Ring in the new year with BlissLights

No matter how or where you decide to host your New Years Eve party, you can take it to the next level by incorporating laser lights. From stars to galaxies, BlissLights will help you create a special night for your guests by setting the mood and adding unique lighting effects. Take a look at the BlissLights catalog to find the perfect lighting that will compliment your theme and help you get ready for 2024.