The ultimate guide to hosting a fabulous New Year's Eve party at home

Planning is key to a successful New Year's Eve party, especially when you're hosting in your own home. Think about how you want to welcome the New Year—will it be an intimate dinner gathering or a lively midnight countdown with friends and family? Once you know your vibe, it's time to plan the details. 

Don’t forget to think about:

• The guest list: Keep in mind that guests may want to stay over, so have a think about sleeping arrangements. Whether it’s a spare bedroom or a blow-up mattress in the living room, ensure you’re prepared with clean towels and spare toiletries for guests. You can also prepare for unexpected guests by making sure you have plenty of snug throws.
• Party time: Decide early on whether it will be an early dinner or a late-night celebration to set expectations for your guests.

The right decorations can transform your home into the perfect party atmosphere. Set a theme or colour scheme which matches the vibe of your space - timeless choices like metallic tones, or a classic black and white palette are always in style. 

Decorating doesn’t need to cost the earth either. You can DIY lots of decorations, such as table settings, or make centrepieces by filling small vases with LED fairy lights and inexpensive metallic decorative rocks from shops such as Hobbycraft. If you have children, you can get them involved in the fun by making paper chains which can be hung from ceilings or around doorways.

Lighting sets the mood and can instantly make your home feel more festive. You might want to layer some cosy ambient lighting, with twinkling string lights and LED candles. You can also invest in some smart bulbs that change colour for more customisable lighting.

And don’t forget that the right scents can help to create an inviting and cosy atmosphere. Consider using scented pot pourri with a festive fragrance like cinnamon or pine.

No matter the size of your gathering, having activities lined up will keep everyone entertained. Interactive games like charades or trivia can help to spark conversation, or why not move the sofas back and clear space in the living room for a karaoke and dance party session to get everyone up and moving? You could even set up a photo booth corner, printing off some props from websites like Pinterest and picking up a disposable camera, helping to create memories to remember long after the party is over.