New Year's Eve Table Decorations That'll Impress Any Guest

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Champagne Ball with Setting — Mike Krautter

Hosting this year's big countdown to midnight comes with a pretty hefty checklist. As the very last soirée of the year, you'll need to think about what your guests eat, drink, and do in the hours before the ball drops. Maybe you'll open the front doors and host an annual open house for the whole neighborhood, or maybe you'll sit your closest friends and family down for a more formal meal that everyone can relish before toasting at midnight. Whichever route you choose, your dining table will act as a mainstay throughout the evening, inviting guests to sit, relax, and enjoy each other's company.

New Year's Eve is the one time of year where more is more: A glitzy, glam tablescape can perfectly accentuate any small bites and cocktails you plan to serve all night long. Choosing a theme and a general color palette can help you go over the top in all the right ways. Here, we've settled on a chromatic gold motif accentuated by a dazzling polyhedron that casts a spell over all who step beneath it. You can create the same feature by cutting out 20 individual pieces of gold paper in 6-inch circles; you'll need to fold the edges of each circle down to form an equilateral triangle, and then attach the edges of 10 circles together with double-sided tape. After you've attached all the ends together to form a loop, make the top of the polyhedron by attaching the sides of four circles together so they form a dome (do this twice). You'll finish up by attaching the bottom and the top to the newly made central ring.

Whichever theme you choose, browse our best ideas for creating a dazzling tablescape this New Year's Eve. From place setting ideas to individualized place cards and stunning centerpieces, add a festive flair to the beautiful flatware, dinnerware, and glasses you use to really rock your New Year's Eve party.

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Golden Globes Centerpiece

To create a soft glow—especially desirable around the dining table—try placing LED votives inside these "snow globes," which are white pendant-light fixtures, in three sizes, that are covered with clear shard glitter.

Shop Now: Westinghouse White Acrylic Globe, 10", $27, homedepot.com. Westinghouse Handblown Gloss White Globe, 6" and 8", from $6, homedepot.com. FloraCraft Diamond Dust Glitter, $13.66 for 14 oz., amazon.com.

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Gilded Glassware

A quick dip in craft paint gives a set of inexpensive drinking glasses and a decanter a chic makeover. Paint made to adhere to glass is durable and dishwasher-safe after it cures—just stay below the rim, since it isn't food-friendly. Pour equal parts all-purpose gold craft paint and glazing medium (for added luster) into a container just wider than the glass, then dip. Lift the glass, let excess paint drip off for 30 seconds; hang with a clamp (protecting the rim with a paper towel) over newspaper until fully dry. To cure, set the glasses on a rack in a cool oven and turn it to 350 degrees; bake for 30 minutes. Let cool; wait 72 hours before using. Alternatively, let them air-cure for three weeks before using them.

Shop Now: Crate & Barrel Stemless Wine Glasses, $30 for 12, crateandbarrel.com. Martha Stewart Crafts Metallic Paint, in Gold, $3.19 for 2 oz., michaels.com.

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New Year's Greeting Card Centerpiece

This fun centerpiece idea will certainly have guests looking twice. Download our templates for numbers and print them on colored card stock before cutting them out—then, have family members pose in front of a solid background with each number, and take four pictures to make up 2020. You'll need to order 4-by-6-inch prints and use double-sided tape to attach each to a piece of card stock measuring 18 by 6 1/2 inches. Use a bone folder to score paper between the pictures for an accordion card piece that'll stand rigid in the middle of your table.

Shop Now: Small Lineco Bone Folder, $7, amazon.com. Recollections Essentials Cardstock Paper, $16, michaels.com. Scotch Double Sided Tape, $5, michaels.com.

Get the New Year's Card Template

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Copper Name Place Cards

Add some shine to your holiday table. Emboss guests' names into sheets of soft copper, and stick them onto blocks of painted wood.

Get the Copper Name Cards How-To

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Sparkling Place Settings

Ball-shaped ornaments (we mixed vintage balls with clear ones) displayed in glass flutes mimic the rising bubbles in Champagne. Gather flutes in varying styles and cluster them on a cake stand to craft a truly effervescent centerpiece.

Shop Now: Shiny Gold Glass Ball Ornaments, $11 for 10, walmart.com. West Elm Shiny-Brite Ball Ornaments, $24 for 20, westelm.com. Martha Stewart Collection 10" Cake Stand, $50, amazon.com. Ravenscroft Crystal Flutes with Hollow Stems, $80 for 4, bedbathandbeyond.com.

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Glittered Faux Lemon Centerpiece

A brightly hued citrus centerpiece, piled high with velvet leaves and silver balls, brings sophisticated cheer to an evening of Champagne toasts. To create the lemon leaves seen here, cut rectangles (length twice as long as the width) from single-faced velvet ribbons in shades of green and yellow. Fold one rectangle in half lengthwise (with the velvet inside) and press with a dry iron; then, open the rectangle and lay the velvet side down. Fold back the corners to meet along the fold, and secure with craft glue. Lay a piece of white fabric-covered floral wire (three inches longer than the leaf) along the fold on the back of the leaf, and secure with craft glue.

To create lemons, put clear glitter in a bowl over a covered surface, put clear glitter in a bowl. Coat faux lemons with spray adhesive. Roll your lemons in glitter, spooning as needed over the top to distribute evenly. Let it dry completely before arranging on your table.

Shop Now: Mood Fabric Moss Green Single-Face Velvet Ribbon, $3 a yard, moodfabrics.com. Darice Cloth Covered Floral Wire, $7 for 60 yards, michaels.com.

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Countdown Glasses

For a fun twist on a New Year's Eve countdown, pass Champagne in glasses marked with numbers representing those anticipated last 10 seconds. On January 2, either peel off numbers (use a cotton ball and adhesive remover to wipe away residue) or save the flutes for next year.

Shop Now: Martha Stewart Essentials 12-Piece Flute Set, $30, macys.com. Headline Sign Stick-On Vinyl Numbers, $10, amazon.com.

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Painted Glass Votive Centerpiece

Create a trail of brilliantly lit candles. Tape off the top outer edge of a clear glass with masking tape, and starting at the top and working downward, squeeze a thin coat of glass paint over the entire surface. The paint drips evenly down sides while drying. To dry, snip an inch off a paper-towel roll, and set the bottom of the glass on top of it, so the paint doesn't accumulate along the base. Let the paint cure according to manufacturer's instructions.

Shop Now: Pebeo Vitrea 160 Glass Paint, from $5, dickblick.com. Whole Housewares Glass Cylinder Vases, 4" by 4", $27 for 6, amazon.com.

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Noisemaker Centerpiece

For a contemporary centerpiece that turns into party favors at the stroke of midnight, arrange a group of colorful noisemakers on top of a cake stand (use glasses to hold any items that don't stand up by themselves). Fill in the surrounding spaces with tinsel. When it's time for the countdown, every one of your guests will have the means to make plenty of celebratory noise.

Shop Now: The Beistle Company Gold Foil Horns, $8 for 16, walmart.com. Creatology Sparkle Pom Poms, in White, $2 for 15, michaels.com.

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Tinsel Napkin Rings

Twist metallic or colorful pipe cleaners into letters or numbers to make unforgettable napkin rings for your New Year's Eve place settings or buffet table.

Shop Now: Factory Direct Craft Gold Metallic Tinsel Pipe Cleaners, $2 for 25, factorydirectcraft.com.

Learn How to Fold a Napkin In Beautiful Ways

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