The ultimate guide to hosting your own party

Most of us are looking forward to kick off a brand new year after a grim 2016, and might have started preparing for it. If you are one among most of us who are planning to avoid the overtlycrowded clubs and bashes being held in the city — and would instead like to spend the New Year’s eve at home with few friends and family, we’ve got you covered. From decking up your place to look pretty enough to welcome a New Year, to short eats, and apps to let you take pride in how good a DJ you can be  — here’s a guide that will come handy with all of these, without having to break the bank.

Spruce it up

Architect Abhinaya Rangarajan says, “One of the easiest decors you can make is buntings with different colours and hung them across the house. It’s very simple and easy to make. Tissue paper pom poms are another décor item that can spruce up your living room.”

The New Year eve parties should definitely include as much sparkle as you can manage. Though we have a lot of favourable colours, the winning ones are the pastel shades. “I, personally, like teal a lot. It transforms a dull space into a vibrant one. You can combine teal with beige and grey. It will look a lot more elegant than the usual party colour like yellow and red,” says Abhinaya.

When it comes to the food, Abhinaya says that cupcakes themselves are aesthetically pleasing and ‘yummy’ as well! “It is a decent munch you can find at any parties. You can even use your dessert counter to double up as a photobooth, to click those midnight selfies!”

Non-messy eats

Chennai-based homebaker Sara Koshy says there are umpteen options available when it comes to quick munches — “Shortcut pastries and canapes are the quick munchies one can prepare for the New Year eve parties. You can mix tuna and white mayonnaise and spread it on canapes. Fish pakoras and minced meat pakoras are another favourite among the youngsters. Cocktail sausage with honey and tomato sauce is another party food. Another snack to go with the party mood is hummus with crackers.”

Innovate with the junk
If there are alcohol bottles lying around as you clean up, don’t reduce them to mere garbage and instead pick some bright colours and paint them up and throw in some dry flowers or fairy lights into them to easily take your space to a new level, says Ambika Ankit Agarwal, the founder and creative director of The A-Cube Project. “One of the ways to even include your friends into decking up the space for the party is through origami. It’s simple, and even cost effective, which everyone can partake in. The idea should be that the ambiance only adds to our celebration and is not the main aim of the party,” Ambika suggests.

Let technology keep you entertained

What is a New Year party without a little bit of gossip, talks about celebrities and mimicking silly accents? The app —Heads Up! — lets you play the game that Ellen DeGeneres plays on her show. Get your friends around and just download the app, and see which one of your friends is good at naming celebrities and guessing the word on the card that’s on your head from the clues your friends would be giving you.

There can be no good party without good music keeping the spirits up. So let your phone be your DJ with the app, Party Mixer. It lets you play two songs simultaneously and even fade between the songs.

In case your space doesn’t have the fancy lights that clubs usually have to set the mood, then fret not. Download the app which lets your phone turn into a disco light, called the Disco Light LED Flashlight — the ultimate party machine you will ever need.