New Year’s Eve comes a week after Christmas, so most apartments are already half-decorated. The easiest New Year’s look starts with what’s already there, takes the red and green out, and adds gold and black.

Keep the lights, change the rest

Leave up any white string lights (on Amazon), garland and candles from Christmas. Take down stockings, Santas and anything red. Greenery with white lights already looks like a winter party; it doesn’t need to look like Christmas any more.

One wall that sparkles

Pick one wall, ideally the one people will take photos in front of, and hang a gold foil fringe backdrop (on Amazon). It goes up with tape in a few minutes and comes down the next day. One wall is enough. Every wall turns into a lot of tinsel to vacuum.

A banner and some balloons

  • A Happy New Year banner (on Amazon) over the doorway or along the top of the backdrop.
  • A balloon garland (on Amazon) in black and gold along one side of the backdrop or around a doorway. Balloons fill space quickly, which is useful in a bigger room and too much in a small one, so stick to one cluster.

Glasses for midnight

Real champagne flutes (on Amazon) make the toast feel like an occasion. Line them up on a tray before midnight so you’re not hunting for glasses at 11:58. If you’re short, borrow, or use small wine glasses rather than plastic.

Candles everywhere

Put flameless tea lights (on Amazon) on every flat surface, in small glass holders if you have them. With the overhead lights off, a room full of little lights looks like a party. Real candles and confetti don’t mix.

A countdown that isn’t only the TV

The TV broadcast works, but it’s nice to have something in the room too: a big clock on a shelf, a letter board with “10, 9, 8…”, or one person in charge of counting out loud. Hand out noisemakers or party poppers at 11:55.

Confetti, carefully

Confetti is fun for about one minute and then you’re cleaning it out of the rug until February. If you want some, use big paper confetti or poppers that shoot streamers, and keep it to the midnight moment.

On January 1

The backdrop and balloons go in the trash or recycling, the banner rolls up for next year, and the lights and greenery stay up a few more days, which is the subject of a whole other post.