After all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, some people enjoy letting loose and going out on New Year's Eve, while others just want to have a relaxing night in. The latter, however, can seem pretty boring with no glamorous photos to post on Instagram that millennials use to measure the successful start of a new year. Instead of feeling pressured to go out with champagne and shenanigans, hop on the trend of staying in on New Year's Eve.
If you want a low-key but surprisingly fun New Year's Eve, base your 2019 kick-off on some of these ideas:
1. Build a gingerbread house.
Whether you're staying in by yourself or are planning a get-together, making a gingerbread house is always fun. You can even take it one step further and create a whole gingerbread village. You could even make it into a competition and see whose turns out the best! Gingerbread house kits are always on sale after Christmas or you can even just pick up some random supplies and make it a DIY. When you're done, if your creation is too cute to eat or throw away, you can spray it with a clear acrylic spray to preserve it as a future decoration!
2. Paint and drink wine.
A fad that has really taken off this year was having a wine and paint party. End the year (and maybe the obsession with wine and paint) by expressing your artsy side. Paint from your imagination, look up a tutorial online, or watch some Bob Ross videos, and paint your happy little accidents!
3. Look at a photo montage.
If you're the type of person who takes a lot of photos and enjoys the swiping through the memories, take it one step further by making a photo montage (along with music). Get a group of friends or family and take a ride through the entire year in just a few minutes! Look at the ups and downs of your year and learn a lot about yourself and your friends in the process.
4. Throw a slumber party.
Who says that sleepovers and slumber parties have to end in middle school? Have a classic sleepover like you would way back when. Gossip, watch movies, eat popcorn, have a pillow fight, do makeovers, and have a ton of laughs!
5. Create an at home spa.
After the stress of the holidays has calmed down, some of us (especially adults) need a break! With the kids off at a friend's house and an evening to yourself, have a spa night. Pamper yourself and focus on you for a night! Get some nail polish, throw on a face mask, and look up different scents and recipes for scrubs to completely indulge in a "you" night.
6. Have a dinner with many courses.
There are so many possibilities for this idea! You can make a fancy dinner, buy a bunch of microwavable food, throw some frozen appetizers in the oven, or do a combination of things. Nothing kicks of the New Year's resolution of going to the gym like eating all your calories on the first night!
7. Play board games.
A little (healthy) competition never hurt anyone! Kick-start the new year by playing board games with your favorite people in your life. You can even make a competition out of the night. See who can win the most games or even have a bracket and see who the head-to-head competitors will be. This wold surely make a great night with many laughs and some friendly rivalries to inspire the greatness of the new year to come.
8. Have a movie marathon.
Streaming services are making it incredibly tempting to spend a night in, so why not make that your New Year's plan? Pick up some movie snacks and spend your night in with your favorite actors and characters. If you really are feeling festive, borrow or rent a projector and project the movie on a white wall or sheet for that extra movie theater-like experience. If the weather looks promising, you can even move this party outside!
9. Plan your year.
Instead of trying a New Year's Resolution that you know you'll quit in a week, try to plan your year. Think about the things you want to happen, make goals for yourself, and see what you really want for your future You don't have to plan the journey, but it'll help you focus on your goals if you set your end destination. Dare to dream and don't be afraid to pursue them too!
10. Play some drinking games.
If you're at least 21, then New Year's often seems like it's a bout getting drunk—and sometimes it may be! So, why not make a game of it? You can Google pretty much anything, and you'll find rules of a drinking game someone has made up. Drunk card and board games? Check. Drunk TV shows? Check. Drunk holiday movies? Check.
11. Decorate the house.
Who says that you won't have Instagram worthy photos if you stay home on New Year's Eve? There are so many stores with cheap decorations for you to ring in the new year in style. If you really want to get fancy, have a themed party or set up a photo station! A lot of times the decorations and pictures turn out a lot better than you think they will!
12. Do some DIY projects.
Most people have a bunch of creative juices flowing with no outlet for them. What would be a better theme for a party than a Pinterest fail party?! Everyone who attempts do-it-yourself projects knows that there will inevitably be fails, so why not have fun while doing it? Gather up a group of people and try some projects that you've been secretly hoping to do!
13. Sleep!
There never seems to be enough time in the day, so why not start the New Year on the right side of the bed by getting a full night's sleep? Get ahead while you can and prepare to make the best of the new year!
