10 Ways to Ring in 2021 from Home

This year, more people than ever will be ringing in the New Year from the comfort of their own homes due to Covid shutdowns and restrictions. But don’t fret, because it’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate how you want without having to pay cover charges or waiting in line to get into crowded bars and clubs. If you’re looking for ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve at your house, check out 10 of our ideas below. 

Cook Up Some Appetizers
You can never go wrong with food at any event. Have members of your household each make different appetizers of your choosing served on party plates. This could be the classic pigs in a blanket dish or a vibrant charcuterie board filled with your favorite cheeses, meats, fruits and more. “The Pioneer Woman” is a site offering a variety of free recipes perfect for the occasion, which makes it easier when deciding what to cook. www.thepioneerwoman.com // @thepioneerwoman

Set the Mood with Decorations
Bring your living room to life by decorating to your own liking. You can decorate with black, gold and silver balloons, have a table with a sparkly tablecloth and sport 2021-themed headbands. Adding a festive, metallic backdrop will make taking photos even more fun. Party City has many different decorations and themes to pick from and offers curbside delivery if you don’t want to wait on delayed deliveries elsewhere. www.partycity.com // @partycity

Get Creative with a Dessert Bake Off
Why not make dessert a whole lot tastier by having a bake off within your household? This can be a fun yet competitive way to stuff your face with delicious sweets. You can play it safe with NYE-decorated cupcakes or by baking a cake from scratch. The Food Network has a huge selection when looking for NYE-themed dessert recipes for everyone to choose from. www.foodnetwork.com // @foodnetwork

Tune into Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve
Keep the party going while streaming “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. Enjoy performances until the ball drops at midnight in New York’s Times Square. However due to pandemic, the show will be a broadcast event and closed off to the public. www.newyearsrockineve.com // @abcnetwork

Have Fun with the Houseparty App
If you’re looking to play different drinking games, party games and more, download the app Houseparty on your phone or desktop, allowing up to eight friends to video chat in a room. This is a fun way to hang out with your friends as you wait for midnight. The app even has a feature where you can invite friends into Fortnite or Epic Games mode where they can join in on the games you play. www.houseparty.com // @houseparty

Host a Movie Marathon
If you’re looking to stay cozy and relax, host a virtual movie marathon. Using the Netflix Party extension that can be downloaded on your computer for free, you can watch a film series like “Harry Potter” or take turns picking movies. As long as you share the party code, friends or family can watch along and even discuss the movie through the chat room. If you don’t have Netflix, download the Teleparty extension where you can host a movie marathon virtually for streaming services including Disney+, Hulu and HBO, with many more services on the way. www.netflix.com // @netflix

Prep Some Party Cocktails
Be your own bartender and make festive, themed cocktails or nonalcoholic beverages of your choosing for everyone in the house. Depending on your choice of drink, Pinterest offers a wide variety of drinks with recipes that you can make at home. This beats spending money out at the bars, and don’t forget to buy champagne. www.pinterest.com // @pinterest

Pop Mini Confetti Champagne Bottles
At midnight, everyone in the house has the chance to pop champagne bottles without having to worry about alcohol spilling everywhere. Target sells cute, fun-sized confetti bottles for a low price. www.target.com // @target

Take on TikTok
TikTok is all they hype these days , especially when everyone has the chance to go viral. Show the world what you and your household members have got this NYE by making dance or comedic videos. Download the app on your phone. www.tiktok.com // @tiktok

Throw a Zoom Get Together
Have everyone in your house dress up in a fancy outfit. To make things more interesting, you can have a party hat contest with family or friends on Zoom. And while you have everyone online, you can plan to have a virtual toast at midnight. www.zoom.us // @zoom

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