Saturday, December 15, 2007

Last Minute Gift Ideas

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Smart Gift Ideas for Weddings, Fund Raisers, Annivesaries, Retirements, Graduations, Employee Incentives or Just Saying "Thank You" to Clients

Top Tips For New Year's Eve

Make your December 31 one to remember with our top tips...

Table decorations

For your table centre decorations try using large offcuts of autumn branches with leaves and trails of ivy -- you’ll find them all in the garden at this time of year. Add some rich red apples and wire them on with a few candles. Stick to rich red and gold colours, and avoid pine at all costs -- Christmas is over and gone!

Fun and games with candles

The old saying ‘you could hear a pin drop’ refers to the old days when hostesses fixed a pin into a candle. It was timed to burn down and for the pin to drop out at midnight onto a dish. If there are only a few of you, try this by making a candle each and having a prize for the winner whose pin drops out at the closest to midnight.

Vodka

Buy some flavoured vodkas, chill them down and serve vodka shots either in shot glasses or through a vodka luge. Make sure you serve the vodka after dinner or your guests may feel the effects a bit too early!

Fireworks

Stage a home firework display, complete with sparklers, space blankets (from the camping shop to keep you warm -- only a few pounds each) and gluhwein, plus toffee apples for the younger ones!

Think ahead

Food for the later part of the night -- or early morning -- is always very welcome. You could serve some miniature hamburgers, bite-sized pizzas and sausages in buns at around 2am. Accompany these with tin mugs filled with hot chocolate to keep your guests going!

Dance the night away

Stick to music that your guests recognise. This is not the time to try to wow partygoers with your eclectic tastes or flaunt your knowledge of obscure musical trends. Whether it’s a band or a disco or just a home stereo, you want tunes that everyone can get up and get down to.

Hogmanay spirit

Treat your guests to a selection of malt whisky bottles. Buy a few different makes and set them up on a small bar for an impromptu tasting session. Do this later on in the evening -- it always attracts a big audience, especially among the male members of the party for some reason...

Sweetie time

Buy some glass trumpet vases and fill each one to the brim with different chocolate and sweets -- Smarties, Maltesers, marshmallows, it’s up to you. This will cause a stampede with the coffee.

Head gear

Buy some crazy head-dresses and dish them out at midnight. Your local party store will have a fun selection, probably including Red Indian head-dresses, sailor’s caps, French army hats, devil’s horns, crowns and so on. Hand them out and watch the part start swinging -- just make sure you have your camera ready!

The camera never lies...

Issue disposable cameras so your guests can capture their favourite moments of the night. You can buy disposable cameras here on the confetti website.


*(when comes to offering alcohol to your guest please be mindful and sensible)*

"Information provided by Confetti"