I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Yes, I know it’s not 2012, but today I’m re-sharing my family’s favorite New Year’s tradition, our New Year’s tree! My kids look forward to this and eagerly await the morning they wake up to find our Christmas tree transformed. Check out all of the details below and consider starting a fun new tradition with your own family!
***2016 UPDATE*** We love this tradition so much that we actually decided to create a fun little printable pack all about it! It includes 40 pages of exclusive, never-before-seen New Year’s Eve recipes, beautiful printables for your very own NYE tree, photo booth printables, and tons of great party game ideas! Get it here for $7.99!
Original post:
It’s no secret that I’m a holiday-junkie. I love fun family traditions and my little family has been creating a lot of our own. But one holiday that we haven’t really done much for is New Years. Partially because my kids are so young that a holiday centered around staying up late hasn’t been of much interest and my husband and I have been total party poopers the past few years and usually end up watching the ball drop on tv and then hitting the sack. The other reason is that I go a little crazy for Christmas so I’m usually still winding down from that by December 31! But every year I read my sister-in-law Emily’s family blog and see her fun New Years tradition. She fills balloons with money and “fortunes” or New Years wishes, ties them to the un-decorated Christmas tree and their family celebrates by popping them at midnight. Or “midnight” (whenever you decide that happens 😉 Each year I think, “ooh, I’m totally going to remember that for next year.” And then I do remember. About a week after New Years when she blogs about it again. Doh! So this year I actually remembered to ask her about it, and as I was decorating my own New Years tree I thought some of you guys might like the idea too so we’re bloggin’. Because that’s what I do 🙂
I usually leave my Christmas tree up until after the New Year anyway, so I love the idea of taking off all of the ornaments and giving it a quick makeover. I did mine after my kids were in bed last night and they were SO shocked and excited when they woke up and saw our tree this morning. They freaked out even more when they realized there was money inside the balloons. I ran to the party supply store yesterday and spent about $10 on cheap New Years party stuff.
We had to have some noise makers (even though I have three sons and they were pretty much born with built-in noise makers)
And big funny glasses are a must
I know my boys will LOVE these crackers; you can get them pretty cheap at party stores
and anything else you want.
I already had a bunch of balloons, from making another one of these…
My sister-in-law slips little wishes for the New Year in her balloons. I started thinking of some and then while I totally had writer’s block after only a few (I know, I’m pathetic) I spotted a little book of jokes my boys got for Christmas. I thought those would be fun, so I put silly one-liners in all the balloons (What do you get when you cross a kangaroo and an African Elephant? Big holes all over Australia!) Just cut them into little strips and roll them up and slip them right in there. If you want to print off the silly ones I used, click here. 2012 Edit: This year I asked YOU all for jokes and you came through like champs! I literally sat up forever reading every single one of them and laughing my eyeballs out. Head over to our facebook page and read through the post, it’s hilarious. (What kind of cheese is not yours? Nacho cheese!) Someone else just commented that it would be fun to insert favorite family memories from the past year. I thought that was a great idea too.
I also put some coins in the balloons. Guess where I got the coins? My kids’ piggy banks. Don’t judge. My kids are little and their banks are totally loaded. They get 99% of their haul from 3 places:
1. Around the house (and therefore belonging originally to me)
2. From the change dish in my car (again, mine)
3. From a straight-up raid of my wallet. (Um, yes, for sure mine.)
Therefore it’s not bad parenting, it’s actually more like the circle of life.
I even put $1 bills in a few of them, which my kids will freak out about. Because if there’s anything they’ve learned in their young years, it’s that they should be collecting the “green money”.
I am actually very surprised at how much the opening of a latex balloon can fit. You could actually fit little trinkets in there, but after Christmas the last thing my kids need is more trinkets. So we’ll settle for jokes and money! Confetti sounds like a natural choice too- but only if you enjoy vacuuming up confetti for the next 5 years of your life. I hate confetti.
Just tie the balloons to the tree and add in any other decorations you want. If your tree is real, and really dried out I suppose you’ll have to be careful with the prickly needles and your balloons! This one is artificial (total embarrassment from this Seattle girl!) so it’s no problem. If you’re worried about your balloons popping, I recommend under-filling them with air so they’re nice and squishy. That should help.
(If you still have lights on your tree, either leave them off, or just make sure not to put balloons or paper stuff right on the lights; especially the old-school kind that get pretty hot. You should also leave any sort of popper that actually has some little firework-y thing in them off.) The bonus is that you’re really not making more work for yourself since everyone will grab stuff off the tree on New Years Eve, therefore cleaning it all up for you!
When you’re ready to count down to the new year, grab the party off the tree and pop the balloons at midnight! (Or 7pm if your kids can’t tell time yet, like mine 🙂 Read jokes or fortunes, collect the booty, and call it a year.
Here’s our tree that will be ringing in 2013!
If you like this idea- Pin it and help spread the word before New Years!
Questions & Reviews
Love this! And knowing that you’re from Seattle makes me like you guys even more (Im from Issaquah and am rocking the fake tree too). Thanks for sharing!
Don’t you get worried by morning the balloon s will pop?
Sorry for the trouble
ThaliaRocks
Our tradition is always having a party or huge family get togethers. U should post about how to do partys…
Just a thought though .
ThaliaRocks
Fantastic idea. I wish I known about it when my kids were little. Might be a good idea for the grandies. Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing this idea! My family has made our own New Year’s traditions, and this was a great one to add. I did our tree tonight (kids are sleeping over at the in laws) and can’t wait to surprise them tomorrow!
I loved the tree idea. Wish I had some little kids here to ooh and ahh over this idea and laugh themselves silly still! I’m old but next year I am going to do this with my friends but the jokes may be more adult. I have all year to collect them.
Just wanted to give you some ideas since you give me so many. Thx.
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Great idea thanks for sharing, I was wondering when to undecorate the tree and still enjoy the smell and greenery.
Your New Year’s Tree is beautiful, I love balloons, and tucked into the tree they’re so pretty.
This is a fantastic idea – and one I wish I’d thought/heard of years ago when my kids were little, my husband would go to bed early, and I tried to entertain them as best as I could. For sure I’ll do this in the future for my grandkids – I can just see this being an adventure for them and at the same time give my kids and their future spouses a night out! Well done!
Sara, this is a tradition that Terry ALWAYS did. I have never done it, but have been thinking my kids are ready to really enjoy it. Thanks for the reminder (not the day after New Years)!!!
Love, love this idea! You are so creative!
Thanks for the idea! My daughter was born on New Year’s Eve last year and I was looking for more ideas for a little kid party for her.
We are also making Mormon Margaritas and Pina Coladas.
I love how you used balloons! I have done this same thing for years! I just started using the necklaces and have never used the baloons. I also use new years streamers as the garland!I collect the large bubble wrap and they stomp on that as they blow their horns at midnight!
I love this! We’re usually the lame kind of parents who go to bed by 10 p.m. on New Years Eve…but it’s the new year somewhere in the world right? This would make it a little more fun for my kids!
Brilliant!!
I just took my Christmas decorations off the tree and it just looks so depressing now.
Since our new tradition is to buy a real potted tree to plant after the holidays, and it’s a little too cold outside yet to take it out of the house, I’ve been trying to think of what I could do with it.
Decorating it for New Years Eve is a great idea.
LOVE this idea! Great way to kick into gear and get my Christmas stuff coming down. I have been known to leave stuff up until early spring! SO CUTE!
what an AWESOME IDEA! Thanks so much for sharing!
We will be doing this…. love starting new family traditions! 😉
Happy New Year!
What a fab idea!! I love it!
This is a fantastic idea that maybe I’ll get around to next year when I get new years stuff on clearance this year(!). We always leave our tree up for new years as religiously the wise men did not make it to baby jesus until new years….. Thanks for your great family friendly ideas!!! : )
I excited about this idea! Sounds like so much fun for my kids. Maybe someone already said this, but I’m thinking of also putting some happy memories our family has from 2012 in the baloons to celebrate this past year.
I’ve always taken down the tree New Years Eve. or before. I was told it was bad luck and you will have a bad year. Something about bringing in the new year with the old tree.
My mom would always bake banana bread with delish icing and my dad and our neighbor (who worked at the railroad right behind our house) would take my brother and let him blow the train whistle at midnight. I looooooooove the New Year’s tree. God brought your idea to me at the perfect time! My 16 month old grandbaby is out of state right now and so we are opening his presents when he gets back on the 31st. I was going to take the tree down, now I will add the balloons! Thank you and have a blessed New Year!
What a wonderful idea!
I normally never leave comments, but New Years has been and was one of my favorite holidays growing up! Our tradition includes hanging out over yummy food and fun games until “midnight”, when we turn on a favorite song (in our case, it’s Love Shack by the B52’s) and eat Belgian waffles with berries, whip cream, ice cream, syrup, etc. It is so fun and little kids always look forward to it!
Another idea for little ones, a local community center had a “Noon Year’s Eve Party” – obviously at noon – with crafting, singing, cookie decorating, etc. stations. We had a great time – our kiddo loved it. And a much more friendly little one time! Ended up wearing him out and he went to bed early and we had a quiet NYE, just the two of us. Think I’ll do that for our close friends next year or maybe even at church. (I know I’m a little late adding this but thought it was a good idea that others might like!)
I don’t have any children yet but this idea is so wonderful that I’ll have to remember it!
What a fabulous idea! I whipped out a New Years tree this year and my kids LOVED it!!! Thanks!!!
Emily’s my cousin and we were up at the Evan’s house to participate in this one year and I thought it was so cool! My brother got a balloon with a coupon good for a new dress and all the Evans girls were jealous :o). But like you I kept forgetting about this or away from home and unable to choose the New year’s activities but my mom remembered this this year and we did it and had a blast. We included “minute to win it” games in some balloons and other challenges. The “Face the Cookie” (with gingerbread men) and whistle a tune without smiling were hilarious fun! If you go to the minute to win it website they tell you how to play it and what supplies you need and include video clips to demonstrate.
Another idea is to celebrate the New Year’s for the time zone that best suites your bedtime schedule and celebrate it the way they would in that area. One year we celebrated the Argentine New Years because that’s where my brother went on his mission and we were at his house.
I like the idea of including the party on the tree too. So fun!
I LOVE this idea! Even though I have teenagers, I want to do this next year. I’m hoping you or one of your readers might have an idea to replace the latex balloons. I have a daughter with special needs and has allergies to them. I enjoy reading all your posts and ideas. I can’t wait for your ideas for 2012!!!
I looooove my new years tree. Thank you 🙂