Check out this quick and easy New Year’s Eve buffet table. It’s super simple for you to recreate. AND it’s totally budget-friendly!
New Year’s Eve is the last holiday of the year. Or maybe you consider it the first holiday of the new year?
In either case, it’s often a mad dash to plan a NYE party.
Your time has been taken up with all the other holidays proceeding it, and you just haven’t been able to focus on it.
I get it.
So, what can you do to create a festive New Year’s Eve buffet table with little time, and on a budget?
That’s what I was thinking when I created this fun buffet table for New Year’s Eve.
It needed to be quick and easy ~ and look fabulous.
After all, you want your NYE buffet table to impress your friends and family ~ don’t you?
Check out how simple it is to decorate for New Year’s Eve and how easy setting your New Year’s Eve buffet table can be.
*For additional tips, take a look at my 2 posts on what to do and what not to do when setting up a buffet table:
How to Create a Quick and Easy New Year’s Eve Buffet Table
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Step 1: Create the foundation for your NYE buffet table
When you’re setting up a buffet table, it’s important that you plan ahead. That you have an idea of the layout and the dishes you’ll be using. You want to create a solid foundation for the food and New Year’s Eve table decor.
To make a buffet table fabulous and impress your guests, you will need to have a section, or sections, elevated. So having an inkling as to the dishes you’ll be using is super helpful for section placement.
You need your buffet table to have varying heights. To create visual interest. You don’t want all of the food at one level.
To create this elevation, lay down boxes, stacks of books, or any other solid/sturdy surface that will add height to your NYE buffet table.
Next, cover those boxes (or what you chose to use) with a white tablecloth. Pick a tablecloth that isn’t stiff so it will drape nicely over them.
*Note ~ if you don’t have a suitable tablecloth, a clean sheet will also work.
Then add a sheer or colorful fabric over the section that has the boxes underneath.
Can you see the immediate transformation? The buffet table is starting to look fabulous!
This is the foundation for your festive New Year’s Eve buffet table.
Step 2: Add New Year’s Eve table decor around your buffet
Since this is a New Year’s Eve celebration, I wanted to incorporate clocks into my buffet decor.
I started with a large wall clock that I had in another room and placed it on the elevated boxes. It would be the focal point of the NYE buffet table.
Then I added SUPER EASY diy clock plates around the wall clock. I just taped them to the wall in a random ring.
*These diy NYE clock plates cost almost nothing to make. Check out the post to learn more.
Once I had the diy clocks in place, I blew up a lot of gold and white balloons and also taped them to the wall.
(Tape was my friend ~ quick and cheap!)
Isn’t it looking cute, festive, and fabulous! SO FUN!!
Step 3: Complete your buffet table for New Year’s Eve
Now that you have the foundation and wall decorations set for your New Year’s Eve celebration, it’s time to add the table decor, dishes, and glasses.
*Note ~ for your New Year’s Eve buffet to really look fabulous ~ use gold and silver as the primary colors. The metallics give the look of elegance and class. Your NYE decorations don’t need to be expensive. Just using metallic colors makes it feel expensive.
In fact, the garland that I wove around the table, and the small metallic balls that filled the trays and candle holders were from Dollar Tree. Super cheap!
I chose to create this NYE buffet table as a bubbly beverage station: for champagne and/or sparkling cider.
So I placed a large shiny silver bowl with bottles in it on one end and added a tray of tall flute glasses in front of it.
The silver tray adds to the elegance of the table, instead of the glasses just standing on the table.
Then in the middle of the buffet, I placed a tray of sweets, flanked by two diy gold glitter candles. The gold on the candles ties into the gold balloons, and it frames the large wall clock. The focal point of the buffet table.
I also added a few small tidbit plates for guests to use.
Then on the right side of the buffet table for New Year’s Eve, I added a gazing ball (from my yard) and placed it on a gold candle holder. Who says candle holders are just for candles!
In case you’re wondering ~ the gazing ball represents the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball.
In front of the gazing ball I added a second tray of glasses, but this time gorgeous coupe glasses. That way my guests will have an option of which glass they want to use.
New Year’s is the perfect time to pull out all your fancy glasses and use them.
*Tip: if you don’t have enough champagne glasses for your guests, invite them to bring theirs. Some might find this tacky, but think about it ~ most people don’t own more than 8 champagne glasses. And plastic glasses aren’t classy or elegant.
I bet most of your guests would love a reason to use their own champagne flutes or coupes. Plus you don’t need to worry about guests forgetting which glass is theirs ~ they brought it!!
And think about the conversation starters ~ all about where, how, and when they got their glasses.
When you step back and look at the buffet table ~ doesn’t it look fabulous! And SO EASY to set up!
Then think about how cheap the decor for your New Year’s table was ~ crazy!
Now, I have stainless serving pieces that I’ve accumulated, but you can easily use glass or even the clear plastic trays from Dollar Tree. They have a nice design on them that you don’t really scream “plastic” when they’re sitting on a table.
Just remember to use metallic gold and silver colors on your table and for your New Year’s decor. The look of your buffet table will immediately be elevated.
New Year’s Eve Tablescape to Match Your Buffet
Are you looking for inspiration for your fabulous New Year’s Eve tablescape? Check out my table from last year ~ it’s GORGEOUS!!
Watch the Video: New Year’s Eve Buffet
Check out the easy DIY projects used to decorate this NYE buffet:
Shop the Table (if you don’t have time for a DIY)
Check out other table settings:
- Simple DIY Winter Wonderland Tablescape
- Rustic Farmhouse Christmas Tablescape
- An Elevated Rustic Thanksgiving Tablescape
- French Farmhouse Friendsgiving Tablescape
- Simple Modern Thanksgiving Day Tablescape: On a Budget
- Cozy Fall Table Setting: Navy & Tan
- Ode to 1970’s Vintage Fall Tablescape
- Coastal Grandmother Table Setting
- Setting a Pretty Table for Your Girlfriends: Pink & White
Simple but fabulous! Also, I’m drooling over your actual buffet – the furniture – it’s gorgeous!
Thank you! That’s SO kind to hear. I appreciate it. I inherited the buffet from my Nana ~ a very treasured piece of furniture.