How to throw the easiest New Year's Eve party ever

Follow these step-by-step instructions and decorating ideas for a super easy festivity that you and your friends can enjoy into the new year.

1. A few days before

Hit the liquor store and grab a cartful of Prosecco — it’s usually more budget-friendly than champagne. (And make sure to remind your friends that the party is BYOB.)

Visit the dollar store and pick up the following: Mason jars, tealight candles, toothpicks, colourful paper, plastic champagne glasses, sparklers, white, gold and silver balloons.

See if you can rent a projector – it’ll be worth it! Then search the linen closet for white flat sheet.

Call a cleaning service to book a post-party clean-up.

2. The day before

Make a big batch of cupcakes. Here are some delicious recipes to try: lemony cupcakes, strawberry and lemon cream cheese cupcakes, salty caramel cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes and vanilla cupcakes. Using the toothpicks and colourful paper, create little flags with 2013 written on them.

Go to the grocery store deli and pick up chips, crackers and a couple trays worth of meats, pickles and cheeses to feed any hungry partiers, plus several large bags of ice.

3. The day of

Pick up the projector. Have the salesperson show you how to hook it up to a laptop, and make sure you have all the cords you need. Tack up your white flat sheet to the wall, and hook up the projector to a laptop with a countdown clock on it. Dim the lights to party levels and you can have your very own large-scale countdown at midnight!

Do a clean-up of the house. Here are some quick and easy tips to get your house party ready!

Put tealight candles in the Mason jars and scatter them about for ambiance.

Blow up all the balloons.

Put out the party snacks.

Fill a few buckets or bowls with ice, place them on the table and chill the bottles of Prosecco in there. (Guests can open a new bottle themselves every time one runs out!)

4. Before midnight

Hand out the sparklers just before midnight so your guests can usher in the new year with some old-fashioned fun!

Once the midnight kisses are complete, bring out the platter of 2013 cupcakes and distribute.

The day after: Do nothing! Your pre-scheduled cleanup service will do it all for you!

Wishing you a very Happy New Year!