Midnight Cowboy New Years Eve Western Theme Party

Midnight Cowboy is the perfect theme for a New Year's Eve Party. Let's get one thing straight pardner, I'm not talking tumbleweeds and cow patties here! By combining a western theme with a snazzy black, red and silver color scheme, this is one cowpoke party that will impress every guest, and be fun to boot!

New Year's Western Party Invitations
A personalized Cowboy New Year's invitation is a great way to get everyone's attention (and get your party on their calendar!) You can add a sprinkling of western confetti in the envelope for extra pizazz.

If you're crafty and you have the time you can make your own invitations. Create a "Wanted" poster from layers of cardstock and glue a square of mirror paper in the center (most craft stores will have it). When guests gaze at your "Wanted Poster" invitation they will see their own reflection in the mirror!

Either way, add a line on your invite that says "Western attire is encouraged" so people feel free to express their inner cowboy and cowgirl.

New Year's Western Decorations and Party Supplies
As your guests walk in the door, welcome them with a black cowboy hat and a pair of silver 2011 glasses. You can personalize the hat by writing "Happy New Year's" on the front with silver puffy paint. Since you are the host you should wear a special hat; I'd go with a black light up cowboy hat or a black sequin cowboy hat.
When your guests walk into the party room you want them to think "Cowboy goes to Times Square". You can accomplish this by mixing western elements with some of the glitz and glamour of New Year's Eve. Stick with the midnight inspired color scheme of black, silver and red and decorating will be a snap. Here's what you need to dress up your 'home on the range":

• Black and platinum balloons make great balloon bouquets. You can make your own balloon weights by filling a plastic zipper bag with sand and then tying a red bandana around it.
• For fantastic floral displays, fill a short round vase with red roses and tinsel. Place the vase in an overturned sequin cowboy hat. These are great for table decorations, or even centerpieces.
• Make "wanted" posters to hang all over the walls with the host/hostesses pictures, and hang "Cowboys" and "Cowgirls" signs on your bathroom doors. Cutout a few wagon wheel shapes from cardboard, paint them black and decorate them with silver glitter. Or use some western scene setters to decorate the walls.
• A silver glitter Happy New Year banner is great in a doorway or on a blank wall. Add more balloons to each side.
• If you don't mind a little mess get straw bales for guests to sit on. Cover the tops with inexpensive black cotton fabric to keep everyone from getting poked by the straw.

Remember to mix and match the New Year's Eve and western elements and it will look fantastic, I promise!

New Year's Western Menu and Table Decorations
Depending on the size of your guest list and party space, you can have a sit down dinner or a buffet. Either way, serve a selection of barbequed meats, chili, cornbread, beans, and other cowboy/BBQ fare.

Want to do something fun for drinks? Have a whisky tasting! Have a selection of whiskeys on hand, and give everyone a flashing shot glass. You can give your tasters little cards and let them write reviews, or just vote on the party favorite. Water with personalized bottle labels is another unique touch as well. Make sure you still serve some non-alcoholic choices, and pass out glasses of champagne when it is time to toast the New Year!

Use black cowboy hats as centerpieces. They are great turned upside-down with a vase full of flowers in them as we suggested above. Or place a metal bowl filled with ice inside the hat and use it as an ice bucket for champagne! You could also take an inexpensive black cowboy hat, cut a small hole in the top, and thread a balloon bouquet through it.

If you are doing a sit down dinner make simple white place cards and attach them to a silver sheriff badge. And don't forget to decorate your buffet and bar with silver tableskirts and a few balloon bouquets.

Western New Year's Games and Activities
Besides counting down to midnight, have some fun activities ready to keep everyone busy (they will make great pictures too!):

• Line or square dancing is always fun. Have an instructor come out for an hour or two to teach everyone the two-step.
• Two words - mechanical bull. If you have a large area and budget you can rent one for the night!
• Have a Texas Hold'em tournament. Let people bet with personalized money, and then they can trade it in at the end of the night for prizes!
• Karaoke is always a crowd pleaser. Keep it in theme by singing country songs about cowboys (put me down for Willie's "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys").
• Check out our Western Party Games and New Year's Eve Party Games for more great ideas!

Be sure to hand our prizes to your winners/best performers; we love this snazzy Western bolo tie.

New Year's Eve Party Favors
Your cowboys and cowgirls will want to raise a ruckus when the clock strikes twelve. Hand out noisemakers and some fun party items throughout the night, and when the New Year rolls around everyone will we ready to welcome it! Here are a few ideas:

• You can go simple with gold horns and black noisemakers which will match your decorations perfectly, and not break the bank.
• A fun step up are these great confetti horns. Confetti + horn... does it get any better than that?
• Hand out confetti for throwing, and silver new year beads for wearing (and maybe throwing)!
• Why not fill a few balloons with western confetti and pop them over the crowd when the clock strikes twelve?

At the end of the night you can hand out a personalized western candy bar as a final way of saying "Thanks for coming", and put them in some favor bags!  Check out these custom New Year's Eve favor bags. Your guests will hate to leave, but they will remember your Midnight Cowboy New Year's Eve Party for years to come. With help for Party411.com, all of your parties will be a huge success!