New Year's Party Favors: 9 Picks Plus Countdown Bag Ideas
The best New Year's party favors are small, a little shiny and useful after midnight: a year-in-review group video every guest gets a link to, Happy New Year party hats, champagne-flavored gummy bears, single-serving confetti, a pocket planner for the year ahead and surprise balls that unwrap into tiny gifts. Below are 9 picks with prices checked on each brand's site, plus DIY and countdown bag ideas for every budget.
A note before the list: we make Tribute, the group video maker, and Storybook, and they're the first two of the 9 picks.
| Favor | Best for | Price (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Tribute group video | Every guest, plus friends who can't come | From $35 for the whole group |
| Storybook video book | The host or one family | $49 to $129 |
| Meri Meri Happy New Year Party Hats | The countdown photo | $28 for 6 |
| Meri Meri Gold & Silver Surprise Balls | Place settings | $34 for 6 |
| Sugarfina Champagne Bears | Adults | $9.50 a cube |
| Knot & Bow Single Serving Size Confetti | The midnight toss | $6 a bag |
| Moleskine Classic Planner 2027 Pocket | Resolution makers | $23 |
| Meri Meri Bright Stripe Party Blowers | Kids | $10 for 8 |
| Poetry for Neanderthals | A door prize for families | $19.99 |
What are the best New Year's party favors?
Every good favor does one of two jobs: it adds to the countdown (hats, confetti, noisemakers) or it carries the night into the new year (a planner, a video, a sweet for the morning). Our New Year's eve party favorites below cover both. Hand the countdown ones out at 11:45 and leave the take-home ones by the door.
1. Tribute group video (our pick, we make this)
The favor every guest keeps is one they helped make. A few weeks before the party, start a Tribute and ask guests, plus the friends who can't come, to record a short clip: their best moment of the year and one wish for the next. Tribute is a group video maker that turns messages from friends and family into one surprise video. It works by inviting everyone to record a short clip from their phone; Tribute compiles the clips, music and photos into a finished video you share or play together.
Play it at 11:30, then send the link to everyone on New Year's Day as the party's take-home. Unlike a bag of candy, it's still worth opening in March. Over 8 million videos have been sent on Tribute, and it holds 4.9 stars from 7,000+ reviews.
- Look for: Unlimited invites, email reminders and a download with no watermark, all included
- Price: Free to start a draft; from $35 when you publish (final video up to 30 minutes), or $99 for a Concierge editor to build it
Best for: Hosts whose friends and family are spread across cities.
Why it works: One favor covers the whole guest list, and the people who couldn't come are in it too.
Want it on a shelf too? The Concierge with Video Book option ($149) adds a 7-inch book that plays the video when opened.
2. Storybook video book (our pick, we make this)
For one special guest, such as the friend who hosts every year or the grandparents at a family nye party, a Storybook turns the year into a book that plays. It's a hardcover video book by Tribute: you build the film online from your own photos and clips, and it plays when the cover opens. Give the year's highlights to the person who made the year happen.
- Look for: Three sizes; the 7-inch reads well on a coffee table
- Price: 5-inch $49, 7-inch $88, 10-inch $129, with free US shipping
Best for: The host, or one family who'll keep it out on the shelf.
Why it works: Compared to a framed photo, it holds the whole year with sound.
Which favors make the countdown?
These four go on the table or in hands right before midnight. Buy one per guest plus a few spares for the people who arrive at 11:40. Keep them in a basket near the TV so nobody has to hunt for a hat at 11:58.
3. Meri Meri Happy New Year Party Hats
Glittery gold star hats that look good in photos and survive a dance floor. Meri Meri's Happy New Year Party Hats come in a pack of six, and the brand suggests handing them out just before the clock strikes twelve. Kids and adults both wear them.
- Look for: The pack of 6; buy two for a party of a dozen
- Price: $28 for 6 (as of October 2026)
Best for: The countdown photo.
Why it works: It's the one favor guests put on right away.
4. Knot & Bow Single Serving Size Confetti
A small cello bag holding just enough confetti for one throw at midnight. Knot & Bow's Single Serving Size Confetti comes in mixes including gold and silver, blended by hand and made in the USA. Set one at each place or drop a basket by the TV.
- Look for: The gold and silver mix for a black, white and gold party
- Price: $6 a bag (as of October 2026)
Best for: The midnight toss.
Why it works: One bag per guest keeps the cleanup to one sweep.
5. Meri Meri Gold & Silver Surprise Balls
Crepe paper balls that unwrap layer by layer to reveal small gifts inside, finished with glitter and ribbon. Meri Meri's Gold & Silver Surprise Balls double as table décor until someone can't wait. Put one on each plate for a seated dinner.
- Look for: A pack of 6 for a dinner table of six
- Price: $34 for 6 (as of October 2026)
Best for: Place settings at a dinner party.
Why it works: Unwrapping is its own small activity at the table.
6. Meri Meri Bright Stripe Party Blowers
Striped paper blowers with gold glitter, eight to a pack. Meri Meri's Bright Stripe Party Blowers are the noisemaker that kids reach for first. They also power a good party blower race if you need party games nye guests can play in two minutes.
- Look for: One pack per eight kids, plus a few for the adults who'll want one
- Price: $10 for 8 (as of October 2026)
Best for: Kids at a family party.
Why it works: Noise is the point of midnight, and these are loud enough.
What are good holiday party favors for adults?
Grown-up guests want something they'll use on January 1. These three fit holiday party favors for adults, from a sweet to a fresh calendar.
7. Sugarfina Champagne Bears
Gummy bears flavored with champagne, packed in a small clear cube that looks like a party favor before you add a ribbon. Sugarfina's Champagne Bears come in a Small Candy Cube for one guest, or a Perfect 10 Party Pack of ten cubes for a bigger table. Set them at each place or hand them out with coats.
- Look for: The Small Candy Cube for one guest; the Perfect 10 Party Pack ($85 online, as of October 2026) for ten
- Price: $9.50 a cube (as of October 2026)
Best for: Adults at a dinner or cocktail party.
Why it works: It's the toast in candy form, with no corkscrew needed.
8. Moleskine Classic Planner 2027 Pocket
A pocket weekly planner dated January to December 2027, with the year debossed on the cover and a page for ideas and goals. The Moleskine Classic Planner 2027 Pocket comes in several colors and hard or soft covers. A Pew Research Center survey found that 49% of adults under 30 made at least one resolution for 2024, so a younger crowd will put it to work.
- Look for: Moleskine's discount on 25 units or more of the same item, listed on the product page
- Price: $23 (as of October 2026)
Best for: Friends who make resolutions.
Why it works: It's the one favor that's useful all 365 days.
9. Poetry for Neanderthals
Here's a family-friendly card game where clue-givers can only use one-syllable words, or teammates bop them with an inflatable club. Poetry for Neanderthals makes a strong door prize or one-per-household favor at a family party. It also gives your activities for new year party guests something to do at 10 p.m.
- Look for: One per household, not per guest
- Price: $19.99 (as of October 2026)
Best for: A door prize for families.
Why it works: The club makes the rules funny for kids and adults alike.
What are New Year's countdown bag ideas?
Countdown bags give kids a reason to stay up: one bag for each hour from 7 p.m. to midnight, opened on the hour. They work at a family nye party or a home party with two kids and a dog. Number them, hang them on a string and fill each with a favor plus an activity card. Here's a sequence that works:
- 7 p.m.: Glow sticks and "dance party for one song"
- 8 p.m.: A party hat and "make a hat for someone else"
- 9 p.m.: Popcorn and "start the movie"
- 10 p.m.: A party blower and "blower race on the kitchen table"
- 11 p.m.: A card and pencil and "write a prediction for next year"
- Midnight: Confetti and "HAPPY NEW YEAR"
Skip sparklers in the bags. They burn at about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates 1,300 injuries in 2025 involved sparklers alone. Glow sticks give the same glow with no burn risk.
What are DIY and personalized New Year's party favors?
Homemade favors cost less and match any theme. They also give the kids a job on December 30. The same DIY approach works for Thanksgiving party favors and personalized Christmas party favors, so it's worth setting up once.
- Time capsule envelopes: A printed envelope with each guest's name and "Open next December 31." Inside, a card with three questions about their year. Collect them, mail them back next December.
- Prediction fortune cookies: Buy plain fortune cookies and swap the fortunes for predictions you wrote about each guest.
- Hot cocoa jars: Layer cocoa mix, mini marshmallows and crushed peppermint in a small jar with a "for January 1" tag.
- The photo corner print: Print a photo of each guest from the photo corner and slip it into a paper frame on the way out.
How much should you spend on New Year's party favors?
Plan $2 to $10 a guest. Kids want noisemakers and candy, not planners, and at the low end a bag of confetti and a party blower cover it. In the middle, add a cube of candy; at the top, a planner or a surprise ball. One group video covers the whole guest list from $35, which is often less than a round of favors for a party of ten.
Match the favor to the theme so it doubles as décor. For ideas for a new year party theme, see our list of New Year's Eve party themes, and for home party ideas for New Year's Eve from invites to the 12:30 breakfast, our guide to New Year's Eve party ideas. Families can borrow from our family games for a Christmas party, and our holiday season guide covers December.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are good New Year's party favors for adults?
Champagne-flavored gummy bears, a pocket planner for the new year and a link to a group video of the night all work for adult guests. Each one is useful or fun after the party ends. Keep the countdown items, like hats and confetti, separate from the take-home ones.
What are cheap New Year's party favors?
Single-serving confetti at $6 a bag, party blowers at $10 for eight and DIY prediction fortune cookies keep costs low. Homemade hot cocoa jars cost a few dollars each. A group video covers everyone at once from $35.
What do you put in New Year's countdown bags for kids?
Fill one bag for each hour from 7 p.m. to midnight with a small favor and an activity card: glow sticks, a party hat, popcorn, a party blower, a prediction card and confetti. Kids open one on the hour, which keeps them busy until the countdown.
When should you hand out New Year's Eve party favors?
Give out countdown favors, such as hats, blowers and confetti, around 11:45. Leave take-home favors in a basket by the door so guests grab them with their coats.
Are sparklers a good New Year's party favor?
Not for kids. Sparklers burn at about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and the CPSC estimates 1,300 sparkler injuries in 2025. Glow sticks are a safer favor with the same glow.
What is a personalized New Year's party favor?
Time capsule envelopes with each guest's name, fortune cookies with predictions written for each person or a printed photo from the party. A group video is personal by design, since every clip comes from someone in the room or someone who wished they were.
👉 Start a Tribute and give every guest a favor they helped make.
