By Cyndi Hughes

Attention, aspiring hosts and hostesses: It’s time to plan that last-minute New Year’s Eve party, and Shopperati is here to help, locating all manner of fun and festive items to make your party great.

The Art of the Invitation

Planning on getting a bit wild? Then order up the Wild Parties postcard invitation ($12 for a set of 12), a postcard reproduction of a 1959 paperback cover. Another option is to order the Gold Balloons invitations ($22.99 for 28 cards and envelopes) or the Soiree fold-up self-mailer invitations ($27.99 for 28 cards) from PaperDirect.com and run them through your laser printer. If it’s too late to mail the invitations, you can always hand deliver them or go the e-mail invitation route by using a free online service such as Sendomatic or evite.

Make Your Favors Their Favorite

Half of the fun of throwing a shindig to ring in 2008 is shopping for party favors. Top the evening off with silver top hats ($72) from Plum Party or the wild and crazy New Year’s Eve Pimp Hat ($9.95). The ladies might like the flapper-esque glitter and feather tiaras (6 for $14.45 at Party 411). Add a Mardi Gras flair with these Happy New Year’s beads in bright colors ($12.99 per dozen at Shindigz).

Make some noise – the more obnoxious, the better! Start with the colorful Racket Raise’n Noisemakers that you spin (69 cents each). Then there’s the even louder electro-plated mini party horn in silver or gold (49 cents each). Take a hint from the Brits and go with these festive mini metallic party crackers – guests pull the ends and pop! there’s a secret gift inside! ($15 for a set of eight). For some serious popping action, go with the 8-inch spring-loaded poppers from Shindigz ($11.99 per dozen).

Confetti and streamers add to the festivities and general chaos. Shiny metallic streamers can be purchased by the gross from Parti Line International ($14.95). For little sparklies, order Deluxe New Year’s Confetti in gold and silver by the packet ($2.99) or the pound ($49.99) or go with the more traditional gold confetti stars ($1.89 per package). For more drama, the Flutter Fetti Confetti Stick is a 14-inch holographic tube filled with confetti; all it takes is a shake of the wrist to shoot confetti up to 15 feet. But the big daddy is the Master Blaster CO2 Confetti Launcher that blasts confetti up to 60 feet ($108) –– and your guests will never know what hit ’em!

For all-in-one fun, check out these New Year’s Party Kits from NewYearFavors.com. The Bright Broadway kit comes with colorful top hats, tiaras, horns, leis, and serpentine throws for 50 guests ($42.50). The Centurion kit ($85) takes care of up to 100 guests, with all of that and balloons and one New year’s banner. 

Lighten Up for 2008

Your guests will love basking in the glow of 2008 with these 2008 Light Up LED Sunglasses from PartyUnlimited.com. Then they’ll take a shine to your barware and tableware; we especially like the Light Up Rainbow Platters ($7.95) or the Light-up Wine Glasses with stems that shine with eight different color combinations ($29 for a set of four). Finish off those drinks with Light-up Ice Lite Cubes ($19 for a set of four). And if you still have that blacklight from your college days, blacklight bubbles from Tekno Bubbles in blue or gold ($3.99 for the mini size) will have your guests oohing and ahhing.

Setting the Table

Your guests deserve nothing but the best, but if you don’t dare break out your heirloom china, try these fine-china-lookalike dinner plates in ivory with “gold” trim ($99 for a case of 120 plates at Reliable Paper). Icebreakers have never been more fun with the 7 Deadly Sins Cups. Greed, anger, gluttony, envy, pride, lust, sloth – they’re all here. Balance them out with the 7 Heavenly Virtues Cups, ($28 for each set of 14 shatterproof plastic cups)

The Party Central Home Makeover

If your garage is the first thing guests see when approaching your front door, welcome them with a New Year’s banner designed for garage doors ($15.99). Add some silver to your soiree with the chrome-like 7.5-foot 2008 column ($49.95) and Streamin’ Swirls to hang from your ceiling ($2.95 for a package of five). String up these cheerful 2008/star stringers across your ceiling and walls (various colors; $4.45 for 100-foot strings). Bring Times Square right into your home with this wall-sized City Scene with six plastic panels that adhere easily to almost any wall with tape ($14.99). But the pièce de résistance to any New Year’s bash is the classic disco ball ($27.95 at PartyUnlimited.com).

For homes with high ceilings, you simply must have a balloon drop when the clock strikes midnight. Century Novelty’s balloon drop bag holds up to 100 balloons and comes with a ripcord and hangers ($7.98); stuff it with 11-inch balloons in striking colors like teal, burgundy, gold, and silver ($.12 to $.29 each).

Say “Happy 2008” with flowers by letting ProFlowers do the work for you with a spectacular New Year’s bouquet of white lilies and blue iris (starting at $39.99) or a dozen white long-stemmed roses for $50.

Champagne, Anyone?

What would New Year’s be without the classic champagne toast? First, order a bottle (or case) of your favorite champagne from Wine.com (from $17.99 to $299.99). If a package deal (as in champagne and chocolates) is more to your liking, try the Veuve Clicquot Gift Basket, with one bottle of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Champagne and assorted chocolates in an aluminum chiller ($129.95).

To add a touch of glamour, chill your bubbly in this classic champagne bucket with stand ($13.79 at AbleKitchen.com). When it’s time to raise your glasses, you can use disposable plastic flutes (10 for $7.99) or spring for Reidel Venum Champagne Flutes (two for $36.95).

And make sure you’ve got the right accessories on hand. The black-nickel champagne cork catcher and champagne stopper are almost works of arts in themselves. With just a twist of the wrist, you can uncork the bottle and catch the cork ($40; $50 with monogram). The matching stopper provides such a secure seal that you can even lay the bottle on its side – provided you have any champagne left ($30; $40 with monogram).

If you’re more of a traditionalist and want a refresher on opening and pouring champagne, Martha Stewart offers the details of doing it properly.

Party Procrastination Pays Off

You’ve waited and waited and somehow you’ve lucked out – many online retailers are slashing prices on their New Year’s party items. For instance, Party America’s dinnerware party kits cups, plates, and napkins are now as low as $4 per set. The Gold Legacy party kit for 10 (with hats, tiaras, noisemakers, and serpentine throws) is $9.97, marked down from $30 at Ziggos New Years. Lolita Wine Hand-Painted Wine Stoppers come in your choice of three fun styles (on sale for $9.95 from Home&GardenArt.com).

If you and your special someone are having a party for two, order the champagne gift basket for two ($59.95 sale price) from Wine Country Gift Baskets, with the Chandon California rose surrounded bonbons, chocolates, camembert cheese spread, decorative napkin cloth and two champagne glasses.

Celebrate Your Hosts

If the tables are turned and you’re attending a New Year’s Party, mind your manners and bring a gift for your hosts. You can’t go wrong with champagne (see above) or chocolates. But Godiva and Ghirardelli just won’t do. Instead, go with Recchiuti’s Michele Carlson Collection with original artwork adorning eight pieces of burnt caramel chocolate ($18). Or select one of these sleek, gravity-defying Wine Arcs to hold those wine bottles ($17.99 from Wrapable.com). For a year-long gift, the 365 Hugs and Warm Wishes jar from Pixie Dust contains 365 short messages of love, hope, friendship, and hugs ($30).

A Swag Sendoff

The host or hostess par excellence will send home some type of goodie with each guest. May we suggest making your own swag bag? Start with the Champagne for Two gift bag ($6), with a die-cut image of two flutes with a chilled bottle of bubbly. Pack it with things like the handmade Mini Pocket Notebook ($2) and the tiny Derringer stainless steel wallet pen ($8) for your guests to track those New Year’s resolutions. For good luck Southern-style, include little organza pouches (24 for $4.56) filled with dried black-eyed peas. And don’t forget the travel-size pack of aspirin to relieve the morning-after blahs.