For a contemporary centerpiece that turns into party favors at the stroke of midnight, arrange a group of colorful noisemakers on top of a cake stand (use glasses to hold any items that don't stand up by themselves). Fill in the surrounding spaces with tinsel. When it's time for the countdown, every one of your guests will have the means to make plenty of celebratory noise.

The newest family member is a perfect symbol for the New Year. Use his image for cards or invitations. For photo, decorate 2-inch-wide ribbon with number stickers. Safety pin sash, and slip it over baby. For card, fold card stock in half. Open; use utility knife to cut four diagonal slits on front; slip edges of photo into slits.

Hopping on popping bubble packaging is an appropriately loud way to bring in the new year. (It's also fun rainy-day amusement for toddlers.) Color flat side of bubbles with permanent marker. Lay white paper on the floor, then tape the runner down securely.

Preserve tokens of the symbolic day in a first-day book or a party album. The resulting collection of written messages, photographs, and other mementos will serve as a tangible record of your New Year's celebration and more; to create an unfolding narrative, leave your book unfinished, and continue to add to it throughout the coming year.

While you're toasting the New Year with champagne, let kids celebrate with a Spanish custom: eating 12 grapes at midnight for good luck all year long. Fill a champagne flute for every child older than 3 with a dozen grapes; they can eat one for every chime as the clock strikes midnight.

Hatch some fun: Crack confetti-filled hollow eggs over friends' heads in celebration of the new year. The confetti that comes pouring out signifies all the good days to come.

Encourage a big ruckus when midnight arrives by providing party guests with confetti and noisemakers. Fill a small glassine bag three-quarters of the way with confetti. Use double-sided tape to affix the bag to the stem of a noisemaker. Fold the top of the bag over, and seal with a bright sticker. Make a bag for each guest, and arrange the packages on a festive tray so everyone is ready when the countdown begins.

Here's a way to greet the New Year: Proclaim the date on kids' pancakes -- a fun way to start the day. Familiar number magnets make it easy. Place clean magnets on top of silver-dollar pancakes; dust with confectioners' sugar, using a mesh sieve, then carefully lift magnets. Use the same idea for other occasions: Spell out a message with letters, or top a stack of flapjacks with a number to mark a birthday.

New Year's Eve merits the finest party hat. The ones here start out as sheets of heavy 12-inch-square paper.

The real party animals are bound to come out when kids decorate store-bought blowouts with cute paper critters.

All it takes is a rubber stamp and an ink pad to customize stationery-store staples for a New Year's celebration. Crafts stores sell number stamps in many styles and sizes, as well as ink pads with special ink that can be used on almost any surface. Decorate balloons, paper napkins, hats, and other items. Let dry overnight.

Leftover holiday paper gets a fresh start when used to make decorations for a New Year's party.

Dish out some serendipity to family and friends by giving them lucky New Year's foods. In Italy, lentils are thought to bring prosperity when eaten on January 1 because they resemble little coins. In the South, eating black-eyed peas shows humility and thus invites good fortune.

Whether you usher in the New Year with the pop of a champagne cork or with a somewhat less ebullient celebration, we'll help you plan the perfect party.

When you're waiting for midnight on New Year's Eve, pass Champagne in glasses marked with numbers representing those anticipated last ten seconds. Self-stick numbers, available in office- and art-supply stores, jazz up flutes for the occasion. On January 2, either peel off numbers (use a cotton ball and adhesive remover to wipe away residue) or save the flutes for next year.

Find more ways to celebrate the new year from Martha Stewart.

• Cocktails for New Year's Eve