HOW TO HOST AN ANNUAL PARTY WITHOUT BUYING ALL NEW DECORATIONS...CHINESE NEW YEAR DINNER

This will be tricky this year.

I am trying to be somewhat thrifty.  I know that I don't have all the money in the world to spend on parties, but I want my guests to wowed and make them feel special.

My first Chinese New Year Party in Arizona.  This was in 2014, the year of the Horse.   

I found these wonderful antique lanterns at a consignment shop in Phoenix.

The rest of the decorations came from Oriental Trading Company.  Although, I bought the cocktail napkins and tucked them away for something like this.  When we first moved to Arizona, a high school classmate invited us to a Chinese New Year dinner.  Before that it wasn't on our radar.  However, we had made so many wonderful Canadian friends, that we starting hosting this potluck dinner party for them.

We had to use the dinner table and the island for dining!

Small parfaits of orange mousse.

The almond cookies would probably have looked nicer if I had used ones from a bakery instead of making them myself.

I tried my hand at making fondant cherry blossoms to decorate the cupcakes.

We did a photo booth for guests.  The guests received an orange and coins.  

2015, Year of the Ram

I did use some of the same decorations.

The antique lanterns come into the dining room that year.

 By now, we also needed an extra table besides the dining room and island.

Here is a close up of the gold chargers from World Market.

Each guest received a brass ram ornament as a favor.

 2016, The year of the Monkey

I wanted a change from the red, so I focused on orange as the main color.

There was a bowl full of tiny moneys to hang on the edge of drink glasses.  I also bought plastic monkeys and sprayed them gold, like we did with the horse the first year.

I saved toilet paper rolls for a long time to have a "cracker" (that didn't crack) for each guest.  There were chocolates and coins in the crackers.

A guest brought these darling cupcakes that she'd made.

I don't know where the gold chargers went!  I now have an abundance of square gold chargers from World Market and I also had to start buying more black dinner plates.

Some of the lovely guests in costume.

2017 The Year of the Rooster

Back to red!  I found these red and glitter lanterns on crazy days sale at Victory Vintage, one of my favorite shops in Minneapolis.

 I used the raffia rooster that my sister gave me when I was in the 6th grade!

I loved the addition of sprays of orchids.  Plus I had them on hand.

I did find some lovely placemats at Z Gallerie that made an appearance at this party.

I know that I made the guests take a quiz.  (I have done that before, but this year it was on CHICKEN PARTS TRIVIA!)

We also got invited to a Year of the Rooster party in 2017.

Don wore his jacket, which we bought at the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix in 2014 for our first party.   I think I wore this in 2014, too, but I have enough Asian themed clothes for several parties.  (Jewelry, too!)

The hostess who is from Malaysia was much more creative that I am.  This lovely "rooster" salad was tossed later!

Now what do I come up with for this year?  It is the year of the dog.  Perhaps I could give all the guests puppies!