DIY Noisemakers to Ring in the New Year: 5 Easy Ideas

The secret to making your New Year celebration even more memorable? Handing out handmade DIY noisemakers to all of your loved ones and guests before the clock strikes midnight! Here, we rounded up our favorite easy-made ideas that use items you likely already have on hand — like water or soda bottles, paper plates, ornaments and more. Keep scrolling for the easy and affordable ways to turn around-the-house finds and a few home- and craft-store staples into wow-worthy DIY noisemakers.

Why make your own DIY noisemakers?

“Creating your own noisemakers for New Year’s Eve is not just an enjoyable activity, but it’s also a fantastic way to add a personal touch to the celebration,” says Sarah Klingman, founder and CEO of gthr, a wedding planning and event coordination business. She notes that DIY noisemakers are especially appealing because they’re relatively easy to make and can be done with materials that many people already have at home or can easily find at a craft store. “Plus, using existing materials is not only cost-effective but environmentally friendly too,” she says.

What’s more: you can take the opportunity to craft the party extras with friends or loved ones for a fun activity that brings everyone together. “Crafting together fosters a sense of community and creativity,” says Klingman. “It’s a wonderful activity for families or friends to do together, making the preparation for the New Year’s celebration as memorable as the event itself.”

DIY noisemakers idea #1: Necklace-filled baubles

DIY noisemakers made by filling clear plastic ornaments with gold bead necklaces arranged on a red placemat on a wooden tabletop surrounded by evergreen and berry sprigs and extra beads — DeAnn Berger

Have a few plastic ornaments leftover from Christmas? Try putting them to pretty use as handheld shakers! They can be reused year after year both on your Christmas tree as decorations and then as noisemakers on New Year’s Eve! To do: Remove the cap from clear plastic ornaments, like Yevheniy 15 Pcs DIY Clear Plastic Fillable Balls Ornament (Buy from Amazon, $10.88), then add strands of party-store gold bead necklaces inside, like Playscene Beaded Necklace 24 Pack in Gold (Buy from Amazon, $5.50). Close the ornaments and seal with hot glue and/or clear tape, then decorate the balls by tying shiny gold ribbon onto the hanging loop where an ornament hook would attach. When midnight hits, simply shake the balls for some festive noise!

Idea #2: Bead- and button-filled bottles

Child's hand holding a DIY noisemaker made by filling a small plastic water bottle with colorful pony beads and buttons and tying ribbon onto the cap — HBB

“One of the simplest yet effective noisemakers you can make involves filling old soda or water bottles with beads, beans or even dry pasta,” says Klingman. “Decorate the bottles with glitter, paint or ribbons to make them festive!”

To get the look, twist off cap from a small water bottle and use a funnel to carefully fill it halfway with colorful pony beads, like anpiwshjo Pony Beads 1100 Pcs (Buy from Amazon, $5.99) and/or buttons. Next, squeeze school glue along the inside of the cap and twist back onto the bottle to seal it shut. Snip narrow ribbons in a variety of colors to 24” and slip them through a rubber band, pulling ends even around the band; slip rubber band over bottle’s neck. If the rubber band is loose, anchor it with a dab of hot glue. Guests will love waving the bottles at midnight, which combine a rattle and ribbon wand all in one!

DIY noisemakers idea #3: Paper tube shakers

DIY noisemakers made by filling a halved paper towel tube with rice, taping the ends shut, then covering in wrapping paper and cinching the ends with ribbon — HBB

These gift-wrapped parcels that’ll look so pretty when placed at each guest’s seat, secretly disguise a halved paper towel or toilet paper tube filled with rice so you can shake up some noise at the turn of the year! “Cover the tubes in colorful wrapping paper or allow kids to draw on them for a customized look,” says Klingman.

To do: Use pieces of duct tape to close off one end of a halved paper towel tube, then fill the tube with dried rice and close the other end shut with more duct tape. Lay a 10″ square of wrapping paper flat, then place the taped-up tube in the center. Wrap paper around tube and tape at the center to secure. Twist excess paper at each end of the tube, then tie on ribbon bows to secure. Instruct guests to give them a shake for a soothing and more subdued, rain-like sound!

Idea #4: Paper plate paddles

DIY noisemakers made by gluing a craft stick between two paper plates, then threading mini bells onto yarn and tying the pieces to holes along the edges of the plates — HBB

All it takes are a few paper plates, bitty Christmas bells and crafting staples to create these New Year’s Eve noisemaker paddles! Get guests in on the fun by setting up a station with undecorated paddles, stickers and glitter glue, then let everyone customize their own noisemaker for an extra special activity.

To do: For each, cut the rim off of two 9” paper plates. Use a sponge brush to apply a coat of acrylic craft paint on one side of each paper plate circle; let dry, Next, glue a craft stick near the edge of the unpainted side of one circle; let dry. Use a hole punch to create 7 evenly-spaced holes around the edge of the circle. Cut yarn into 7 (6″) lengths and thread a mini jingle bell, like JCBIZ 120pcs 6mm Bronze Small Bells (Buy from Amazon, $6.99) onto each.

Thread one end of a yarn piece through a hole in the plate and tape both ends to its unpainted side; repeat with all remaining yarn pieces. To finish, glue the unfinished side of the second plate circle to the unfinished side of the bell-kissed circle; let dry. “Children can decorate the plates with markers, stickers or glitter for added fun,” says Klingman. To use, twist the handle of the paddle back and forth so the bells jingle and create a drum-like sound bouncing off the plates!

DIY noisemakers idea #5: Yogurt container rattles

DIY noisemakers made by gluing a wooden craft stick to the bottom of a paper-wrapped yogurt cup, filling with dried beans, then taping the top of cup shut and covering with a circle of paper — HBB

These festive shakers utilize any leftover plastic containers from yogurt, sour cream or the like that you have on hand from all of your holiday cooking! To re-create them, simply use a paring knife to cut a ½ -inch slit in the bottom center of the cleaned-out cup, then insert a wooden craft stick or small wooden dowel into each slit until about a quarter of the stick is visible inside; hot-glue it in place (Tip: Use a low-temperature glue gun to avoid melting the cup).

Once the glue has cooled, pour ¼ cup of dried beans into each cup and use duct tape the lids shut. Decorate the wooden handles of the cups by wrapping with ribbon and hot-gluing it in place as you go. Then, wrap a cut-to-fit a piece of paper around the cup, taping to secure. Finish by hot-gluing a cut-to-fit circle of paper to top of cup to cover duct tape, then glue-on ribbon trim where the sides and top of cup meet. Shake the rattles at midnight!