New Year's Gift Baskets: Put together a collection of "Good Cheer" in a metallic ice bucket or upside-down top hat, and include items like sparkling cider or champagne, champagne flutes, bar towel, cocktail napkins, sparklers, noisemakers and gold or silver-wrapped Hershey kisses. Sprinkle the whole lot with confetti and add festive ribbons to give it that "party" feel.
Time-related Gifts: These could take the form of calendars (consider everything from art print wall calendars, humorous "page-a-day" desktop calendars and pocket or wallet-sized calendars), or perhaps novelty clocks for the kitchen or office desk. Personal agendas also fit into this category, be it a new digital handheld or the traditional paperback variety.
Year-long Gifts: Look for gifts that have a monthly or year-long theme to them, such as a magazine subscription or a gift membership to an "item of the month" type of club. These are gifts that keep on giving, reminding the recipient of the giver once a month for the entire year. Businesses such as the Month Club Store or AmazingClub offer something for everyone, such as Salsa of the month, Cigar of the month, Cheesecake of the month, Olive of the month, Flowers of the month, and more. You can also assemble your own collection of 12 items in the same theme and label one for each month, so the recipient paces his gift opening throughout the year. Perishable food items are not recommended, but other ideas include: 12 lipsticks, nailpolishes or moisturizers; 12 teas or gourmet coffees; 12 toys or mini-puzzles for kids; 12 scented candles.
Hosting a New Year's event yourself? Put together unique champagne glass party favors for each guest to take home, by filling flutes with different kinds of candy, one type of candy per glass (suggestions: Reeses pieces, roasted peanuts, jelly beans, chocolate mints, Smarties). Cover the glass with cellophane or plastic wrap and cinch it around the stem, securing it with festive gold ribbon. Bring all the candy flutes out on a drink tray and leave them by the door so that each guest can choose one on their way out.