Confetti suits almost every celebration, so we always keep plenty on hand. With New Year’s Eve approaching, here’s an updated, SEO-friendly guide to the best types of confetti, how to use them, and ideas for DIY projects and decorations. If confetti isn’t part of your holiday plans yet, it should be!
Confetti comes in countless shapes, sizes, and colors. To help you choose, I’ve grouped my favorites by style and listed practical uses and creative ideas for each type.
Die-cut Shapes
Die-cut confetti is precisely cut into shapes like circles, squares, and diamonds. It’s ideal for stuffing inside balloons, scattering across tables, or using in photo-ready tosses. Because the edges are clean, this style gives a modern, polished look and photographs beautifully—especially when you choose larger shapes.
Sources for confetti pictured above (examples):
Neon square confetti | Mini circle confetti | Large circle confetti | Custom color circles | Tiny square confetti | Neon mix confetti | Pastel diamond confetti
DIY ideas for die-cut confetti:
Use confetti to add color to a table setting | Make confetti-stuffed decorations like holiday turkeys or balloon inserts
This is the same style used on our confetti chairs for a modern look.
Metallic Confetti
Metallic confetti is the classic New Year’s choice. It’s perfect for glamorous décor and small craft accents—especially when you want to “dip” items like balloons or accessories into sparkly bits. Keep in mind metallic pieces can be harder to sweep up, so they work best for DIY projects, packaging, or tabletop displays rather than high-traffic floor tosses.
Examples of metallic styles:
Mini metallic mixes | Bulk gold confetti | Metallic die-cut mixes | Silver star confetti
DIY ideas with metallic confetti:
Confetti-dipped balloons and accessories | Sparkly pencil cases | Confetti-filled jars and gift packaging
Hand-Cut Confetti
Hand-cut confetti feels classic and organic. It’s often the easiest to clean up, making it ideal for confetti poppers, photo booths, and party tosses. Because this style tends to have more volume, a small amount can go a long way visually.
Popular hand-cut variations:
Neon scented confetti (fun scented options) | Funfetti mixes | Hand-cut party mixes | Classic confetti mixes
DIY uses for hand-cut confetti:
Surprise confetti poppers | Favor pouches with confetti | Message confetti poppers and personalized party poppers
Pre-made Poppers and Cannons
If you prefer convenience, there are many ready-made confetti poppers, push-pop tubes, and cannons available. These items make excellent party favors and table props—perfect for placing at each guest’s seat or using for a coordinated countdown moment.
Examples of popular popper styles:
White, gold, and neon crackers | Confetti rockets | Neon wands | Push-pop confetti tubes | White and metallic confetti bombs | Colorful confetti bombs
Additional confetti options shown above: Make It Rain confetti | Jumbo confetti
Photos by Jeff Mindell
My Favorites and Final Tips
My personal top picks include neon scented confetti, Make It Rain confetti, and classic hand-cut mixes. If you live near a party or piñata district, you can find bulk classic confetti in many colors and sizes. For clean-up ease and visual impact, hand-cut mixes are my go-to for most celebrations.
Whether you’re decorating a table, filling balloons, or setting up memorable poppers for guests, there’s a confetti style to fit the mood. Choose die-cut shapes for a modern look, metallics for sparkle, and hand-cut mixes for volume and easy cleanup. Happy celebrating!
p.s. For more party inspiration, check guides on party supplies and candle ideas to round out your celebration styling.