So 2009 is behind us, and many of us, I’m sure, will be thankful for making it through yet another year with friends, family, love, health, strength, job security and shelter. However you plan to celebrate the end of this year, just know that we’re approaching 2010 with a positive attitude and the approach to being the best you can be.

So, what better way to toast the old year than with a dramatic champagne tower to greet your guests and around which all can gather at 12 midnight to usher in the new year. All you will need to create this tower is available for rental, and I would suggest MC Decor and rentals.

How to make the champagne tower:

1. Start with a firm, solid base for your tower (a separate table is best, with spillage tray at the base or underneath to catch any overflow.)

2. Always use coupe Champagne glasses (retro rounded saucer cups), not flutes. All of the coupe glasses in the tower should be identical. I got mine from MC Decor and rental.

3. The tower is essentially made up of successively smaller layers of squares. For example, if the bottom layer is 10 glasses by 10 glasses, the layer above that would be nine by nine, the layer above that eight by eight, and so on.

4. Make sure each glass touches the surrounding glasses. When done right, you’ll see a diamond-shaped gap between each glass.

5. When building the next layer, centre the stem of the glass over the diamond openings that were created by the layer below. Gingerly fill in the layer with glasses.

6. Repeat this assembly process until there is a single coupe glass on top.

7. Once fully assembled, begin slowly pouring Champagne into the top glass and it will trickle downward. Larger-size Champagne bottles or magnums work best here.

8. If you’re using the tower for decorative purposes only, assemble and fill with Champagne before the celebration, using that as the centrepiece or statement, then have trays filled with fresh Champagne at the base or passed around to your guests.

So, here’s to 2010, and may this be your best year yet.