A FULLY
DESIGNED Hawaiian Luau Themed Adventure Treasure Hunt
Hawaiian Luau Theme Party Decorating Ideas
Hawaiian luau party decorations can be found in any party supply store. However, often times you’ll want to go beyond what everyone has seen to make your party extra special for your party guests. Below is a list of those ‘extra’ creative ideas to incorporate into your luau party decorations to add a flare beyond the colorful plates and streamers that won’t break the budget!
For dynamic table centerpieces (and decorating in general) visit your local dollar store and pick up a bunch of small clear glass bowls. From your local pet store pick up a bunch of their cheap goldfish (the ones that are sold as food for other animals.) These small fish are typically a few for a dollar. Set up small fish bowls all throughout your party area on your tables. Very inexpensive, but very dynamic to have the live fish on every table!
| For a dramatic decorative component, create a few large octopi to decorate your party space. Take a large pink balloon and attach eight long pink crepe paper streamers to all sides of the balloon (spreading them out evenly.) Attach them to about the middle height of the balloon. With a black marker, draw a pair of eyes on the balloon and you have a great looking octopus. You can either let the tentacles dangle down or you can take each one and fasten them to different parts of the ceiling. If you have the patience (or employ the help from some children) you can draw circles on the streamers to simulate suction cups. A few of these octopi with their far reaching tentacles can really fill a large party space! |
For a dramatic decorative component, create a few large octopi to decorate your party space. Take a large pink balloon and attach eight long pink crepe paper streamers to all sides of the balloon (spreading them out evenly.) Attach them to about the middle height of the balloon. With a black marker, draw a pair of eyes on the balloon and you have a great looking octopus. You can either let the tentacles dangle down or you can take each one and fasten them to different parts of the ceiling. If you have the patience (or employ the help from some children) you can draw circles on the streamers to simulate suction cups. A few of these octopi with their far reaching tentacles can really fill a large party space!
Few things are more iconic of a Hawaiian luau quite like palm trees…but how do you make them? Halogen lamps are a great base for decorating with brown paper or crepe paper and then attaching large green leaves on top. However, they often miss the mark a little because they are perfectly vertical. For a more organic looking palm tree consider connecting long cardboard tubes (similar to those used to roll wrapping paper around – large cardboard tubes found at carpet stores can also be used to make larger trees), attached with cardboard palm fronds (or real ones if you can get your hands on some.) Some plastic coconuts hanging would look perfect (or some brown balloons). For extra fun you could also hang a monkey from its tale. Remember that palm trees are never straight up, perpendicular to the ground. Allow each tree to tilt a little to the side for an authentic look.
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Ask around for anyone who has some actual bamboo in their yards. Bamboo is a wild grower and grows back incredibly fast. These are great for creating walls (tied with twine) along fences, for limbo sticks, to drape across patios beams (to hold palm fronds) and just about anywhere else. They really give a great island feel. If you cannot find any real bamboo, you can make your own using PVC pipe. They are even hollow like real bamboo. PVC pipe is very inexpensive and can be purchased in a variety of diameters. These can then be easily spray-painted a light tan. Make sure to paint light brown ‘rings’ about a foot apart from each other to simulate the dividers that are in real bamboo. |
Sometimes you’ll have a large party space without a lot of resources to fill it with decorations. Here’s a great trick for filling the space without spending a lot of time and money. Pick up some inexpensive wrapping paper (or colored butcher paper if you have access to it) and create large surfboards. Non-print wrapping paper is best suited for this if you want to make sure that your guests will recognize them as surfboard and not large bananas on the walls. Begin by cutting out a stencil of one that you know is the right shape – you can then trace around it on the wrapping paper to create multiple surfboards to hang on the walls of the party!
Hawaiian and beach clothes are fun to wear to a luau or beach party. However, they also look great hanging on the walls! You can either hang shirts (with the hangers still in them for added support) by themselves or with a pair of beach comber pants hanging underneath. Ask around to family and friends to borrow as many shirts as you can (everyone seems to have ON
Anyone you know have some old, rotted wood lying around the yard? These wood scraps make EXCELLENT signs (Aloha, Pier Entrance, Life Guard On Duty, Tsunami Warning, Hurricane Watch, etc. – or others referring to the different stations of your party, i.e. Castaway Food Station, etc.) Get some black paint and write, rather slapdash, the words for needed signs for your party or event. As an added touch, buy some red, black-light paint at your local stage and lighting company and have it illuminated with a good black light. Of course, this would only work in a darker setting, but the effect is incredible!
Our current list of Hawaiian luau party resources articles and pages:
Hawaiian Luau Party Invitations
Hawaiian Luau Party Games for Children
Hawaiian Luau Party Activities
Hawaiian Luau Party Food Ideas
