Easy Tiki Party Decorations and Fun Foods

I love a good tiki party this time of year. It just seems like the perfect way to celebrate summer and go a little crazy before we get back to the Fall routine.

You can throw a great party with inexpensive luau recipes and decorations! Here are some ideas for a fun, affordable luau.

Carve a Watermelon Tiki Head

This looks awesome with a candle flickering inside. You can use toothpicks to attach other fruit, like Kiwi fruit slices for eyes. Maybe some melon flowers along the top? For inspiration on carving a tiki face just do an online search for watermelon tiki pictures. There are some amazing ones out there! Serve the watermelon pieces on toothpicks on a platter at the party.

Carve a Watermelon Keg Tiki Style

Using a knife or potato peeler carve a tiki face on the watermelon leaving room for the tap of the keg. Be sure you don’t cut very far into the watermelon or you will have a leak in the keg. Cut just enough to take off the outer green rind where you want the face. Lastly, insert the tap that you get at a beer distributor. Fill with a beverage when you are ready to serve. If you accidentally puncture the watermelon just use it as a decoration rather than a keg.

Click here for directions to make a watermelon keg.

Cucumbers Make Great Luau Decorations! Really!

Cucumbers might not be tropical, but they can definitely look tropical! Here are some great ways to use cucumbers. Look for large cucumbers that are dark green and as straight as you can find. You might even be able to use large zucchini for this!

1.  Make a tiki decoration for the food or drink table. Cut about 2 inches off each end of a cucumber (and set aside for #3, below). Use a paring knife or potato peeler to carve a face on the cucumber. Don’t worry if your efforts are not professional–it will be a conversation piece! See mine in the photo!

2.  Have a tiki carving contest with cucumbers! Ask your guests to bring a vegetable peeler to the party if they want to enter the contest. Be sure to take photos of each tiki cucumber with its artist!

3.  Challenge guests to consume a “Fire in the Volcano” drink! Make saki cups from cucumber ends.  Cut about 2 inches off the ends of each cucumber before setting it aside for tiki carving. Carve out a small hollow at the small end of these pieces. Keep these in  the fridge until the party. Set the volcano cups on a tray at the party just before the challenge.

The Challenge:  Pour saki or some Fireball liquor into each volcano cup as a person steps up to try it. You could even use vodka with a touch of hot sauce!  (You can’t pour these ahead of time because the liquor will sink into the cucumber and the cup will look empty.) The person must eat the volcano cup to complete the challenge.

Easy DIY Party Lights and Colorful Streamers

What’s a party without party lights? If lights at the party store are too expensive, make your own! Use strings of tiny lights with cupcake liners as shades. Just cut an x in the bottom and push the light bulb through the x. Or do the same thing with cheap colorful plastic cups.

Create colorful streamers that really bump up the party vibe! Take two rolls of contrasting colors of crepe paper streamers and sew them together side-by-side. Instant brilliant color combinations! Hang these streamers everywhere for a festive look and feel! I like the hot pink with orange and the blue and green shown in the photo. Very colorful kitsch, exactly what you want for a luau! Click here for the directions at Life As A Thrifter.

Easy-to-Make Volcano Cake

Make a volcano cake with a bundt pan and a little creativity. Click here for the easy directions.  Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and then aqua-colored clear plastic wrap. Put the undecorated cake on top to look like a volcanic island. Then add the lava, etc. according to the directions. Don’t add the plastic dinosaurs as shown in the picture of course.

I love tiki parties so much I can’t put it all into one post!

Click here for my favorite luau recipes and easy ways to keep costs down.

Aloha!