Make or buy a lei for the luau.
Even if the luau is in Brooklyn, New York, the general idea is to create the illusion that those attending are actually in Hawaii or some other tropical paradise. When selecting a costume, consider clothing worn in the islands, not just by the locals, but even the tourists. Generally, luau costumes are both casual and comfortable and not formal. The one standard luau costume accessory is the lei, a long necklace, typically made from flowers or shells. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Select a theme for your luau costume, such as surfer, tourist, hula girl. Consider casual Hawaiian clothing, such as a muumuu or shirt made from a tropical print.
2. Measure off a length of fishing line for the lei. It should be long enough to make a necklace that falls to the center of your chest.
3. Gather enough fresh or artificial flowers to cover the length of the line. You might use plumeria or carnations. Instead of flowers, you can use sting-able seashells.
4. Push one end of the fishing line through the eye of an embroidery needle, and prepare to string your flowers or shells for your lei. Tie a metal washer to the opposite end of the line.
5. Insert the needle into the center of a flower or into a shell's hole, and pull it over the line, to the washer. Continue adding more flowers or shells, until the fishing line is covered.
6. Remove the needle and washer, and tie the two ends of the line together securely.
7. Select something for your head, appropriate for your costume choice. This might be a straw hat, one made from palm leaves, a single flower, or a flower headband. Make a flower headband in the same way as you made the lei, just large enough to set atop your head.
8. Match sunglasses to the outfit, if appropriate. The over enthusiastic tourist might wear funny rhinestone sunglasses while the surfer would sport cooler shades.
9. Choose a top suitable for your costume theme. For the hulu girl, use a bikini top or a bathing suit top made from the halves of a hollowed coconut shell. A surfer might sport a Hawaiian themed t-shirt, while the tourist would wear a Hawaiian print shirt, dress or muumuu.
10. Wear denims, tropical print swimming trunks, jean shorts or a grass shirt, depending on your costume theme.
11. Dress your feet in sandals or thongs. Aloha!
Tags: made from, fishing line, flowers shells, your costume, costume theme, flower headband, luau costume