Serve tropical drinks at a Hawaiian luau party.
Host an outdoor summer luau for a birthday party or other celebration, or bring a little bit of summertime indoors during the winter months with a flamboyant display of tropical flowers and other party decorations. Enterprising party planners can make the party decorations, foods and party favors at home, while there are also a variety of items available in stores for the busy host.
Invitations
Make a grass skirt invitation by cutting a piece of card stock into the shape of the skirt. Write the party details on the skirt. Attach thin strips of green paper to make the "grass" and glue on a line of small silk flowers to the top of the skirt. Alternatively, make a colorful flip-flop invitation using a card stock flip-flop shape, ribbon for the straps and two different-colored rectangular pieces of card stock, one of them 1/2 inch shorter and narrower than the other. Glue the smaller rectangle in the center of the larger one, glue the card stock flip-flop on top and glue the ribbons in place for the straps. Use a marker to write the party details on the flip-flop.
Decorations
Hang a mural or a variety of tropical pictures in the party room. Artistic party hosts can paint the mural to hang on the wall and present it as a gift to the guest of honor at the end of the party. Decorate each table with a brightly-colored tablecloth, surround the table with a grass skirt and drape leis on the back of each chair. Place a variety of live or silk Hawaiian flowers in colorful vases on each table. Flower options include the bird of paradise, orchids, anthuriums and plumeria. For an outdoor event, surround the party area with colored strings of lights and add three or four inflatable palm trees.
Foods
Opt for a buffet-style lunch or dinner for a luau party so that guests can help themselves to the foods that tempt them the most. Prepare a tropical fruit salad with mangoes, mandarin oranges, kiwis, strawberries and toasted coconut. Serve some Hawaiian dishes, such as Hawaiian laulau, coconut fried shrimp and baked fish. Add small serving dishes of macadamia nuts and for dessert, serve Hawaiian ambrosia, banana guava pie, butter mochi and haupia, a type of coconut pudding. For a dessert table centerpiece, make a multi-tier round cake decorated with fondant bamboo sticks and silk or sugar paste flowers.
Party Favors
There is an abundance of party favor ideas for luau parties, such as leis made with real flowers for each guest. Another idea is to fill small beach pails with goodies such as sunglasses, sunscreen and seashell necklaces. For a homemade party favor, consider making a sunshine cookie bouquet. Prepare a favorite cookie recipe and cut out circles from the dough. Insert a thin wooden dowel into each cookie and bake. Cover each cookie with yellow royal icing and make sugar paste or fondant sun rays to attach around the edges of the cookies. Wrap each cookie in cellophane wrap and tie the wrap closed with bright floral ribbons.
Tags: card stock, each cookie, card stock flip-flop, each table, grass skirt, party decorations