Who says you have to live on the coast to host a fabulous beach party?
I had the good fortune of being born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii, but have spent the latter half of my life living in landlocked states. Still, that hasn’t stopped me from inviting my Haole friends over for Hawaiian-themed shindigs.
If you are looking for a cool way to say “Aloha!” to summer, then consider these ideas for a Hawaiian-style bash minus the crashing waves and coconut trees:
Homemade beach: If you can’t make it to the sand, then haul it to your home. Set-up a kiddie pool filled with play sand and let your pint-sized party-goers exercise their creativity with plenty of shovels, pails and castle molds.
Crafts: Purchase affordable foam visors and plastic sunglasses and let your guests decorate them with silk flowers, fabric paint and beach-themed stickers. If you are working with a bigger budget, then purchase luau-themed craft kits from party stores. Party City sells Color-Your-Own Fish bookmark kits and a Beachcomber Hat craft kit that allows you to add personal touches to flexible headgear.
Flowers: Depending on where you live you may be able to purchase or special order Orchids and Hibiscus to decorate your buffet. Some floral shops will even bring in Hawaiian Ti leaves and Bird of Paradise so you can add authenticity to your city beach party. If you can’t find a local shop owner to fill your order then search online for a Hawaii-based vendor who will Fed-Ex the native floral and fauna to you.
The tropics on a budget: If you don’t have the money to splurge of Hawaiian flowers, then bring the tropics to your party via Hawaiian print tablecloths and matching napkins. Select decorations with palm trees and fish. You can even purchase party decorations, such as a bamboo Tiki hut sign to hang over the front door. Also, consider springing for an inflatable palm tree and plastic coconuts that double as drink containers.
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