Bring the spirit of the South Pacific into your home by kicking off your shoes and stringing leis, beaded curtains and paper party lanterns everywhere. Turn your lights low, and use flickering tealights and candles in delicious scents like lemongrass or plumeria to turn your pad into a tropical Shangri-La.
Go crazy with tiki party supplies: wrap your tables in grass skirts, put cocktail umbrellas in drinks, and use tiki mugs instead of glasses. If it's warm and you've got outdoor space, lure your guests outside with a luau-style BBQ, bamboo torches and tiki statues.
Think 1950's bright hues and tropical prints. Tiki is all about the allure of Pacific cultures so you can mix Asian, Hawaiian and other influences: pair a cheongsam/Suzie Wong dress with flip flops, or match your Aloha shirt to huaraches.
If your affair is more chic than beachcomber, think posh and natty attire such as three-button suits and vintage cocktail dresses, wraparound as well as cat eye glasses. Ladies, tuck flowers behind your ears, and gentlemen, you can never go wrong with a fez!
Did somebody say limbo? A surefire way to get your guests in the mood is to challenge their flexibility with a limbo contest. You can buy pre-made sets, but it's just as easy to decorate a broomstick with streamers, and put on some energetic music.
The kids at your party will love to indulge in island culture by creating their own Polynesian-inspired tattoos. Set up a table with washable markers — black, brown and tan are classic, but purples and reds add a little island flair. To add some inspiration, download some pictures from the Internet, and create stencils for the children to use as guides.
Hold a Beatnik-inspired, spoken-word performance, and hand out prizes for the pieces that are the most far-out. Make sure everyone snaps instead of claps!
You don't have to slow-cook a whole Kalua pig to feed your pals. Keep the emphasis on sweet and savory combinations like grilled pineapple skewers, chicken satay and coconut shrimp. Be inventive with your crudités, too, and include jícama and sugar snap peas along with the usual suspects. You can never go wrong with multicolored chips made from yams, taro root and yucca.
Featured Tiki Theme Party Recipes from Epicurious.com
Singapore Sling
• 1 1/4 oz. Gin
• Dash of Grenadine
• Sour mix
• Soda
• Cherry Brandy
Shake gin, grenadine & sour mix, pour in large glass. Add a splash of soda, float cherry brandy on top, Garnish with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry.
| 1. | Hawaiian Melody / King Nawahi |
| 2. | Sweet Leilani / New Hawaiian Band |
| 3. | Good Vibrations / The Beach Boys |
| 4. | Coconut / Harry Nilsson |
| 5. | Summer Breeze / Seals & Crofts |
| 6. | Mambo Italiano/ Dean Martin |
| 7. | Hot Hot Hot / Buster Poindexter
|
| 8. | Heaven / Los Lonely Boys
|
| 9. | Exotica/ Don Tiki
|
| 10. | Zelda’s Theme/ Perez Prado
|
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