Tropical & Luau Decorating Ideas

If your idea of paradise includes swaying palm trees, sandy beaches, and crystal clear oceans take a figurative trip to the tropics with your own island themed getaway. And we're here to get your creative juices flowing so you can fashion a fun and memorable event for you and your guests.

For inspiration, take your cues from the environment, where bright sunny days are filled with vivid color, and everyday life makes the most of nature’s precious resources.

Create your own tropical paradise at each vignette and every venue by breaking down the details into 3 layers of decorating: background, color, and interest.

• Background: Make your colors really stand out against a nature-inspired monochromatic background of uniform color. Here are 3 suggestions:

PLANTS & TREES
Shades of green

OCEAN & SKY
Blue & turquoise

WOOD & SAND
Shades of brown
• Color: Next, bring it to life with booming color using vibrant flowers, ripened fruit, exotic birds, and tropical fish as your guide.
• Interest: Finally, sharpen your focus with a layer of interest, highlighting a tropical location, event, activity, or specific element, such as Havana, Hawaiian luau, surfing, or pink flamingos.

In addition, incorporate real and simulated natural materials and textures into your decorating, such as:

Also, consider including handcrafted items, woodcarvings, woven baskets and mats.

For a festive and interactive party that everyone can enjoy, the Hawaiian Luau or Tiki theme offers a number of easy decorating options. Based upon Polynesian tropical island decor, add this interest layer to create a casual and lighthearted mood that will relax and entertain your guests anytime of year.

Also, keep Hawaiian luau decorations on hand to add instant tropical atmosphere for an impromptu fete.

When decorating, we like to place decorations, arrange accents & set "surprises" so guests discover them over the duration of the party. Below, we've put together some of our favorite suggestions for decorating your party scene with tropical flair.

Aloha! Entrance & Foyer

MAKE a great first impression and set the tone for your event with a welcoming entrance:

• Create a flourishing garden display of lush tropical foliage
• Group and/or line your own or rented houseplants together
• Buy a few silk tropical flowers to add color and complete the effect
• Combine dry bamboo poles with real or silk bamboo foliage in large urn(s) to add height
• Hide pots with smaller plants, ivy, green fabric, and/or burlap (for sand) in front
• For more fullness, add more rows of plants on risers
• Simulate treetop foliage with hanging ferns, cascading plants, tropical leaves and/or ivy

• Notch green streamers and/or strips of fabric to look like leaves
• Install one or two tree trunks and hide the top end behind your hanging leaves
• For the adventurous, make your own palm trees, DIY here
• Add more green with indoor/outdoor turf carpet
• Hang a backdrop of green fabric or drapes
• Alternatively, assemble an archway of tropical greenery

• Hang ocean waves of blue & white bunting on fences and/or porch railings

• For a Hawaiian luau, make a tiki face door or hang a tiki totem
• Wrap columns & tree trunks in thatching or dress in Hawaiian luau grass hula skirts, coconut tops & floral leis
• Frame doorways with leaf garland

• Flank the front door with:
• Giant pineapple pool floats
• Real surfboards or cutouts
• Floor urns with bamboo

• Black cauldrons of fake fire
• Wood tiki masks
• Hang a hibiscus wreath or make a wreath from drink umbrellas, DIY here
• Hang hammocks between bamboo poles or in trees with brightly colored pillows
• Light the drive, walkway and/or entrance with tiki torches
• Embellish or build a floral wreath with a tiki god or raffia straw hula skirt, DIY here

Give 'em a Sign

HARMONIZE your decor by repeating one or more tropical, island, or theme-related icons, symbols or motifs, such as:

• Erect a directional signpost with tropical island destinations or Hawaiian luau activities, e.g. limbo, tiki bar, hula, surf. DIY here
• Add variety with tropical foliage and flowers in different formats, such as
• Leaf and/or floral throw pillows on a neutral-colored (or covered) sofa
• Groups of hanging or tabletop picture frames with a printed flower or leaf in each
  
• Intersperse signs or Hawaiian phrases written in foliage letters, DIY here

• Write on tropical leaves for signage, menus, table numbers, and/or place cards

Fly High

DECORATE the ceiling and transform the room; here are some ideas to lift your thinking:

• Float a collection of colorful parasols
• Hang out an assortment of new and/or vintage Hawaiian or tropical locale postcards on a clothesline
• Hoist round paper lanterns in green or your selected colors in varying sizes & heights
• Intermix large artificial and/or real tropical leaves
• Include tulle pom-poms and ceiling swirls
  
• Liven up the scene with pineapples overhead
• Stretch fishing nets with hanging glass buoys

• Attach greenery to metal rings
• Fill open spaces with swaths of fabric
• Crisscross banners of green fringe, tassel garland, and/or pennants
• Make colorful floral kissing balls, DIY here

• Attach leaves to the end of tissue streamers in shades of green
• Brighten the room with hanging garlands of flowers
• Make palm trees with leaf cutouts, brown coconut balloons, & hanging streamers as tree trunks
• String up straw hand fans

• Dangle strands of ivy or leaf garland
• Assemble lobster buoys, seashells & driftwood garland
  
• Suspend panama fedora hats & bare light bulbs for a Cuba or Havana theme
• Construct kissing balls from multi-colored drink umbrellas (So easy, just stick picks in a Styrofoam ball center)
  

Up the Walls

ENHANCE the background and create focal points with themed wall decorations, trimmings, and backdrops:

• Use bamboo or rattan shades to
• give walls that island vibe
• create a themed backdrop
• restrict access
• hide supplies & unsightly areas
• Create a foliage wall with green drapes, fabric, or tulle behind potted and/or hanging plants
• Alternate: Use green up-lights on a white wall
• Cover walls in thatching, or layer natural raffia table skirts
• Make a gallery wall using poster board or bamboo to frame individually printed tropical flowers and/or leaves

• Cascade a curtain of flower garlands, ivy, or hanging foliage

• Add a realistic tropical vista behind the bar or dessert table with a photography backdrop or scene-printed bulletin board paper, featuring:
• Beach with palm trees
• Island sunset
• Jungle/rainforest
• Underwater scene
• Volcano
• Then, frame the view with curtains, bamboo poles, or tiki masks for a Hawaiian luau
• Lay out your own water & sky horizon:
• Overlap blue & turquoise fabric, tulle, paper, and/or bunting
• Use mini white lights underneath to emulate sun/moonlight reflections on the water
• Hang a round orange or yellow paper lantern sun

• Hang plastic grass matting or artificial boxwood panels. DIY here.

• Hang a fishing net decoration on the wall and add shells and sea life
• Include buoy floats, white lights, crabs, fish, lobsters, tropical fish, & green streamers as seaweed
• Attach photos of your guest of honor or tropical travel destinations
• Use bamboo or weathered wood bulletin board paper for the background
• Mark the spot with crossed canoe oars or tiki torches over a doorway, bar or fireplace
• Mount paper or foam flowers
• Arrange colored hats in the shape of a flower

Serve 'em Right

FIRE UP your food service with unique details at food stations, appetizer spreads, self-serve buffets, raw bars, dessert tables, and hors d'oeuvre trays:

• Build a display of cascading fruit as a centerpiece
• Use real coconuts and pineapples as serving bowls
• Border the table with blue & white wave bunting, raffia table skirts, or natural thatching

• Label food with tents and mini signs in pineapple, palm tree or seashell card holders
• Decorate food with pink, green, or Hawaiian luau tiki mask flag toothpicks
• Use scallop, clam, and starfish shaped serving dishes
• Tie a colored bow onto each chafing dish handle

• Enhance food platters and serving trays with decorative themed centerpieces
• Trim serving dishes with aqua or blue rick-rack to look like ocean waves
• Skewer & circle hors d'oeuvres and appetizer bites with shark fin toothpick flags
• Hoist a thatch umbrella over a food station, buffet, dessert table, or bar
• Drill holes in a wood slice, driftwood, or small log to hold skewers

• Arrange tropical plants in woven basket planters at varying heights on a buffet or food station
• Create a fun day at the beach on your serving table with teal-colored satin overlaid with a strip of burlap along the back for the beach.

• Decorate with edible sand made from wafers, graham crackers & brown sugar, recipe here
• Include enamel serveware in bright colors, such as cake stands, beverage tubs, and utensil holders
• Festoon dips, food platters, and cupcakes with cocktail parasol drink umbrellas

• Give your food presentation a professional look with individual appetizers lined up in rows using:
• Shot glasses
• Tasting spoons
• Forks or plastic forks that look like silver
• Round & square tasting cups
• Glass jars & votive candle holders
• Martini glasses

• Use serving platters and trays to group your well-ordered rows of:
• Skewered bites and dipping sauce
• Chilled soups with toast points
• Layered salads
• Veggies with dressing
• Mini desserts
• Then build levels with tiered trays and platters on
• Groups of wood tiki gods for Hawaiian luaus
• Bamboo or wood risers
• Glass blocks
• Mini whiskey barrels with "RUM" stenciled
• Wood crates with fruit names stenciled
• Get more food station tips & buffet table ideas at party-ideas-by-a-pro.com

Raise the Bar

LIFT SPIRITS with extra fun touches and embellishments in cocktails and at the bar:

• Mix it up with ice and seashells in beverage tubs
• Freeze edible flowers in ice cubes
• Dress up fruity rum drinks in tulip glasses with

• Pineapple or pink flamingo stirrers
• Frilly paper drink parasols aka umbrellas
• Bamboo-printed paper straws
• Colorful pineapple, orange, and maraschino cherry fruit garnishes
• Infuse pineapple bites with coconut rum, here's how
• Cast fishing bobbers into ocean colored punch
• Border the edge of your bar with rope, bamboo, burlap, flower leis/garland, or plastic crabs
• Stretch a fishing net, thatching or table skirt across the front
• String festive light strands behind the bar, around the top, and under the overhang, include beach, tropical, and/or marine life themes
• flip-flops
• pineapples
• drink umbrellas
• glass buoys
• pink flamingos
• sailboats
• parrots
• palm trees
• seashells
• sea turtles
• tropical fish
• whales
• jellyfish
• seahorses

• Serve up your spirits in a memorable way by creating your own tropical beach bar or tiki bar for a Hawaiian luau

• Start with a high table or counter
• Create a view with beach-scene-printed bulletin board paper
• Add a green grass table skirt below and a natural grass table skirt above
• If you want the top skirt to angle out like a roof:
• Cut a rectangular piece of cardboard to go under the natural skirt and attach the top edge to the wall with push pins
• Attach an object underneath to angle the cardboard away from the wall, such as a cardboard box
• Cover the opening between the wall and cardboard at each end with Kraft (brown) paper
• Position the natural table skirt over the cardboard and paper roof

• Simulate supports with tiki god masks for a Hawaiian luau tiki bar or bamboo poles for a beach bar
• Announce "DRINKS" with a flip flop banner for the bar

• Outfit beer & water bottles with mini Hawaiian luau hula skirts
• Use a bamboo weave mat or printed wood-grain tablecover on the bar top and/or front
• Skewer drink garnishes with shark fin or tiki mask toothpick flags
• Give your bar a sleek modern look with tropical-leaf-print fabric on all white
• Rename a tropical-inspired cocktail for the event or guest of honor
• Pass South Seas Shimmy Jell-o shots, recipe here

Focal Points & Centerpieces

MAKE a scene with centerpieces, vases, focal points, and vignettes,

Table Runner Centerpieces

• Create a natural table runner centerpiece with any combination of tropical...
• foliage
• flowers
• fruit
• Alternatively, use a tropical leaf or floral print fabric runner, bamboo or rattan weave matting, burlap, or wood
• Add another facet with the gentle motion & glow of flickering tealights or the charming whimsy of fairy lights

Flower Arrangements

• Combine a variety of striking colors & bold textures
• Isolate a specific color or flower against a foliage background
• Make a dramatic statement with all one vibrant color

Pineapples

• Hollow out a real pineapple to make a vase
• You can't go wrong with all natural pineapples
• For a Hawaiian luau, accessorize a pineapple with a flower & sunglasses

• Paint pineapple crowns for a burst of color
• Take it further with themed embellishments, such as a pink flamingo
• Or, leave the crowns natural and paint the base

• Go glam with all metallic gold pineapples or painted in your selected colors
• Also include metallic gold painted bananas
• Paint the base & crown different colors, such as pastel pink & metallic gold
• Make pineapple pine cones with yellow paint & green paper crowns

Unique Focal Points

• Add palm plant fronds to a bamboo pole to make a tabletop palm tree
• Highlight the delicate grace of open parasols
• Feature a vignette of musical instruments, such as drums, ukuleles, and/or bamboo flutes

• Build a fake fire in a black cauldron
• Arrange an assortment of whole tropical fruit on wood crates
• Include cut fruit on a wood block for tabletop staging

• Modernize foliage & flowers with clean lines and geometric shapes
  
• Turn up the fun factor with coconut characters like a Hawaiian luau hula girl
• Decorate stacked wood crates with cascading plants & candlelight

• Create instant atmosphere with tabletop tiki torches
• Stencil "RUM" on mini whiskey/wine barrels
• And/or, stencil wood crates with fruit names, "RUM" or the name of your event

• Build tropical islands and/or volcanoes on top of floor urns

Receptions, Banquets & Dinner Table Settings

BRING your style to the table with coordinated color and details.

• Construct an outdoor Hawaiian luau feast table from stacked wood pallets

• Cover cocktail tables with gathered and tied over-sized tablecloths or fabric
• Wrap utensils bundles and/or napkins with tiny paper flowers
• Spice up tables with tropical-themed salt & pepper shakers
• Embellish napkins with brass pineapple napkin rings

• Adorn chair backs with
• flower leis
• grass hula skirts
• Monstera leaves
• oversized paper or foam flowers

• Fold napkins into Bird of Paradise shapes, DIY here
• Write on tropical leaves for:
• placecards
• menus
• table numbers
• escort cards

• At each place setting position a:
• wood charger or large tropical leaf
• colorful flower blossom
• Convert utensils to wood by applying a sliver of wood-grain contact paper to each handle

Light it Up

GIVE your event that magic touch with an extra beam of brilliance.

• Use green uplights to create a tropical perimeter on white walls
• Add sheer fabric drapes to soften the effect
• Splash an eerie look on tiki gods and masks with purple lights at a Hawaiian luau
• Cover fairy lights with ocean-colored tulle or organza to simulate shimmering light reflections on water

• Aim pin spots to make centerpieces stand out
• Energize the bar, walkways, railings and serving tables with tropical, beach, & marine life themed string lights
• Use colored glow sticks on walkways or floating in the pool

• Expand perceived coverage of plants & foliage with green spots, bulbs, & string lights

• Bamboo tiki torches are a natural light source for a tropical or Hawaiian luau theme
• Float candles in vases filled with water, tropical leaves, sea shells and/or rocks
• Shine orange lights behind palm tree silhouettes painted on a white sheet to invoke a beach sunset

• Wrap jars with rope to make candle holders, then hang them from trees
• Fill colored and frosted bottles with fairy lights and decorate with a flower or shell on jute rope
• Include submersible colored floral lights in vases

Thankful For Small Favors