Strapped for things to do in the summer? Throw your own event to cool everyone down.
Now that the heat’s turned up, we all have to resist the urge to crawl into our air conditioned shells. For the ones who can afford heading to a beachside resort this summer, we salute you. And for those staying in, we’re taking matters into our own hands and bringing the beach to us with a poolside luau… on a budget.
Hawaiian luaus are a DIY dream if you’re strapped for cash. Plus, it’s a great way to cool down by the pool with some flair. Don’t fret it if you don’t know where to start, we’ll walk you through everything.
Most of the things you need can be found in Al Suwailim Street. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s a street in Al Deira District with toys and crafts stores specializing in bulk sales down the length of it.
Flowers
Check out the stores with artificial plants. Pick out some flowers to make your hula necklaces and some leaves to hang up as decoration. You can also find ready flower wreaths if you look in the right places.
Toy Stores
- Grab some colorful pool floaties from any toy store to put up on an empty wall.
- Fill an inflatable kiddie pool with ice and throw in your drinks.
- Grab as many beach buckets as you need. You can use them as serving plates for your snacks. Or you could also use some to build a sandcastle in an empty corner.
You’re next stop is good ol’ trusty Jarir. Aside from the usual DIY starter kit (scissors, mounting tape, cutter and glue), you’re also going to need some acrylic paint, foamboards, heavy paperboard, paper mache masks, feathers and colored tape.
Photobooth
Cut out two identical half surfboards from the foamboards, stick them together and paint accordingly. Get a couple of tiki torches from Saco and set them up next to the surfboard, and voala! Your very own beachside photo booth. For bonus points, hang any kind of colorful fabric in the background.
Signs
Cut out arrows and signs from the paperboard and stick them on leftover foam board. Distribute them around to guide your guests through the party.
Tiki Masks
Paint the paper mache masks in tribal tiki paint, and glue some feathers onto the top. Hang the masks with some of the flower necklaces you made around the space.
Fruits
Yes, fruits can also be decoration. Nothing says luau like watermelons, coconuts, pineapples and melons. Get creative with your presentation, and go big! Try stacking some pineapples on top of each other with green cut out leaves on top to create an edible palm tree!
The one thing you have to keep in mind is that when it comes to decorating a luau, colorful is always the way to go. So now that you’ve got your decorations down, invite your friends over, sit back, relax and take in the sunshine.
