Get Lei'd: The Tiki Birthday Bash!

KB's birthday is today, which means we had to throw a huge birthday bash. This year's theme was "Tiki Lounge"/"Luau"/"Mid-Century Hawaii." One of his favorite places to go it Trader Vic's, the home of the Mai Tai. So I set to work to recreate the restaurant with a little bit of a birthday twist.

I'll be posting throughout the day all the different aspects of the party: Decor, Food and the Bar, so check in all afternoon to see the updates! 

First off, the part that took the longest to work out! The Decor! Make it all the way to the bottom! I saved my favorite part for last!!

I wanted to make sure we had plenty of seating, so in addition to the chairs I bought this great yard blanket from Target. I wasn't sure how I felt about making people sit on the ground, but it went with the luau theme and people seemed to really enjoy picnicking on it!

Of course, we needed some mood lighting. So on top of lining the yard with tiki torches (which we filled with citronella to keep the bugs away), We had tabletop torches, these great lanterns from World Market (they aren't online!) and a few strings of wicker-covered fairy lights! The whole backyard was lit up! Plus, we put some pineapple-scented candles in the lanterns and they smelled so tropical! We also got a tiki statue from Home Depot and I turned him into the perfect themed candle holder!

Lastly, it isn't a tiki party without a Tiki Bar! So the bottom is just a folding table with a vibrant table cloth and this cute rafia skirt! The top, however, is something that I constructed. This looks like a complicated project, but it was so simple! I measured out my table and then subtracted five inches to create the top. You will need to cut the bamboo sticks to these measurements and then I tied them together with jute. After you have the top, cut the legs to be tall enough for the "bartenders" to work and not bump their heads! Then I used some gorilla tape to attach them! This is literally held together with string and duct tape! For the top, just cut some burlap (I used two layers) and drape it over the top! The most important part is how you're going to anchor it to the table. I used these cute flower pots, filled them with sand and stuck the legs in. I didn't want the sand to show so I wrapped some leis around and added in the cutest swirled citronella candles! 

Hope you are spreading some sunlight on this lovely Father's Day!

Check back later for some yummy Tiki Desserts! 

Love you,