Use coconut cups that double as nametags.
When you are throwing a luau for people who do not know each other well, name tags can help encourage conversation. Instead of using standard stick-on tags, make creative name tags that will add to the luau feeling and make guests feel like part of the fun. Does this Spark an idea?
Flower Clips
To give your luau guests something they can wear at the party and take home afterward, make flower clips. Start with basic tropical flowers, either in cloth or paper; you can make your own or buy them from a craft store. Look for large, colorful blooms that will add pops of color around the party. Using a hot glue gun, attach simple clips to the back of the flowers. You can buy hair clips from a craft store in a variety of sizes. When the clips have dried, attach a paper center to the flower with the name of the guest written on it. Use a hook-and-loop fastener or adhesive dot to allow guests to remove the names later. Women can clip the flowers into their hair for a Hawaiian touch, and men can clip them to their shirts or shorts, depending on what they are wearing.
Coconut Cups
For name tags that luau guests can carry instead of wear, which is helpful if they come in bathing suits, make personalized coconut cups. Buy a selection of plastic cups shaped like coconuts, or make your own by cutting the tops off of the actual fruit and hollowing out the inside. Paint each guest's name on his or her coconut and use colored paint to add tropical flowers and birds. Fill the cups with a special drink and set them on a table near the entrance for a welcome beverage; use a fancy straw and a paper umbrella to complete the look. Guests can carry their cups during the party and when it's over, the cups can double as party favors.
Paper Pineapple
For a comical, three-dimensional luau name tag, use honeycomb paper pineapples. Look for the pineapples, which fold closed like a book and open to form the fruit shape, in party stores. Open the pineapple flaps halfway so that they form a flat surface, and glue a stick across the back to keep them open. Add the guest's names by gluing letters to the front of the pineapple or attaching a paper name card to the bottom. You can also place a name card on the leaves at the top section.
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