Origami bird invitations, mailed flat, get unfolded by the recipient to reveal party details.
The invitation you send inviting guests to a luau can set the spirit and mood of the party before it ever starts. The more creative the invitation, the more eager the anticipation your guests will have for your luau. Making your own personalized invitations to send or hand deliver is the first indication your guests will get of the special care and preparation you're putting into the event. Does this Spark an idea?
Origami
The Oriental art of paper folding, called origami, is a specialty choice for do-it-yourself luau invitations. Although many origami designs are intended to be three-dimensional, they easily flatten for mailing. You can write the luau party details on the sail of a sailboat creation or on the wings of a bird. Other foldable origami creations suitable to a luau that you can simply fold for mailing and attach as decoration to standard cards include tropical fish, Hawaiian shirts and tropical flowers. Make more origami birds, flowers and fish as table decorations and to hang from the ceiling or house plants. Origami boats and Hawaiian shirts also can hold candy party favors.
Travel Theme
Create the sense of an impending visit to a tropical paradise by sending your guests luau invitations that look like airline travel tickets. Design them to look like real airline tickets, except that the luau party details substitute for departure time (time the luau begins), airport (location of the luau), airline (use your last name) and any other details you want to include. Attach a tropical travel brochure to your ticket invitation, acquired from your local travel agency, to enhance the effect.
Three-Dimensional
Make three-dimensional luau invitations if you'll be hand-delivering them. Make mini paper leis and attach one to the corner of each invitation. Alternatively, make full-size leis and ask your guests wear them to the luau.
Message-in-a-bottle 3D invitations. Get small bottles at discount stores, thrift shops or yard sales, one for each invitation. The bottles don't need to be identical, just small. Put some white sand, small sea shells and a few translucent colored beads in the bottles. Write your luau party information on parchment paper, then roll up the parchment and insert one sheet into each bottle.
Hand-delivery is the best choice for all 3D invitations to protect them but, if that's not feasible, ship them in small boxes or well-padded envelopes.
Tags: your guests, luau invitations, luau party, party details, each invitation, guests luau