If you're hosting a birthday event with a Hawaiian theme, let guests express their creativity with craft activities throughout the party. Choose projects that feature shapes, colors and images that represent Hawaii or the islands' relaxed beach atmosphere. Partygoers will not only go home with fond memories of the festivities, but also a colorful, handmade Hawaiian souvenir. Does this Spark an idea?
Create Tropical Picture Frames
Adults and kids can design a frame to hold a commemorative picture that they take with the guest of honor at the party. Give each guest a padded paper photo frame, a small acrylic box frame or a chipboard photo mat for a four-by-six-inch picture. Provide acrylic paints, alphabet rubber stamps, stamping ink, markers and an assortment of Hawaiian-themed stickers, die cuts, foam shapes and buttons. As each guest completes a frame, add two strips of magnetic adhesive to the back to turn it into a refrigerator magnet.
Assemble Foam Flower Leis
Organize a Hawaiian theme craft that guests can also wear during the festivities. Measure a piece of embroidery floss, thin ribbon, jute or stretch cording to ensure the lei will slip easily over the guest's head. Let partygoers thread colorful foam, paper or silk flowers onto the string before tying it closed. As a deluxe touch, also let guests add wood or plastic beads between each flower.
Design Sand Prints
Let younger party guests create sand pictures of images like palm trees, shells, tree frogs and sunny beaches or birthday motifs like a cake, presents and balloons. Print the themed coloring pages onto cardstock. Let the kids use a paintbrush to cover one section of the picture with a thin layer of glue. Sprinkle colored sand onto the glue and shake the excess onto a piece of paper so you can pour it back into the container. Paint glue on the second section and sprinkle it with a different shade of sand. Continue the process until the entire picture is covered.
Embellish Flip Flops
Kids and teens will love wearing colorful flip flops with custom-designed embellishments. Give each guest a pair of rubber flip flops and access to a tray of accessories like ribbon, self-adhesive gems, paint pens, paper flowers and tropical-themed charms to design a funky pair of shoes. Also let them design a pair as a Hawaiian birthday craft to give to the birthday honoree as a gift.
Make Tropical Drink Charms
Help adults keep track of their tropical drinks at the party by designing cocktail glass charms. Let each guest choose a metal charm such as a palm tree, martini glass, flip flop, sun, sand dollar, conch shell or tropical flower, for example. Ensure you've only got one of each charm available to avoid confusion. Show guests thread the charm and two to four small round beads onto a pre-made silver wire ring or a piece of silver memory wire bent into a one-inch circle. Slip the Hawaii-themed craft project around the stem of a cocktail glass to easily identify each guest's beverage when it comes time to toast the birthday party's guest of honor.
Tags: each guest, cocktail glass, flip flops, Give each, Give each guest