Backyard Luau Inspired Halloween Party

When you think of Halloween, tropical luau probably isn’t the first thing that pops into your head. However, with family visiting all the way from New Zealand who had never yet seen me set up a party, I really wanted to do something unique, doing up our backyard in an unexpected and fun way. A Backyard Halloween Party inspired by traditional Luau was so perfect! Side note: We have similar traditional celebrations in New Zealand, our culture has similarities to that of Hawaii. 

It definitely proved that sometimes things you’d think wouldn’t work together really can – with a bit of creativity and balance! We all had a blast at this Haunted Halloween Celebration inspired by a Traditional Luau, and it was as fun to create as it was to enjoy!

The key to making this Backyard Halloween soiree feel simultaneously Hawaiian resort inspired and haunted at the same time is to use a mixed color palette that includes warm fiery colors, natural greens and beiges, and a deep spooky black. 

To bring in the reds and oranges of the fire traditionally present at luaus, I used spray paint to give tiki tumblers an orange makeover.  I also incorporated bold red plates and glasses in my table settings, and repurposed a vibrant red and orange sarong as a table runner. 

I also combined Hawaii with Halloween by creating Jack-o-lanterns out of orange and black spray-painted pineapples! For a more traditional, yet still luau-worthy Jack-o-lantern decoration, I created these Easy No-Carve Tiki Pumpkins as well. Find the details on how to create your own Tiki Pumpkins HERE.

This party remained tropical, despite all of the creepy elements, through the use of natural raffia and grass fringe scattered throughout – table skirts and accents were easy places to incorporate this. I also made sure to have green leaves and traditionally bright Hawaiian flowers and leis to balance out some of the darker colors – like the deep black spray painted leaves, candle holders, and fan placemats.

Haunted guests are a must at a haunted party. I brought in life-sized skeletons (dressed in clothes inspired by Hawaiian resort celebrations), a skeleton monkey, and skeleton flamingos to make my live guests feel like they were actually partying with the dead! There were other easy ways to bring bones into the decor, such as using skeleton hand cups and napkin holders at the place settings. And of course, spooky skulls scream Halloween; I used skulls as hanging decor, table decor, and to transform traditional tiki torches into Halloween Skull Tiki Torches. The details on creating your own can be found HERE.

Finally, no tropical party would be complete without some juicy beverages, and at a haunted luau inspired party they should be served at a Halloween Tiki Bar, complete with a skeleton bartender, of course! Learn how to make your own Halloween Tiki Bar HERE.

Guests at this Haunted Halloween Luau are sure to feel like they have been transported to tropical Hawaiian resort on the spookiest day of the year. You can get all the details to create it on Fun365 at Oriental Trading. Everything you need to See It, Shop It and Make with the click of a button! I hope you enjoy all the DIY’s and ideas as much as I enjoyed creating them.

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