Hang island souvenirs from the rafters to complete your tiki bar look.
An authentic tiki bar sets you apart as a party animal and your house as a tropical paradise, no matter what the weather is like outside. If you happen to live in a warm climate, an outdoor tiki bar is the ideal festive party center for entertaining and enjoying time with family. If you live in colder climes, bring a little of that island style indoors for year-round celebrating. Does this Spark an idea?
Tiki Totems
The totem pole is a traditional Hawaiian ornament and a must-have for any tiki bar. Buy a totem pole and mount it in your yard, or use a large planter filled with gravel to mount it by the bar inside. If you're artistically inclined, you can carve your own totem pole out of balsa wood for a bar-top ornament or use paper mache. Pick up some totem glasses for serving umbrella drinks.
Tiki Lighting
Traditionally, tiki bars are lighted naturally with fire. If your bar is inside, that may be a little difficult, not to mention dangerous. Use strings of lights with paper lanterns to create the same dim light as an outdoor torch. Create a totem lamp by stringing lights inside a hollow totem statue. Use plenty of candles to complete the look.
Bamboo
Bamboo is classic tiki bar building material. Buy a bamboo bar, or create one by attaching stalks of bamboo to a standard wooden table. Bamboo stools add to the effect and complete the look, while providing ample seating for guests. If your bar is indoors, use bamboo around the room for decorative accents.
Thatch
A thatched roof adorns the traditional tiki bar, protecting the outdoor reveler from rain. You can create your own thatched roof with sheets of pre-woven thatch affixed to bamboo poles over your bar. Use thatch for chair covers or hang it from the edges of deck umbrellas for an authentic look that requires minimal effort. Use a hot-glue gun for a waterproof adhesive.
Tags: totem pole, complete look, thatched roof