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LUAU & HAWAII THEME WEDDING RESOURCES

Tips and Suggestions for
Easily Hosting a Luau Anywhere
Hawaiian Theme
Christmas Party Ideas
Hawaiian Theme Invitations
Fun Hawaii Theme Party Games
Popular Luau Recipes
Hawaii Theme
Cake Toppers
Translate Guests
Names into Hawaiian
Popular Hawaiian
Words and Phrases
Fresh Leis available for
shipping within the USA to
add touches of Hawaii
to your Luau
Tips and Suggestions to
Easily Create a Hawaii
Theme Wedding Anywhere
Hawaiian
Wedding Traditions
How to Create a
Hawaii Theme Atmosphere
for your Wedding
Photographs of Suggestions
on How to Create Hawaii
Theme Centerpieces,
Decorate Guest Book Tables,
and Wedding Cake Decorating
Fresh Hawaiian
Wedding Leis available for shipping to Anywhere
in the USA
Hawaii Theme Wedding Vow Suggestions with and without Lei Exchanges   
Hawaii Theme
Candle Unity Ceremony
Hawaii Theme
Sand Unity Ceremony 
The Lords Prayer
in Hawaiian

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HAWAIIAN THEME SUN CATCHERS
3 Envelopes Unflavored Gelatin 
8-10 Tablespoons Water
Food Coloring
Plastic plate 
In a saucepan on low heat mix the water, food coloring and gelatin. Stir continuously and cook about a minute until thickened. Pour onto a plastic plate and remove as many air bubbles as possible. Let set for an hour before removing from plate. The gelatin will be firm to the touch but will still be flexible. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes then punch a hole in each cut out design where you would like to hang them from. Allow to air dry until stiff, approx. 2-3 days. Once dry run string or fishing line through the hole and tie closed to create something to hang up your sun catcher with.

HAWAIIAN THEME TILES
Make decorative clay tiles to add Hawaiian accents to your home. Roll the clay out to a 1/4 inch slab. Cut out whatever size squares that you want your tile, it will need to be at least an inch wider than the widest part of your cookie cutter. Roll out more clay to a 1/4 inch slab and cut shapes with cookie cutters. Rough up the back of the cutter cut clay and the front of the tile clay on the spot where the design will go. Using a little mixture of water and clay adhere the two together. Allow to air dry or fire if needed. Paint or glaze.

TURN A PLAIN PILLAR CANDLE INTO A HAWAIIAN THEME CANDLE
This is great way to add a Hawaiian touches to plain pillar candles. Melt candle wax or crayons then pour into a glass dish lightly coated with silicone spray. Be sure the wax is not thicker than 1/8 inch thick. Once the wax in the glass dish is solid but still soft spray silicone onto a cookie cutter and press it into the soft wax. Remove the excess wax from around the shape with a knife and allow to cool completely. Once cooled fill one bowl with hot water and one with cold water. Put your wax cut out in the hot water to soften it up. While soft wrap the wax cut out around the pillar candle so that the curves of the candle are transferred to your wax cut out design then put the wax cut out in cold water so it will hold the curves. Use some hot wax to adhere the wax cut out design to the pillar candle. The candle is done, it is optional to re-dip the entire candle in clear wax. Bees wax can also be used to create the cut out designs.

HAWAIIAN THEME FLAT BEESWAX CANDLES
8-16 pieces of beeswax
size #3 cotton wick
Hawaiian theme cookie cutter
Unroll beeswax and cut out an even number of shapes from the wax using your cookie cutter. Separate cuttings into two even piles. From the first pile take one piece of wax at a time and stack it onto another from the same pile and press firmly so that they stick together. Once all of the wax from pile one is stuck together do the same thing to pile two. When both piles are done put a wick between both piles, like a sandwich, and press firmly until they are stuck together. If you are having trouble getting them to stick together you can use a hair dryer to soften the wax a little. Once the wick is secure your candle is done and ready to use.  Make sure you place it on a candle holder that has a spike on it to hold the candle and keep it from falling over. The thicker the candle the more sturdy it is. 

HAWAIIAN THEME FLOATING CANDLES
Clay
Hawaiian theme cookie cutter
Wick
Wax or old candles
Tin can
Popsicle stick
To melt the wax bits or pieces of old candle take a clean tin can and bend a spout in the top so you can easily pour the melted wax out later. Put wax into the can and set the can in a shallow pot of boiling water until the wax is melted. While the wax is melting roll out the clay about a ½ inch thick and wide enough to accommodate your cookie cutter. Place the cookie cuter in the center of the clay and push in a little, but do not make the cutter cut all the way through the clay. Set a wick in the center of the cookie cutter and lay a Popsicle stick flat across the cookie cutter to lean the excess wick against so it doesn't fall in. Pour in the melted wax. If you are using unscented wax this is where you would add a few drops of the fragrance oil to the hot wax. Let set for 45 minutes then remove the cookie cutter from the clay and put into the freezer for 15 minutes to make removing the cookie cutter much easier. After 15 minutes in the freezer the candle should easily release from the cookie cutter and your floating candle is ready to be put in a bowl of water and lit!

HAWAIIAN THEME HANDMADE SOAPS - OPTION ONE
1lb block heat and pour soap (available at craft supply stores in glycerin or coconut base)
Essential Oil (optional) if you want to add a tropical fragrance to the soap like coconut, pineapple, plumeria, white ginger, pikake, eucalyptus, etc. 
1 microwave safe measuring cup or bowl
cookie cutters
clay
wax paper
knife
Roll out clay on a piece of wax paper. Set in cookie cutter clay but do not cut all the way through. Cut soap block into 1" squares and place into a microwave safe cup. Melt for 15 seconds on high. If soap is not completely melted microwave in 5 second increments until fully melted. Do not overheat. Allow soap to sit for a minute until a skin forms on top. Push away the skin mix in a few drops of fragrance oil then pour soap into awaiting cookie cutter mold in clay. Set aside for 2 hour to cure. Before removing the cookie cutter put into the freezer for 10 minutes to make removing the cookie cutter easier. Remove the clay from around the cookie cutter and press the soap out from the cookie cutter mold. Slice the clay off with a knife and the soap is ready to use!

HAWAIIAN THEME HANDMADE SOAPS - OPTION TWO
Large bowl 
small bowls 
1/2 cup water 
Wooden spoon 
Hawaiian theme cookie cutters 
4 cups Ivory Snow powdered soap detergent
food coloring
Vegetable oil 
Waxed paper 
Plate
Spatula 
Essential Oil (optional) if you want to add a tropical fragrance to the soap like coconut, pineapple, plumeria, white ginger, pikake, eucalyptus, etc. add 18-30 drops of essential oil when adding in the water.

In a large bowl pour in the powdered detergent and one cup at a time add in the water. Stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a thick batter. Keep an extra cup of powdered detergent on hand to add if the mixture is too sticky.
Coat your hands with vegetable oil before handling the sticky soap dough. Divide the soap dough into as many colors as you want and put each color’s soap dough portion into it’s own bowl. Add food coloring to each bowl to create the colors you want use.  Work the coloring into the dough with your oiled hands until it is thoroughly mixed. Wash your hands and reapply vegetable oil before mixing each color. Cover a flat surface waxed paper that overlap by 2 inches. Pat out each color of soap dough 1 inch thick on the waxed paper. Dip a cookie cutter in a plate with vegetable oil on it then use the cutter on the soap. Press firmly then carefully remove the cookie cutter. If the soap dough sticks to the inside of the cutter gently push it out with your fingers. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and transfer the Hawaiian theme soaps to the baking sheet with a spatula. Allow to set and cure in a cool dry place for 24 hours before using. Recipe above yields approx. 6 soaps depending on the size of the cookie cutter.

HAWAIIAN THEME HANDMADE EXFOLIATING SOAPS
To make your soap and exfoliating soap follow the directions above but roll the soap dough in rolled oats or cornmeal before patting it out on a flat wax paper covered surface.

HAWAIIAN THEME HOME FRESHENERS
Aroma beads
Essential oil - add a tropical fragrance to the freshener like coconut, pineapple, plumeria, white ginger, pikake, eucalyptus, etc.
Liquid candle dye (optional)
Hawaiian theme cookie cutter
Nails
Metal non-stick cookie sheet
string or yarn
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the cookie cutters flat on a non-stick cookie sheet and arrange aroma beads about ¼ inch deep within each non-stick cookie cutters.  Insert a nail flat on it’s head where you would like to add string to hang up your home freshener. Bake for 5-10 minutes, remove from oven once the beads have melted. The beads do not melt smooth, the texture will appear bumpy. While soft you can add additional fragrance with essential oil. Set in a cool dry place and to cool. Once cool to the touch put baking sheet into the freezer for 5-10 minutes to make removing from the cutter easier. Once the cutter is removed pull your Hawaiian theme home fresheners off of the non-stick cookie sheet. They tend to stick pretty well to the non-stick surface but they do come off. Remove the nail and add a ribbon or string through the hole left by the nail to hang up your home freshener. Your adorable Hawaiian theme home freshener is now ready to use. Do not set on wooden, plastic, or painted surfaces due to oils in the home freshener can stain these surfaces. To avoid melting do not put these in a location that receives direct sunlight, in automobiles, or in rooms where temperatures are excessively hot.
*Caution these can really smell up your oven.

FANCY HAWAIIAN THEME CHOCOLATES
Place the cookie cutters on parchment paper as flat as you can get them. Pour melted chocolate into the cutters then working quickly put in anything you would like to add like rice crispies, nuts, coconut, M&Ms, marshmallows, sprinkles, dried pineapple, etc. To speed up the cooling process put into the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Once the chocolate hardens cut off any extra chocolate that may have leaked out the bottom. Then tap the chocolate out of the cookie cutter mold. These make great candy displays at parties or you can put them in decorative plastic party bags and give them out as prizes or party favors. Use frosting to personalize the chocolates and use them as place cards.

HAWAIIAN THEME BIRD FEEDER
You will need a slice of bread, Hawaiian theme cookie cutter, knife, scissors, peanut butter, plate, bird seed, yarn or string. Use cookie cutter to cut shape out of a slice bread. With scissors make a hole where you would like to insert the yarn to hang the feeder. Lay bird seed on a plate. Spread peanut butter on one side the lay the bread peanut butter side down in the bird seed. Coat other side of bread in peanut butter and then lay in the remaining seed. Pull yarn through hole and tie to tree outside for the birds or if you have a pet bird you can tie this to their cage. 

HAWAIIAN THEME JUMBO CRAYONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Seal the bottom of the cookie cutter with foil wrap leaving top open. Line a baking sheet with foil and place cookie cutters it. Fill the cookie cutters with pieces of crayons the place in a preheated 350 degree oven. Keep an eye on your creations until all the crayon bits have melted into one. You can use multiple colors in one crayon but DO NOT stir the melted crayon mixture once the crayons melt or it ruins the colors.  Once all the crayons are melted remove the baking sheet from oven and let cool. Once cool tap out the jumbo crayon and have fun coloring!  

HAWAIIAN THEME BEAN BAGS
Take a piece of fabric at least twice the size of the cookie cutter image. Fold the fabric in half with the rough unfinished side facing out, the finished sides facing in. Trace outside edges of cookie cutter onto fabric. Add a 1/4 inch for seam allowance and cut out fabric. Make sure the finished sides of the fabric are still facing in and begin sewing the 2 pieces of fabric together either by hand or with a sewing machine. Be sure to leave yourself at least a 3 inch opening. Turn the fabric inside out so the finished sides are now on the outside. Fill with dry beans and then sew the remaining 3 inches closed. These are fun to make and use for luau games!

HAWAIIAN THEME SOFT ORNAMENTS
For best results in painting, pre-wash the fabrics to remove sizing. Iron the fabric once it has been washed and dried. Trace the pattern on 2 pieces of fabric and be sure to add 1/4 inch seam allowances. They fabric can be the same design or two different designs. Fold ribbon in half to make hanger and glue-baste to top of ornament. Place the fabric pieces wrong sides together with the pattern sides out and pin. Stitch ¼ inch from the edges using a short stitch length. Be sure to leave an opening for stuffing. Stuff with polyester fiberfill and use an eraser end of a pencil to push stuffing into smaller areas.  Stitch hole closed and trim seam around the ornament to about 1/8 inch. The ornament can be decorated with fabric paints, buttons, and other decorations or can be left undecorated.  

HAWAIIAN THEME FELT NAME BADGES
Use cookie cutters as a template to make felt shapes for name badges. Once cut out use permanent markers or glitter pens to personalize with names. We even offer a resource of names translated into Hawaiian at www.alohafriendsluau.com/names.html if you want to put your guests Hawaiian name on their name badge. You can either use safety pins to pin on each person or use a hole punch to put a hole in each felt name badge and use string to create necklaces used to wear the name badge. If this is going to be used for a party with children you can set up tables so when the child first comes in the first thing they do is go make their own name badge. It is a great activity to have the kids do while you await everyone's arrival. You can even make a game out of it and have the host of the party review all the name badges and award a prize for the most creative.