Festive ideas for your next pool party

Splish Splash 

By Kimberly Huffed

Photos by Heidi Lea Photography

With spring break over, there are only seven weeks of school left! It’s time to start planning those end-of-the-school-year get-togethers and  fun summer pool party.

The weather is just about right to take your first dip of the season. Things warm up fast, so plan ahead and be ready to invite some friends over for an afternoon, or get a group together and make it a big event.

Who doesn’t love a luau? It’s a great colorful theme for any age. This is one of my favorite party setups. There are lots of fun activities and beautiful food choices you can put together with this idea.

The great thing about this theme is that you can find affordable luau decor almost anywhere. I found most of mine at Hobby Lobby, Party City, and Dollar Tree. I began putting the setup together by cutting out fabric that I found at Hobby Lobby into table runners for a pop of color and a tropical feel. You can also wrap tables with grass skirting from Party City. I made starfish centerpieces for about six dollars each from supplies I got at Michaels Craft Store. All you need is starfish, two wooden rods, and a wooden base. You simply hot-glue everything together.

I ordered a beautiful wave cake with edible seashells from Stacked Cakes. It made such a statement! I also placed a cupcake from Christal’s Cupcakes at each place setting. We then added a cute silk flower and place card from partyperfectdesignstudio.etsy.com to create a personal touch. If you want to make things really festive, give your guests luau dress-up kits from Dollar Tree. They have grass skirts, leis, and flower hair clips.

When it comes to the food, it’s best to keep things light. Because of the warm weather, you’ll want to serve things like fruit kabobs, veggie cups, and sub sandwiches. We love to do unique catering tables, so we lay the food out in a way that makes it look like part of the decor. For this event, we created unique designs with a variety of seasonal fruit. This is always a hit at our events.

For activities, you can do a lot of water games, musical games, or a limbo contest. I found a lot of great luau activity ideas on Pinterest. If you want to take your luau to the next level, you can do a pig roast or hire Polynesian dancers to teach the luau dance.

Find more party ideas, recipes, and styling tips on my Facebook page at facebook.com/sincerelystyle.