Who said you have to live on a beach to host an island party? With the following backyard ideas, décor tips, tropical recipes, and ocean-oriented activities, we are sure your party will go swimmingly.
Tropical Backyard and Island Décor
- Create a tropical retreat in your backyard, so you feel like you’re relaxed, on vacation all the time. These ideas will help you construct the perfect atmosphere for a tropical get-together.
- Fill a large glass vase with sand and shells. If your party is at night, place string lights around the shells inside the vase. You can also put a small candle in the center of the sand in the glass for a warm island vibe.
- Place tiki torches around the yard to create a beautiful visual and produce a tropical vibe. They are easy to install, affordable, and can even help repel mosquitos. While they create the perfect ambiance, make sure there is at least 6ft of clearance on all sides, and they are firmly placed into the ground.
- Head to a craft store and buy a foam wreath base. Paint it white and red, so it looks like a buoy.
- Transform empty wood crates into rustic furniture or décor.
Set up beachy-looking tables by using netting as a table liner. You can also place pieces of driftwood, shells, and other island-feeling décor in the center. Another cute idea would be to place air plants inside a few seashells.- Find old glass bottles and vases and wrap a rope around them using glue as adhesive. You can repurpose old wine bottles and wrap a rope around the base of the bottle and then place fairy lights inside the bottles to create a beautiful glowing effect.
- Climb aboard the craft boat with this awesome terra-cotta pot lighthouse project that will be a great addition to any outdoor space.
- Use striped napkins, seat cushions, or table liners for a nautical effect. If you can use white and navy blue stripes.
- Learn how to build your very own DIY cooler cabinet. We’re shore your guests will love it.
- Create a showstopping bar using a surfboard placed on top of a table.
- These mermaid gardens will make a splash at your next gathering.
Tropical Recipes
- If you are looking for an easy and healthy side dish, learn how to grill vegetables so they become caramelized and delicious.
- These are the perfect summer salad recipes, sea for yourself.
- Make this marinated Mediterranean shrimp appetizer that can be served in cocktail glasses so it looks as good as it tastes.
- Check out these mouthwatering grilled salmon recipes that make the perfect summer meals.
- When people “sea” your sailboat cake they will surely be impressed.
- Buy or bake macaroons and open one side of each one and place an edible pearl in each one so they look like oysters.
Take any simple cake, homemade or purchased, and sprinkle a mixture of brown sugar and crushed up graham crackers around the edge so it looks like sand. Top it off with a few chocolate (or real) shells. You can also add edible pearl sprinkles around the shells or inside a fake oyster.- These octopus cake pops are eight thumbs up.
- Sip on these tropical cocktails that will make you feel like you’re on vacation, with your toes in the sand, smelling the sweet ocean breeze.
- This blue Hawaii martini will have you floating on cloud nine.
- Your guests will go nuts for this coconut margarita.
Hosting Tips & Activities
- Create a sandbox without digging or any hard work. Simply buy a kiddie pool and fill it with sand that’s safe for your kids to play in. All you need is a few beach toys to create a killer sandcastle.
- Set up a sand art table for the kids. You will need small old vases, plastic bottles or anything clear and a few and funnels. Put out bowls, each filled with different colored sand, and let the kiddos use the funnels to layer different colored sand into the containers.
Make seashell candles by placing a wick in the center of a shell and filling it with melted candle wax. Create an ocean feel by adding a small amount of blue dye into the melted wax before adding it to the shell, so it looks like the sea.- Place out props and nautical-themed items so you can all take fun photos. Put out a few things such as a snorkel, captain’s hats, pirate gear, silly sunglasses, big beach hats, a wooden anchor, and underwater stuffed animals, and toys.
- Provide each guest with an empty wine bottle, a piece of paper, and a pen. Have them write down a joke or any message that would be funny to have read aloud, or perhaps three things they would bring to a desert island. Place the bottles in the middle of the table, and each person can read a different person’s message in the bottle for some fun laughs.
- Check out these decorating ideas for summer.
- This DIY ring toss yard game is the perfect summer game.
