Building a tiki hut is one of the best ways to feel like you're in the Pacific Islands, and no luau would be complete without a tiki hut in which you can serve guests their favorite tropical drinks. If you have the right building materials and decorations, it will be simple to build an authentic tiki hut fit for the islands. Does this Spark an idea?
Plans
Before you buy any materials and decorations for your tiki hut, you'll need a plan. Consider everything you'll need. For example, do you have a pre-existing bar with stools that you can build your tiki hut around, or will you need to build a freestanding tiki hut? Do you want to make a permanent tiki hut or one that you can disassemble after use? Once you have the answers to these questions, you can begin to create a plan for your tiki hut.
If you're making a tiki hut around an existing bar, you won't need much except for a few design details you can add to the bar. If you're building a hut from scratch, you'll have to plan for how many people the hut will seat, the actual dimensions of the hut, the materials and decorations you will use, and what you'll be using it for. Will it be a functional tiki hut? If so, you may want to add electrical outlets and accessories such as a small refrigerator and provisions for bar accessories such as shakers, glasses, bottles and a blender.
Building Materials
The essentials of a tiki hut are bamboo poles, plywood and palm leaves. Of course, you'll need a few nails and a hammer to put it all together. The base of the tiki hut is the bar, so use the plywood to build it. There's no need to paint the plywood since tiki huts are supposed to have a rustic look and feel. Keep the plywood, which can be found in hardware stores, bare and natural. Use the bamboo poles to create the roof, and attach them to the bar. You can also use them to add trim to the corners and edges of the finished base. Finally, cover the roof with dry palm leaves.
Decorations
The final step in authenticating your hut is to add the finishing touches. Party supply shops often carry tiki hut decorations, such as hanging lanterns, tiki lights and torches, a grass mat and tiki bar stools. Hang tiki masks on the poles to add to the ambiance, and make a rustic sign with your bar's name from any leftover plywood and hang it on your bar with a rope. For a real feel of the tropics, add potted palms and tropical flowers and arrange them around the tiki hut.
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