by Karen Kalbacher

Created on: June 04, 2010

A Luau is the perfect theme for a summer party but decorations can become pricier than the food if you let it. Here is a way to make a homemade tablecloth to help keep make your Hawaiian themed party more original.

Pineapple Print Tablecloth

You will need:

-pineapple with top leaves intact
-craft paints in 3 colors (available at most craft stores for less than a $1 a bottle.)

-potato
-muslin or cotton fabric (an old white tablecloth can be used too!)
-paintbrush
-knife

Lay the fabric out on a surface covered in plastic to keep paint from soaking through to your table. With a sharp knife, slice the pineapple in half lengthwise. You want to maintain the spiky leaves at the top for a good print. Put half in the fridge for eating. The printmaking half should be smooth so use the knife to trim off any ragged edges. Coat the pineapple in paint. Starting on one end press the pineapple firmly against the fabric as you would a stamp. Moving quickly, recoating the pineapple after each stamp work your way around the fabric until satisfied.

Next, slice a medium to large potato in half. Make a simple shape like a triangle or square with your knife by cutting away at the potato. Coat the potato in your second color and stamp in-between the pineapple or for a crazier look just randomly all over the fabric but not over the pineapple stamps.

After the stamps dry, take your paintbrush and using your final color choice paint Hawaiian words like Aloha which means hello and goodbye, Mahalo which means thank you or even just Luau. Once it dries you’ll have a one of a kind table cloth that you can use every summer.

And while you have the pineapple stamp handy, you could even stamp it on a canvas to make handy wall hangings for the Luau. If you bought extra fabric you could even make a matching table runner for your coffee table. Or you could dress up an old bathing suit cover up with your newly made stamps. Remember to have fun with the stamping. Feel free to combine colors on the stamps. Tropical colors like orange, red, yellow and light blue work wonders but black and white can be more sophisticated. Browns and greens can be more traditional. It doesn’t matter what colors you use as long as you have fun!

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