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Tiki-On-A-Budget |
Bogielocks
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 11, 2007
Posts: 352
From: New Bedford, MA
|  Posted: 2007-10-19 7:31 pm Permalink
Well, did a little shopping today and have a few ideas for budget tiki items. Here's my first...
I found these at Michael's for 25 cents each. There are 4x7" wooden plank about 1/8" think. I bought 50 of them with ideas swirling in my head. Hopefully I don't sound like Martha Stewart when I'm done listing my ideas.. Plus, anyone who has any others, just shout.
First, I'm thinking of turning some into wooden drink coasters similar to the Don the Beachcomber coasters.
 
Now, here comes Martha Stewart....
I also thought they'd make great invitations to a Luau or Tiki party. For both ideas, have to stain the wood, seal it, then create a stencil for lettering, and seal again.
Any thoughts?
Rick
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Bogielocks
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 11, 2007
Posts: 352
From: New Bedford, MA
| Posted: 2007-10-19 7:43 pm Permalink
Ok, second item...
I found these wooden arrows with the mounting hardware on the back for 50 cents each at the Christmas Tree Shops. (A New England bargain outlet) I bought 6 of them with the idea of re-painting them with lettering to the tropics (ex. Maui 2500 miles) then hanging them on my wall in a M*A*S*H post sign fashion. Maybe a piece of split bamboo to make a post, not sure if it's necessary
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Bogielocks
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 11, 2007
Posts: 352
From: New Bedford, MA
| Posted: 2007-10-19 7:50 pm Permalink
OK, last item...
At the Christmas Tree Shoppe, I also found a few really nice lamps with a wicker-rattan shade. They're a white lamp base, but I was thinking shellac to bring the color of bamboo. The other idea was to see if I could find some hollowed out 2" bamboo and just place it over the lamp. Either way, a steal for $12 each including the shade.
I'll keep ya posted with project progress, but I wanted to throw my ideas out there for anyone wanting to do the same, while the stuff my still be out there.
Cheers!
Rick
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hewey
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 14, 2004
Posts: 4270
From: Sydney, Australia
| Posted: 2007-10-19 8:22 pm Permalink
Cool ideas, make sure you post some pics 
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www.kustomkultureaustralia.com
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bamboo stu
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 18, 2007
Posts: 126
From: Oakland, CA
| Posted: 2007-10-21 9:01 pm Permalink
Random budget Tiki-tip:
An earlier post mentioned painting light bulbs. Indeed, colored bulbs are expensive with limited wattage options, and are fairly hard to find. As most tikiphiles know, colored lighting is everything when it comes to creating a mood.
My solution was to buy standard low-watt bulbs and spray them with a special glass paint I found at the hardware store. Normal spray paint is too opaque and just absorbs most of the light, but the glass paint is designed to stay transparent. If you're eco-minded, you could also use this method to make colored compact fluorescents.
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Bogielocks
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 11, 2007
Posts: 352
From: New Bedford, MA
| Posted: 2007-10-26 5:48 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2007-10-19 19:43, Bogielocks wrote:
Ok, second item...
I found these wooden arrows with the mounting hardware on the back for 50 cents each at the Christmas Tree Shops. (A New England bargain outlet) I bought 6 of them with the idea of re-painting them with lettering to the tropics (ex. Maui 2500 miles) then hanging them on my wall in a M*A*S*H post sign fashion. Maybe a piece of split bamboo to make a post, not sure if it's necessary
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OK, this is just a sample of how they came out, and how I may display them. Maybe, put some bamboo pole in-between.
Cheers!
Rick
Let me know whatcha think...
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hewey
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 14, 2004
Posts: 4270
From: Sydney, Australia
| Posted: 2007-10-27 01:18 am Permalink
The Hawaii sign is a little hard to read (because of the color) but otherwise they look great
_________________
www.kustomkultureaustralia.com
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Surf tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 28, 2005
Posts: 254
From: Va Beach
| Posted: 2007-10-29 12:03 pm Permalink
Love the arrow signs. I was thinking of doing a post for my deck with a shower head and famous surf spots on it.
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Kewlava
Tiki Centralite
Joined: May 21, 2007
Posts: 47
From: Phoenix
| Posted: 2007-11-02 11:05 pm Permalink
I needed a simple tiki light for a dark spot on my patio. I looked around to see what materials
I had, and made this...
I used three slightly different lengths of bamboo as the center spine.
I wound a 50-light set around the bamboo.
Then I mounted a cheap (99 cent store) lampshade wireframe onto the bamboos.
I hot-melt glued a split bamboo placemat onto the wire lampshade frame.
Then to finish it off, I hot-melt glued a palm weave trim strip around the placemat.
At night the lights "twinkle" through the shade as you walk past.
Kelly
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Kewlava
Tiki Centralite
Joined: May 21, 2007
Posts: 47
From: Phoenix
| Posted: 2007-11-02 11:32 pm Permalink
I guess we've all looked at these vacuformed tikis
and wondered if they could be used as a mold to make
something more permanent.
I got a similar plastic Tiki and made a simple wood frame
around it, and just filled it with mortar mix.
After a day of drying out, I popped out a beautiful "CemenTiki"!
I plan to make more and mount them to my cement block wall as
part of an overall design.
Kelly
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pappythesailor
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 1563
From: Mass.
| Posted: 2007-11-03 03:30 am Permalink
Kewlava, love the lamp and the tikis. I'm kind of slow--how did that mold thingie work again? Any more pics of the process for us dopes?
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pappythesailor
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 07, 2005
Posts: 1563
From: Mass.
| Posted: 2007-11-03 03:32 am Permalink
Oh, wait. I get it! Does that wreck the mold or can you keep using it?
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The Granite Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 02, 2005
Posts: 785
From: Nashua, NH
| Posted: 2007-11-03 06:44 am Permalink
Best use of those plastic pieces of poop ever!!!!
I can't wait to try that!
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jpmartdog
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Mar 27, 2005
Posts: 650
From: Amesbury, Mass
| Posted: 2007-11-03 07:21 am Permalink
whoa..... thats cool
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closettiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 23, 2007
Posts: 294 | Posted: 2007-11-03 11:23 am Permalink
now that's cool!!!!!!!!! Did you coat the inside of the form. ? Can you reuse the form or is it a one time form? Thanks for the tips
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