Our tree on the front porch was decorated with black and red balloons and crepe paper and small plastic skeletons (also purchased from Dollar store). I had a blow up parrot (recycled from a previous luau party) tied to the porch swing. I also inserted small pirate flags (from party store) into the chains holding the swing up. I hung a skeleton I made from gallon plastic jugs (directions from Family Fun Craft book) from one of the lights by the front door. I glued a paper pirate hat on him and tied a bunch of helium filled balloons to his hand (the balloons had my daughters name and Happy Birthday printed on them -- bought these at the Party Store). I also had a couple of gold and silver round Mylar helium filled balloons tied to the light fixtures by the front steps (these represented pirate treasure). Our front door has a big glass panel and I put a poster I made with a purchased cardboard pirate flag in the center and various stuff I put on it on the outside. On the inside(living room side), I hung the poster of a treasure island map that would become the "Pin the X on the Map" game. On one wall of the living room we have built in shelves for books, stereo and t.v. I got on a ladder and hung red and black crepe paper streamers from the very top (practically at the ceiling) all the way down to the floor. This covered the face of the whole built-in. Then I attached paper pirate hats and the small pirate flags at various intervals. It looked pretty neat! I had two more folding tables set up in the living room (couch etc. pushed back) which I covered with red plastic Dollar store tablecloths. These tables had the folding chairs around them. I put the pirate cake (purchased) on the dining room table which was covered with more red plastic tablecloths. The luau party's palm tree piņata centerpiece, that was purchased from Oriental Trading company, [it's always helpful to have compatible parties for the kids so I can recycle decorations etc.] and some of my daughters' tropical Beanie Babies formed the island centerpiece. I hung cardboard fish that my middle daughter and I had made for her September luau party from the brass chandelier over the table to give it a nautical flair. In the back yard, I taped some black and red balloons to the swing set and the fence. I also draped the left over crepe paper streamers in one of our smaller trees.
