Tiki-On-A-Budget

I was at my local superstore ( big grocery store of crap) and they had thier cheap tiki torches on sale. Now at $1.98 regular price they a good bargin. But at clearance of 96 cents I stocked up.
I cut the tops of them and then split the bamboo to use as trim on the bar I am building.
For those on a budget or that have a hard time finding Bamboo this is a good way to go.

Considering what bamboo of that diameter generally goes for, your idea sounds great.

Good call on the bamboo poles rodeotiki! Any problems with the quality?

And thanks for pointing out that link, Granite Tiki- That is a good usage.

Don't forget to make your "float lights" out of Garden gazing balls. Now's the time to pick them up cheap at the end of the year clearance sales. I like to choose the more clear mouth blown type, but pick what you like. Then pick up a single corded light like they use at Christmas in the light up towns and clip that into the opening on the ball. and then stick the whole thing inside a basketball net. Use a one of those circle thingies that you slide your keys on to close the bottom of the net and tie up the top with a little more cording and hang. I have also used a piece of cut up fish netting from a party store to wrap around the globe. I imagine you could also drop in a glow stick if you don't have a handy plug in around.
Here's my old post.Hopefully this link will work
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=14794&forum=18

A very interesting thread. I started out very cheap making almost all my own original decor. (float lamps, bar, shields, etc. )As I had the extra money I was able to weed out some of my home made attempts and replace them with either vintage goods or quality made items from the many artist here or over on the Fraternal Order of Moai board or some of the other fab. websites out in cyber space.
This place and others like it are great for sharing info and to learn.
It may take me a life time to complete my lounge to the dream I have, but in the mean time it still gets the idea across and most importantly we all have a good time here.
Be creative and enjoy your space!

On 2006-08-31 06:50, exotica59 wrote:

It may take me a life time to complete my lounge to the dream I have, but in the mean time it still gets the idea across and most importantly we all have a good time here.

Someone recently said something to me about how she loves my tiki room even though I don't think it's good enough. I had to set her straight and tell her I love my tiki room--I just consider it a work in progress. I will be working on it forever. Collecting and making stuff to go in it are as much a part of the experience for me as drinking mai tais and listening to Martin Denny.

Excellent suggestions on the lighted floats! Thanks also for supplying the link.

Bumping in the hopes that someone will want to comment.

I will. In the last few weeks we've made two swag lamps out of Dollar Tree wicker trash cans, covered the bases of two lava lights with leopard fabric (thanks to everyone for the ideas!) and we've taken some leopard fabric and bamboo and are in the midst of covering the bottom parts of two screen doors with it (the bamboo is what's holding it onto the doors). Here are some recent lamps:

I really like your work Velveteenlounge! I had some ideas about coloring the tap lights (either marker or an opaque paint), but didn't and now I'm not only more inclined towards converting my lamps to electric, but to trying the colored bulbs.

I hope you post pics of the screen door project. Sounds interesting.

Mahalo!

-Eleio

Nice job. Work keeps getting in the way of my budget tiki work.

Here's one more--the lava lamp/fabric idea I cribbed from Dogbytes:

Target is blowing out the lava lamps they were pushing for back-to-school, so I got them half price. They might still have some.

The Lava lamps are very very cool! Heading to target!

Amy

Me too...^^^^^^^^^

The "Smiling Gecko Bar", Okinawa, Japan. OK, I guess this isn't as elaborate or "Tiki-fied" as some of the awesome bars on the forum, but it's mine and I am pretty happy with how it turned out. I built this with an old metal and fabric bar that I salvaged from someone's garbage, and about $30 worth of bamboo from the local Do-It-Yourself store. It's a work in progress. I'm looking for some tiki carvings, but they're a little hard to come by in Japan.
Ugly original bar (No wonder they threw it away!)
Complete (for now)Side view
Complete (for now)Front view
More to come...
Next I plan to install a bamboo awning from the roof of the house. Any other ideas/suggestions are welcome!

That's very cool work!

My outdoor bar was very similar before I doctored it up, you did a much more pro looking job!

http://www.carlayotte.accountsupport.com/Tiki%20Concerns/ZOutdoor9.JPG

[ Edited by: The Granite Tiki 2006-10-03 12:28 ]

I always like to find a deal. I have a thing for things that are 75% off. I was in a bargain chain store looking for tiki.
Since the tiki seasons only lasts a few months, I like to hunt when a new season approaches.
Found two of these blue party tikis that have the wind opperated faux fire device for $7 each.
Rattle can and dremel, I now have four tiki maasks and two fake flames.

My thread about the Lava Lounge Grotto would fit in this thread.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=21239&forum=18&13

It might have cost a total of $150 to put that whole thing together. I think less. It's just that I had to buy a lot of that insulation foam, and the fountain cost about $50.

..sbim

I clumsily knocked over this cheapo tiki that I picked up at Big Lots last year and after I patched and primered it I painted it gloss black then gutted a lamp for the top and viola tiki lamp.

JenTiki just gave us a great idea in the calendar thread that bigbrotiki put up. And since we're coming to the end of the year, a lot of us probably have Hawaiian or Tiki calendars with great art work on them (I know I do) no need to throw them away!
This is the perfect chance to attempt the Bamboo frame on-a-budget that Eleio the fleet posted earlier in this thread!

[ Edited by: The Granite Tiki 2006-10-15 12:52 ]

I made this a few years back from a couple 5-gallon buckets and some paper mache. Spray paint with stone finish. I'm going to use a concrete form and some cardboard for my next one - by my front door. Part of my winter project list.

T

WWJBD?

[ Edited by: smiling gecko 2006-11-12 16:23 ]

In an effort to keep this thread alive I present my own shrine to the tiki gods. You are seeing a cheese knife handle, pencil topper, and two bits of swizzle stick. The only real cost was the nicho box. What have some of the rest of you been working on.

I'm definitely from the land of the unbright. The tikis from Big Lots sprayed with the granite is just sheer genius. I've seen the tikis and turned my nose up at them at Big Lots and I have used the spray granite to turn a modern lamp into something more Eames Era by creating a volcanic look. NEVER did I think of hitting the Big Lots stuff with a faux finish and repurposing them...and to think that I think I'm clever! This absolutely is a great thread.

I finally got a chance to frame some pictures from a 2006 calendar using Eleio the fleet's step by step instructions. (back on page 3 of this thread)

Did it while watching the Patriots lose :(

If any of you have the calendar pictured below, you'll recognize the artwork I've just added to my Tiki Lounge!

The bigger of the three is roughly 11"/12 1/2"
The other two are roughly 9"/10 1/2"

[ Edited by: The Granite Tiki 2007-01-21 23:08 ]

Your portraits look excellent Granite! Thanks to both mzoltharp and you for keeping this thread alive. The snow in Denver has had my tiki spirit low, recently, but I'll make certain to post my next project here.

Mahalo!

-Eleio

Nice, work, Granite. I got the 2007 Calendar (50 % off!) so I'll be trying that NEXT year.

great thread....think i'm going to have to pick up some fleck stone paint!!!

Great thread indeed! I'm going to have to try to make me some of those glass floats and framed art. Well I took an idea from a previous post about making electric tiki torches and used those single electric candles you can pick up around Xmas time. We had some given to us as a gift one year and seeing we use the plastic vintage ones they stayed in storage until I had the idea to use them. I should have taken photos of my progress, but I can tell you what I did. The next set I make I'll take photos of the progress, promise.

I electrified one table top and one pole touch with this process. I carefully took and ice pick and punched a hole in the bottom of the can and worked a Phillips head screw driver in the hole to make it big enough for the electric cord to go through. I then dissected one of the candles. Now I had to take a hacksaw to one of the candles after I de-wired it because it would not fit in the table top can. It's a faux plastic candle so it didn't take long, just some good measuring. Now, here's the great thing about these candles, you don't need to cut to top of the can. These just slid right in. I saved the tops & wicks for replacements on my outside torches. With the candle in place and re-wired, I turned it on to check to see if it looked good. It did! No I need to figure out what to do with the brass base.
Here is a pic of the electric candle:

I got bored one day and(of course)had too much to drink so, I had a hair-brained idea. My 10 year old computer monitor was looking a little shabby and stuck out like a sore thumb in my home bar, so I took it apart and got after it with fleck-stone. It looks great, but unfortunately the monitor is now starting to go out. Meaning the color on the right side is darker than the left (which is the true color). being a graphic artist, this is very annoying. But here's a pic of what happens when you leave me alone too long.

On 2007-01-27 00:11, Unkle John wrote:
...But here's a pic of what happens when you leave me alone too long.

Great Idea! I might just go get some of that stuff...

Thanks! It actually looks cooler in person. I would spray primer on it first (after you have it taken apart) and then fleck-stone it. Don't put it together untill after 24 hours after you have sprayed it. I did mine about an hour or so and there were some wet spots that I had to be careful around. I got to excited on how it would look, and I needed my TC fix to wait 24 hours.

Texas Tikiphiles Unite!

[ Edited by: Unkle John 2007-01-29 20:53 ]

For those with any old futon frames lying around.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=23006&forum=15&1

These pendant/ figures are in my Creating thread but escaped notice there so perhaps this will be a more receptive audience. Chipped old Tiki spork set? Giant spoon with no fork? Whats that u say? U F'n hate tiki spork sets? You see them all the time at the thrift an' they're okay an all but u don't need more than 1 or 2 examples?

This is what becums of the thrift store tiki ware upon arrival at my abode:

This is a tiki fork and spoon... obviously.. that I had a wee bit o' fun with about 3 years back.

Here are some pendants/statues I made out of forks and spoons. These pendant/statues were made over the last couplah days on breaks from painting. They can look fun on a shelf er' round yer neck etc.

We have here L to R, Hula Ku (KULA), some straight Ku's, some "KU/Lonos", and a Moai totem pole with Ku as the top knot.

This painting used tah be a lil' barn an farm scene dun by a nun in TX, after finding at the thrift I painted the back of the wood the canvas was stapled on an replaced the green on the frame with blue. I also painted the stained frayed matting cloth an' glued back intah place.

Moai in a mid-century syle painted last night. The actual painting is about 4" by 6", the matting/frame adds another 6" or so to each measurement.

Also shown is another Moai totem pole figure or pendant with arms/antennae. I might add another lower pair of arms. Once again, made from tiki fork/spoon.

.

Angry tiki Happy tiki wooden dish.

Make a rice steamer shelf, and put more clutter on it...

Found this green vintage Chinese girl lamp, painted the tiny chip on her and put a dollartree basket to good use.

with lamp on (sorry very cheap camera).

Colored lite bulbs can be expensive, so I paint lower watt bulbs with cheap acrylic paint (paints I threw out but then took out of trash cus I can't throw stuff away).

This tiki swag made of wood and hemp has a customized yaller bulb in it.

That's stuff from this last week to a few yr's back. I can post a few more ideas/projects if there is interest.

Mahalo,

S T

To drown sorrow, where should one jump first and best? "Certainly not water. Water rusts you." -Frank Sinatra

[ Edited by: Sneakytiki 2007-04-03 01:33 ]

[ Edited by: sneakytiki 2007-04-03 03:07 ]

Cool ideas! That's definitely what this thread is all about.

Taking discarded, broken, or even decidedly "un-tiki" things and making them great personal statements for the Tiki Lounge/Room that can't be purchased anywhere, and doing it on the cheap!

Thanks for updating this thread.

My wife and I found a plethora of bamboo panels, benches, and lamps for cheap at our local Vietnamese supermarket.

The bamboo steamer idea is a stroke of brilliance! I'm going to steal that one!

I took an oversized orphaned fork and embedded the fork part in a big planter with stones and a couple of fake palm trees and it just looks like a small tiki pole sticking out of the gravel.

Velveteen, I like your tiki totem planter idea. Glad u liked the steamer.

[ Edited by: Sneakytiki 2007-04-05 06:50 ]

At the risk of turning this into the "Fleckstone Thread" :wink:

A while back I posted a picture of a paper mache Moai I picked up pretty cheap, and I was just waiting for the nice weather to turn it into my official "Granite Tiki" to greet people into my house. The weather has finally cooperated.

Before:

After:

[ Edited by: The Granite Tiki 2007-04-25 11:46 ]

hey Granite, did you do that with the fleckstone that you used on your Monitor?

I believe it was Unkle John who fleckstoned his monitor.

wow, total brain fart there i apologize!

Wow......you guys have such great ideas......and I stole a couple! Well, thought I should "give back" a little and share a couple of my cheapie ideas. My rule of thumb is, "never throw any of my tiki junk out, even if it's broken". So I have boxes of busted up stuff or crap that I'm tired of...and I try to find new ways to use it.

So here's a standing torch, doesn't look so great in the daylight photo, but looks awesome at night.....the only "technical" thing that might be tough for some, is that I have a very long drill bit......48" long to be exact to drill out the membranes in the bamboo stalk. You can get them at Home Depot for about $15/$20. Maybe you could beat the membranes out with a long sharp stick if you don't have a big drill.

PARTS: You need an old clay flower pot, about a gallon of concrete mix, old piece of bamboo for a stalk the height you want, old broken bamboo tabletop torch, 2 left over kiddie hula skirts, some twine or sisal rope, glue gun, piece of speaker wire and hopefully a soldering gun, or leave that to someone with a little electrical know-how.

First, if you want, you turn the clay pot upside down and find a piece of bamboo that'll fit in the hole. I used a 1.5" hole bit and made the hole bigger to suit my bamboo piece. Next, turn the pot back upright and get an old papertowel tube and fit it in the hole so the tube sticks out of the top and bottom of the pot hole. Try to center the tube as best you can. Mix up the concrete and fill in around the tube. When it sets a little, you can wiggle the tube loose and make sure the bamboo stalk will still fit in the hole and tamp down the concrete so the stalk is straight, when it begins to set, take the bamboo out and let the concrete set and dry overnight. If there are some snags in the concrete, dig it out before the concrete sets too hard. Voila, the base.

I painted mine, but you probably don't need to.

Next, drill out the membranes in the bamboo. Run a big chunk of speaker wire through it with at least 2-ft sticking out both ends, tie it on to the plug end of the torch and pull it through the bamboo stalk, leave about 2 ft of the plug end of the torch wire hanging out the top.

Turn the pot upside down and stick the bamboo stalk in, make sure wire is hanging out the bottom still and that plug end of wire is sticking out the top of the bamboo stalk.

Next, crack a few slits in the top edge of the big bamboo stalk, then grab that old table top torch, take the wrapping off the torch end and jam it upside down in the top of the bamboo stalk, pull the plug end of the wire out the top again and lay it aside. Secure by wrapping some of the twine tightly around the bamboo.

Get the torch bowl.....you can paint that also on the outside, but you have to take it apart and just paint the bowl as you don't want paint gumming up the fan mechanism, then re-assemble, set aside. Using some twine and the glue gun, wrap the tabletop torch in the bamboo so it's steady. Glue it down. Then plop the torch bowl onto the upside down feet of the tabletop torch that you jammed down into the bamboo torch. I left my torch bowl loose, but you can either use small guage wire or the glue gun to secure it to the upside down base of the table top torch.

Glue kiddie hula skirt to the rim of the torchbowl to hide all the junk, and glue one around the bottom to hide the upsidedown pot. Decorate to suit your needs, plug in and go.

THEN, once you have the decorating part down, you can use the same torch bowls to make fake-flame tiki torches to hang around by gluing kiddie hula skirts to the edges, and replacing the chain hangers with twine or rope or something.

de-light-ful, eh?

I know it seems complicated, but the results are pretty cool.

Have fun,
LavaLounger sitting in the glow of the fake flames.

In the darkest hour of my tiki lunacy, I bought a cheap wall phone at WallyWorld and disassembled it, painted it with Krylon (Plastic paint), then did some detailed tiki painting with regular craft paints, re-assembled and TA DAH, a tiki phone in the bar. The jack was already there, so had to do something with it!

So my artwork is lousy compared to some of the super talent on this site, but the phone works, and it's dimly lit in my bar so you can't really tell it's 3rd grade art skills. BAH HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

LavaLounger,
Making a toll call

Not quite finished but:

€4,95 Photo box from Ikea
€7,00 Hawaiian Fertility God
€3,90 flaming light bulbs
€0,00 leftover leopard skin
€0,00 leftover bamboo
€0,00 leftover wood scraps
€0,00 old plastic plant that I would have trashed anyway

€15,85

After months lying dormant, this thread has picked up this week.

Nice stuff all around!

I've been out of circulation for a while and was pleasantly surprised to see so many contributions since last I visited.

Amazing how much tiki ingenuity is out there.

-Eleio

Great looking at the last 2 pieces. I'd recommend hitting the phone with a few light coats of gloss if you didn't already. Sweet light box too!

LavaLounger, cool idea for the phone. You could take it a step further & replace the white cord with a green cord & attach a few tropical looking leaves to the "vine".