Skulls! How do you use them in your tiki space?

I'm looking for inspirational ideas (and maybe a few I just steal outright :wink: ) for using skulls in my bar.

I love the rack that the Inferno Room has, but I doubt I really have the space

I'm quite partial to the bound and hanging look as well, and it's a little less space-intensive

but I'm definitely open to any/all skull & or "unfortunate tourist" type decorations, so please, if you've got pix of something clever or devious you did
in your space, I'd love to see it here.

You could make a light...
I this "Brian"

These are a bit obvious, but I've often overlooked the obvious myself.

On 2018-12-13 09:32, tikiskip wrote:
You could make a light...
I this "Brian"

Those would make fun animatronics. :wink:

"Those would make fun animatronics."

True but who wants to hear what my brother in law has to say.

How bout this?

Three dots....

On 2018-12-13 11:37, tikitube wrote:

On 2018-12-13 09:32, tikiskip wrote:
You could make a light...
I this "Brian"

...

Those would make fun animatronics. :wink:

Oh my god, a shrunken head animatronic that sings along to whatever is playing over the stereo would be AMAZING (although, we'd have to make sure its lips weren't stitched shut LOL)

On 2018-12-13 13:53, tikiskip wrote:
How bout this?

Three dots....

Well, sure. I just need to talk the wife into digging our lowest level (where the bar is) another whole story down, and THEN explain why...

But other than that, I'd absolutely LOVE to have the whole pile of skulls over the entryway. I could ALMOST work it as-is, but the pile would only be about 3' high, as that's all I've got in the transition between the mid-level and our lowest.

And then there's all the wiring to run through the concrete block....... :(

But I'd love to have it. :)

But other than that, I'd absolutely LOVE to have the whole pile of skulls over the entryway. I could ALMOST work it as-is, but the pile would only be about 3' high, as that's all I've got in the transition between the mid-level and our lowest.

It will take more skulls than you expect. I know from experience. I'll post mine when I have an opportunity to get good lighting. Until then, here's a few shots from the late, un-lamented Pilikia. It was a crappy tiki bar, but some of their decor was on point.

My one word of advice - sparingly.

Skull bottles
Fill with water
Add a little Fluorescein
Turn on black light
:)

Finally got some shots to share my skull usage in the Lagoon of Mystery. I had a beam I'd painted brown, but wasn't happy with that. It needed something, and I remembered the skull usage at Pilikia which impressed me at the time. Most have jaws, but some don't. Others I Dremeled out gaps in the teeth. I painted all of them gold and implanted plastic gemstones as eyes in some. Eventually, my intent is to run led strips behind them so they are backlit at night. We've had a few visitors over since all of the skulls went up, and they've been suitably impressed. The gold paint makes them less macabre and more ornamental. That's my theory, anyway (plus, the paint protects the plastic from UV damage...).

That's nice guys, but I have the actual skull of the Hawaiian Volcano goddess Pele

Years ago, while hiking near Na'alehu on the southern slopes Mauna Loa, I ran across an old run-down hut in a clearing. I could see smoke from the cook fire so I shouted "Aloha" and out came a very ancient looking man. We talked for a while, he told me he had been a kahuna at the ‘Iolani Palace before the invasion of the haoles. That he had moved to this remote area to find some peace. Then he lowered his voice and looked around - "There's something I want to show you" he said and motioned me into his hut.

Once inside the dark and smoky hut he handed me something round and hard. As my eyes adjusted, I could see that it was a human skull! He whispered "This is the actual skull of the goddess Pele". I examined the object in my hands, it was smooth black snowflake obsidian with traces of lava flowing down the sides. From the fissures and the hollow eye sockets emanated an orange glow and it was warm to the touch. “It won’t be long now until I go to live with the ancestors” the aged one told me “I can sell it to you for $100”

How could I pass up a chance to own the real skull of Pele!? He even had a certificate of authenticity from the Territory of Hawaii Bureau of Antiquities dated 1932. I paid him, packed the skull carefully in my backpack and brought it home where I displayed it proudly.

Last year, I was back in Hawai’i and found the dilapidated grass shack again. There was still smoke coming from the hut so I called out and the wizened old man came forth. He hadn’t changed a bit, still looking not a day younger than 150. I could tell he didn’t remember me as he told me his story and invited me into his hut again. He handed me another skull and said “This is the actual skull of the goddess Pele”. “Wait a minute” I said “When I was here several years ago you sold me the ‘actual skull of the goddess Pele’ for a hundred bucks and it was much larger than this one”. “Yes” he said “I know, this is the skull of Pele when she was just a little girl”. :wink:

On 2018-12-17 21:50, MadDogMike wrote:
“Yes” he said “I know, this is the skull of Pele when she was just a little girl”. :wink:

rimshot

That story alone was worth the $100.

On 2018-12-18 08:21, EnchantedTikiGoth wrote:

On 2018-12-17 21:50, MadDogMike wrote:
“Yes” he said “I know, this is the skull of Pele when she was just a little girl”. :wink:

rimshot

That story alone was worth the $100.

Especially since it wasn't MY $100. :wink: LOL

That's gold, Mike! Thanks for the laugh this morning.

That was an old joke about Pancho Villa's skull, I modified it to fit. I keep both skull in my Tiki space and tell that story in case anyone asks about them :wink:

A backyard idea. :wink:

A few pics from the Czech Republic

hang1tiki-

I think even 1/4 of one of those rooms, or even 1/4 of a single wall, would entirely blow-out my tiki budget for the year.

Skulls ain't that cheap, even cheap ones. :D

"Skulls ain't that cheap"

If you use skulls from people who died from the black death they are free.

"In the mid 14th century, during the Black Death, and after the Hussite Wars in the early 15th century, many thousands were buried in the abbey cemetery, so it had to be greatly enlarged."

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2018-12-21 20:37 ]

On 2018-12-21 20:32, tikiskip wrote:
"Skulls ain't that cheap"

If you use skulls from people who died from the black death they are free.

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2018-12-21 20:37 ]

You don't happen to know of a Black Death plague pit anywhere in the upper midwest, do you? I'm asking for a friend. :wink: