If you really enjoy tiki, you may be trying to tiki-fy a room, backyard or another area where you can enjoy a drink and the environment. I certainly do. The Kungaloosh Hideaway on the Great Ceremonial Roof is my tiki playground.

After visiting the new Journey of Water – Inspired by Moana walkthrough in Epcot, I fell in love with the painted torches they have placed around the space.

When my husband and I saw them, we had to have them. I set out to find how I could recreate this.

Personal Limitations

Of course, there are some clear realities:

• I’m not Disney.
• I have no capacity to do regular maintenance.
• I have a limited budget (although, arguably, so does Disney now).

I was able to find the leaves they used, which I believe was a type of palm seed pods. But, they were clearly heavily painted. Considering the price and amount of effort, I passed.

Eureka

After continuing my search, I came across fake fronds from Amazon. I realized I could buy multiple colors, put them together and create a flame-like appearance using these plastic plants.

I was also able to find bamboo poles, rope (big and small), and LOTS of super glue. Once they arrived, I was off.

Create

After some troubleshooting, I was able to put one together.

1. Prepare the bamboo poles.
   • I knew I wanted some to be grouped into 2-3 poles at varying heights. I started by measuring the heights and sawing them.
   • From there I drilled out the internal barriers to each pole. I was careful to only make the holes large enough to fit the bases of the “flames”.
2. Create the “flame”.
   • I recognized that my various colored plastic fronds could be put together so the colors could create a fire effect. I put purples and reds higher in the middle with yellows on the outside.
   • I used cable ties to attach all the fronds at the base and hold them together.
3. Attach the “flame”.
   • From there I pushed the fronds into the top of the bamboo poles, some forcefully, to ensure they would be somewhat tight.
   • I then poured large amounts of super glue into the top of the poles to seal the fronds in place.

The poles were now complete, but I knew I would need to reinforce them and also wanted to decorate them.

Decorate

All the torches at Epcot had the same decoration. That was certainly an option, but I have a number of fun games built into my tiki design. These are played by child-like drunken adults and children alike. I also had an opportunity to build in personal meaning to each torch.

But, first, I needed a system to hold the decorations and reinforce the frond flames. Living on a rooftop in the Windy City poses its own challenges.

1. Reinforce and establish base for decorations.
   • I started with typical decorative hemp rope. While I would typically use a longer lasting option, I coated the rope with super glue as I wrapped it around the top of the bamboo and around the base of the fronds.
2. Customize garden torches.
   • I first planned out what I was going for. I decided on a mix of family-friendly Disney ideas, echos of past travel destinations, and beachy-themes.
     • Moana – One set of three posts is focused on Moana. The Heart of Tafiti hangs on the main pole, surrounded by shells and fishing globes as an ode to the original inspiration.
     • Maui – Another torch has Maui’s hook with fishing globes to represent both a Disney character and a Polynesian god.
     • Sea glass – One torch simply features different colored sea glass for our love of the beach.
     • Turtles & Leis – Two set of two torches are matching holding turtles and another with flowers as leis, to remind us of our many trips to Hawaii. These four frame the outdoor kitchen.
     • Evil Eye – Lastly, a set of three torches look back to our trip to Greece. While not a traditionally tiki destination, the beaches, relaxed environment and representation of the eye felt appropriate. The eye is accompanied by shells and sea glass.

In total there are 12 garden torches. But, I wasn’t quite done yet.

Placement

The last challenge I had to overcome was how to place them. We work hard to not affix anything to our upstairs building. As a rooftop owner, we want to ensure we reduce the potential for water leaking as much as possible.

I settled on umbrella holders that attach to wooden walls, using our pergola, outdoor kitchen, and remnant wood supports from an old deck we removed. After those were installed, I placed the bamboo garden torches into them. Viola.

Enjoyment

The garden torches are some of the first things guests notice when they come over. They are colorful, fun and present an immediate Polynesian vibe. We absolutely love them.