It's Shark Week! Let's Have a "Jawesome" Pool Party

By Ashley Lloyd
Photos by Taylor Grayson Photo

Everyone's favorite summer small screen special is back. To celebrate, round up your friends for an outdoor party with nautical décor, photo booth ideas, and an ocean-inspired ombre cake (we promise everyone will want to take a bite).

I don't know about you guys, but for me, there is one thing that I get really excited about when July rolls around. Hint: It involves the ocean, chum, and some pearly whites. Any ideas? Shark Week! If you're anything like me, you're counting down the days until it premieres. Today, I'm sharing some easy and festive ideas to help you throw a Shark Week themed party!

Bring the Surf to the Turf

For a summery outdoor party, keep things simple and nautical-inspired. I stuck to a color palette of various shades of blues, white, and silver with added natural elements for a fun texture that reminded me of the beach!

Create a party table that will have you dreaming of ocean breezes. I really love the subtle color on this dip-dyed tablecloth. It's simple to make and adds an unexpected touch to your table without distracting from the rest of the design. Place some inexpensive netting over the top of your tablecloth in a random pattern, so it looks like thrown out fishing nets.

Get the Dip-Dyed Tablecloth How-To

Alternate different colors of disposable plates to tie in your color scheme and top them off with these shark fin napkins!

Get the Shark Week Pool Party Napkin Wraps Clip-Art
Pick up some shark tooth necklaces at your local party store and pass them out to guests. Small toy sharks add a fun touch, peeking around each guests bottled soda. Simply spray paint them silver to tie them into the overall color palette and make them a little more grown-up too.

Serve your favorite drink with nautical straws to tie the theme together. These life preserver-inspired printables are the perfect size to slide over your favorite bottled beverage and give it a beach-inspired touch! Just cut out and place onto the neck of the bottle.

Get the Shark Week Pool Party Bottle Toppers Clip-Art
For a centerpiece on your table, fill the bottom of a lantern with some floral foam. Cut some flower stems low, and stick them into the floral foam so that only the blooms are showing through. Cover the entire base of the lantern. Place a life preserver around your lantern and add a few candles to the table to finish off the look.

Alternate different colors of disposable plates to tie in your color scheme and top them off with these shark fin napkins!

Get the Shark Week Pool Party Napkin Wraps Clip-Art
Serve your favorite drink with nautical straws to tie the theme together. These life preserver-inspired printables are the perfect size to slide over your favorite bottled beverage and give it a beach-inspired touch! Just cut out and place onto the neck of the bottle.

Get the Shark Week Pool Party Bottle Toppers Clip-Art
Pick up some shark tooth necklaces at your local party store and pass them out to guests. Small toy sharks add a fun touch, peeking around each guests bottled soda. Simply spray paint them silver to tie them into the overall color palette and make them a little more grown-up too.
For a centerpiece on your table, fill the bottom of a lantern with some floral foam. Cut some flower stems low, and stick them into the floral foam so that only the blooms are showing through. Cover the entire base of the lantern. Place a life preserver around your lantern and add a few candles to the table to finish off the look.

When it comes to the menu, keep things festive and fish-themed. I love Martha's recipe for fried fish! Serve with a side of french fries, a fresh lemon to squeeze over the fish, and tartar sauce.

For dessert, serve this fun shark-infested ocean cake or some life preserver doughnuts. To make the doughnuts, use white-frosted round doughnuts on a bed of crushed vanilla wafer cookies to resemble sand. Roll out red fruit leather and cut out long strips. Place the strips over the doughnuts in a set of three. It's easy and so cute!

Get the Fried Fish Recipe

Try One of Our 12 Doughnut Recipes

Small-Fry Snacking

Pass out little blue striped snacking bags full of goldfish shaped crackers. These are great for everyone to munch on while waiting for the main course or to keep the kids busy.

Dare to Dive In?

What better way to celebrate than with a fun ocean inspired photo booth? Set up a backdrop using blue kraft paper or a fun ocean-themed room wall cover. You can add some more nets, starfish, or even some fun plastic fish to the backdrop.

Don't forget these printable photo booth props warn your guests about the shark-infested waters.

Get the Shark Week Pool Party Photo Booth Prop Clip-Art

Bubble Up

Pass out bottles of bubbles to blow during the event. (Because you can't have an under-the-sea themed party without bubbles, right?)

Sink Your Teeth Into a Slice

You can't celebrate Shark Week in style without a shark-infested ocean cake! This yummy dessert has a delicious raspberry filling (because everyone knows that sharks are attracted to blood in the water), ombre ocean-wave frosting, and is topped with a warning for anyone who dares to take a slice.

Get the Ombre "Ocean" Frosted Cake How-To

Get the Shark Week Pool Party Cake Toppers Clip-Art