We Tried It: DIY Lei for Lei Day

What: DIY your own plumeria lei  

Who: Ideal for ages 4 and up. Our group included my 6-year-old son and our friends, sisters ages 4, 7 and 9. 

Where: Find plumeria blooms in your neighborhood or buy loose blooms from a local lei shop

When: Plumeria season in Hawai‘i runs from spring to late summer

Photo: Laura Dornbush

W ith May Day, Mother’s Day and graduation approaching, ‘tis the season for lei, and lots of them. Right on schedule, the plumeria tree in our front yard is blooming, inspiring my son Duke and I to sew our own strands. But, confession: I’ve lived in Hawai‘i for 15 years and still don’t know the proper way to make a lei. So, I reached out to my friend, a teacher who’s put on more school Lei Day performances than she can count, for some advice. She invited us over to her house for a lei making lesson with her three creative, crafty girls.

Photo: Laura Dornbush

Photo: Laura Dornbush

When we arrived, it was clear who was going to be leading the lesson: the girls! They had already gathered a basket of fragrant yellow plumeria blooms from their tūtū’s house and were ready to get started. First, we learned how to properly measure the string, knot it, and hook it onto the lei needle. I had never used a lei needle before, so was intrigued by the thin, extra-long tool. Duke and I discovered that the length allows you to thread several flowers onto the needle before pulling the string through.

SEE ALSO: Fashion Designer and Lei-Maker Meleana Estes Launches A New Book

Duke caught on to the technique right away and soon finished a lei all on his own. I was amazed at how fast the girls worked— they are obviously pros! My friend shared that she has found lei making to be a great way for her girls to practice their fine motor skills, especially the 4-year-old. Soon the kids and I had each strung multiple lei and used up all the flowers. We proudly wore our masterpieces home and kept them on through dinner. The best part: the lovely, sweet aroma!

Photo: Laura Dornbush

Photo: Laura Dornbush

SEE ALSO: Learn How to Make Your Own Lei Po‘o for Lei Day

Photo: Laura Dornbush

Our Tips

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Buy a lei needle.  Specially crafted to sew lei, this thin, 12-inch needle makes it easy to thread multiple flowers. We got ours at Longs for less than $4.
               
            2. Use kite string. The perfect thickness, find kite string at Ben Franklin Crafts. Or, in a pinch, use waxed dental floss.  
            3. Measure to the piko. For the perfect length, drape the lei string around your neck, pull down taught, and cut it off at your belly button.
            4. Count your flowers. Heads-up: you’ll need approximately 55 blooms for an adult lei or 45 for a keiki lei. 
            5. Keep it fresh. Plumeria lei will only last about 24 hours before turning brown. To keep it beautiful as long as possible, store the lei in a paper or plastic bag in the refrigerator. 
            6. Make it easy. If you don’t have access to flowers or don’t have time to gather all the supplies, you can order a do-it-yourself kit ($48.50) from The Hawaiian Lei Company for pick-up from their shop in Kaka‘ako. 

Lei lovers will also be interested in this weekend’s Lei Making Art Day taught by local artist Nadia Fairlamb at her Waimānalo farm on Saturday, April 29. Sign up to paint your own paper flowers, learn how to string them into a lei, and create lei out of found objects on the farm. Perfect for families with keiki ages 5 and up.