By Hand, With Aloha: The Enduring Craft of Lei Making

The lei you receive so casually represents a craft of real depth. Lei makers, or those skilled in the art of lei hulu and flower lei alike, draw on generations of knowledge — which blossoms hold up in the heat, how to string a plumeria versus braid a maile, and which materials suit a wedding, a graduation or a chief.

Many Methods, Many Materials

Techniques range from the simple kui, stringing flowers through the center, to the intricate wili winding and haku braiding used for head lei. Beyond flowers, artisans work with fragrant leaves, ferns, seeds, shells and feathers, each demanding its own skill and patience.

Learning the Art

Community centers, cultural festivals and some resorts offer lei-making classes where visitors can try their hand and gain new respect for the craft. Making your own lei — and giving it away — is a small, genuine way to participate in the culture rather than merely consume it.

Anyone can buy a lei; making one by hand is how you learn what it really means to give aloha.

Good to Know

• Kui lei are strung; haku lei are braided
• Materials include flowers, leaves, seeds and shells
• Different occasions call for different lei
• Classes let visitors learn the craft firsthand

Learn a little, listen a lot, and the culture opens like a flower.