Lei Making - Home

Lei making is a fun and easy project that anyone can do. It's a great craft for kids to do as well, and it's so easy to do that we have our very own kid showing you how to make a Hawaiian lei.

You won't need many things to make a Hawaiian style lei, just some dental floss or thread, a lei needle, and some flowers. If you don't have a lei needle you can use an upholstery needle, even a regular sewing needle, or you can make one out of a thin wire. Just loop one end so that it can hold your lei string and hammer it down to be as flat as possible.

Step By Step DIY Instructions For Making A Hawaiian Lei

Just follow our simple steps and you'll be on your way. Note that this project does involve the use of a sharp needle or wire so be sure to keep your eye on the younger lei makers so they don't get poked in the eye.

Step 1

Go gather up your flowers. You can use a single kind of flower or mix and match to make any type of pattern you want. There's really no right or wrong way to design your lei. We chose plumeria flowers since we have easy to access to zillions of them and because we don't have to yank any off the tree. Let the kids do the gathering, they're closer to the ground!

Step 2

Got all of our items gathered and ready to go. Measure out a length of floss (or thread or string) that will be long enough for your lei. Then add another 6-12 inches so you have some extra to work with. Tie it onto your lei needle so it won't come loose.

Step 3

Thread several flowers onto your needle one at a time.

Step 4

As they fill up the length of your needle, send them down to the end of the floss but leaving at least 3 inches of floss at the end.

Step 5

Tie the ends into a knot, we use a square knot, and then try it on. Now head over to LookIntoHawaii.com where you can research and plan out that Hawaiian vacation you've been dreaming about.