Making Haku Leis with the Native Hawaiian Plant Society

Flowers and Plant Materials for Making Haku Leis

Haku leis are garlands made of different kinds of flowers and other greenery using a strip of plant fiber, like hau fiber or several strands of raffia. I think the technical term is actually lei wili, rather than haku lei, based on my Made in Hawaii Hawaiiana book. The idea is to gather groupings of flowers and leaves, and wrap the flowers and leaves along a ti leaf midrib or something similar.  One constantly adds new flowers and leaves, then winds a cord around them along a piece of stiff material. The materials are all natural - no plastic, no synthetics. The trickiest part is getting started. 

The Native Hawaiian Plant Society offers this free activity at the Haiku Flower Festival, aka Haiku Ho'olaulea every year. It's a very popular booth. Click on this link on haku lei making if the video below doesn't show up:

Plant materials provided by members of the 
Native Hawaiian Plant Society, 2011

I think this is a lei that Wendy Acosta of
www.mauigrapevine.com is starting. 

Moa plant clippings

'Iliahi coastal sandalwood

Schidea

'A'ali'i 

Partly finished haku lei or lei wili. 

Native Hawaiian Plant Society haku lei making activities, 2012

Charlene, modelling a haku lei that she just made. 

For more pics, visit the Native Hawaiian Plant Society's photo page or 
the NHPS Facebook page