A string of plumeria or a single ti leaf can carry more meaning than any souvenir. Lei-making in Hawai‘i is a practice that predates Western contact, and it remains one of the most direct ways to understand how aloha moves between people. Early Polynesian voyagers constructed lei from flowers, leaves, shells, seeds, nuts, and feathers for adornment, ceremonies, and to signify status — a tradition that has evolved but never disappeared.
When Langi, a lei maker featured by BYU–Hawaii, declined payment for a lei, she explained that making leis is a way to show aloha done from the heart.
This article covers the materials, techniques, and etiquette behind lei-making, from the flowers used to how to receive one properly. It also points to where you can learn the skill yourself and how to keep a lei fresh during travel.
Lei-making is not a craft project — it is a reciprocal act. The giver invests time and intention, and the receiver is expected to wear the lei openly and not refuse it. That said, not every lei is appropriate for every occasion. A thicker, more durable lei is preferred for graduations or farewells, while a delicate strand of stephanotis — the Hawaiian wedding flower — suits a ceremony. Know the context before you choose or accept one.
Understanding Lei: More Than a Garland
Lei are layered with meaning, and the choice of material signals intent.
Plumeria lei symbolize grace, charm, and beauty. Orchid lei denote luxury and rarity. Crown flower was the late Queen Lili‘uokalani’s favorite flower, giving any lei made with it a historical weight. The material itself — whether fresh flower, shell, feather, or nut — carries its own significance.
Lei makers can use any part of the flower: bud, stem, petal, or leaf. Techniques include twisting, bending, folding, opening, or closing the materials. Langi, the lei maker from the BYU–Hawaii article, makes leis with crown flower, plumeria, puakenikeni, stephanotis, tiare, song of India, and ti leaf. She notes that picking puakenikeni daily is essential for maintaining the tree’s ability to keep producing blooms — a small but telling detail about the relationship between maker and plant.
Since the 1940s, lei vendors have been set up at the Honolulu airport. Sophia’s lei business there has been passed down through three generations. With the steamship era in the mid-1800s, vendors lined the pier along Aloha Tower, a tradition that shifted to the airport as air travel replaced ships.
A visitor arriving at Honolulu International Airport and being greeted with a lei is participating in a custom that stretches back more than a century — but the expectation to reciprocate with grace is immediate. You wear it. You do not remove it in front of the giver.
Where to Learn and Experience Lei Making
The skill is not locked in museums — it is taught in backyards, boutiques, and workshops across the islands.
Haku Maui in Makawao
Britney Alejo-Fishell, founder of Haku Maui, was inspired to make lei by her grandmother, Mary Ann Jane Kanohekahiwahiwaokalani Soares. Alejo-Fishell holds lei-making workshops at her boutique in Makawao on Maui. The setting — upcountry Maui, away from the resort-heavy coast — means the focus stays on the materials and the method. Workshops typically cover basic techniques like the traditional Hawaiian kipuʻu method, which involves piercing the flower stem and threading it repeatedly to create a dense, textured strand.
Oʻahu Backyard Learning
Oʻahu-based lei maker Jill Harunaga started making mini lei to celebrate her children’s milestones with flowers from her yard. This is closer to how many local families learn — through repetition and occasion, not formal classes. If you are on Oʻahu and want to learn, asking at a local botanical garden or a cultural centre like the Bishop Museum often leads to workshop listings that do not appear on mainstream booking sites.
Meleana Estes, who wrote the book Lei Aloha: Celebrating the Vibrant Flowers and Lei of Hawaiʻi, was inspired by her late tūtū, Amelia Ana Kāʻopua Bailey. Estes’ book is worth tracking down if you want the cultural background alongside technique — it covers the stories behind specific lei styles and the families who maintain them.
What to Expect in a Workshop
Workshops generally run two to three hours. You will sit at a table with a pile of prepared flowers, a needle, and thread or a length of raffia. The instructor demonstrates one stitch pattern — usually the kipuʻu or the simpler kui (straight-through) method — and then you replicate it. Expect to finish one lei of roughly forty to sixty flowers. The pace is slow. The conversation is about the flowers themselves: where they grow, when they bloom, which ones bruise easily.
Makawao is a good place to try this because the town itself is quiet, the air is cooler, and the pace of the workshop matches the setting. If you are on Oʻahu, the cultural significance of lei-making is woven into many local workshops offered through community centres and cultural festivals.
Practical Planning for Lei Lovers
When to go, how to choose, and what to know before you arrive.
| Flower | Symbolism | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Plumeria | Grace, charm, beauty | Everyday wear, casual gift |
| Orchid | Luxury, rarity | Formal events, hōʻike (performances) |
| Ti leaf | Protection, blessing | Graduations, blessings, farewells |
| Puakenikeni | Fragrance, respect | Special occasions — fragrance is strong and lasting |
| Crown flower | Royalty, connection to Lili‘uokalani | Ceremonies, honouring elders |
When Lei Culture Peaks
Graduation season — May and June — is the busiest time for lei makers across the islands. Candy leis are practical and appreciated for kids during this period. If you want to attend a workshop, avoid May if you prefer smaller class sizes. The quieter months — late September through November — offer more access to instructors and less competition for materials.
How to Choose a Lei
If you are buying from a vendor at the airport or a roadside stand, ask when the lei was made. A lei made that morning will last a full day if misted. A lei made the day before may begin to brown by afternoon. Plumeria bruises easily — look for petals that are firm, not translucent. Orchid lei hold up better in heat but are heavier. Ti leaf leis are the most durable and can survive a full day of wear without wilting.
Refusing a lei is considered rude. If you have allergies or sensitivities, accept the lei and place it over your shoulder — you can remove it discreetly later. Do not remove it in front of the giver. If travelling, store the lei in a rigid box or container to avoid crushing the flowers.
Costs and Timing
A single-strand fresh flower lei from a vendor typically ranges from $15 to $35, depending on the flower and strand length. Double-strand or specialty leis (like those using crown flower or puakenikeni) can run $40 to $60. Airport vendors tend to charge a premium — you will get better prices and fresher flowers at a farmers market or a dedicated lei stand in town.
On the Ground: Etiquette, Care, and Customs
How you treat a lei reflects how you treat the person who gave it.
Receiving a Lei
When someone places a lei over your shoulders, bow your head slightly. Accepting a lei with a bowed head shows respect. A hug and a kiss on the cheek typically follow. Do not remove the lei in the presence of the giver — it signals rejection. If you must take it off, wait until you are out of sight.
Caring for a Lei
Keep a lei refrigerated until ready to wear. Mist the flowers periodically with water to prevent wilting. Commercial flower food can prolong freshness. Store a lei in the shade — direct sunlight and heat accelerate browning. When a lei dries out, it can be disassembled and the flowers pressed to preserve them in a shadowbox frame. This is a common practice for graduation leis.
If you are flying out of Honolulu and want to bring a lei home, place it in a rigid container — not a plastic bag. Mist it before the flight and request that the flight crew store it in a cooler if possible. The cargo hold is too cold; the cabin is too dry. A hard-sided box, like the one that comes with the Samsonite Omni 2 carry-on, works well for transport.
Local Customs Around Lei
Lei are not worn casually everywhere. On some parts of the islands, wearing a lei when you have not been given one can be seen as appropriative. If you buy one for yourself, wear it openly and acknowledge that you chose it — do not pretend it was a gift. Candy leis are a practical, appreciated option for children, and they sidestep the wilting problem entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lei in Hawaiʻi
Can I take a lei home from Hawaiʻi?
Yes, but fresh flower leis may be subject to agricultural inspection. Most fresh flowers are allowed into the U.S. mainland, but check with the USDA before travel. Dried or shell leis face fewer restrictions. A rigid container is essential for transport — crushing is the most common cause of damage to a lei during travel.
What should I do if I am allergic to flowers?
Accept the lei with a bowed head and place it over your shoulder. You can remove it later when the giver is not watching. Lei made of kukui nuts, shells, or feathers are non-allergenic alternatives that still carry deep cultural meaning. If you are buying a lei for someone with allergies, choose ti leaf or a non-floral material.
Is it okay to make my own lei as a visitor?
Yes, if you learn from a local instructor or attend a workshop. Making one without guidance risks using inappropriate materials or methods. The act of making is itself a form of respect — but only if you understand what the flowers mean and how to handle them. Workshops like those at Haku Maui are designed for visitors and locals alike.
Why are some leis more expensive than others?
Price reflects material rarity and labour. Orchid leis are expensive because orchids are not native and must be cultivated. Crown flower leis are labour-intensive because the flower is delicate and requires careful threading. Ti leaf leis are cheaper because ti grows abundantly and is easy to work with. A double-strand or braided lei costs more because it takes twice the time.
What happens if I drop a lei or it falls apart?
Do not panic. Collect the flowers and place them somewhere respectful — under a tree or in a garden. Throwing them in the trash is considered disrespectful. If the lei was given to you, let the giver know what happened. They will likely offer to repair it or make you a new one. Lei are meant to be worn, not preserved indefinitely.
Weaving It All Together
A lei does not last. That is the point. The wilting, the browning petals, the fragrance that fades by evening — all of it reinforces the value of the moment it was given. The practice connects a traveller in Makawao learning the kipuʻu stitch to a grandmother on Oʻahu picking puakenikeni at dawn to a graduate on the Big Island wearing twelve leis at once. The thread is not the material. It is the intention carried through it. For a deeper look at how ʻohana values shape these traditions across the islands, the connections run deeper than any single strand.
Sources and further reading
The cultural richness of lei making. Ke Alakaʻi, BYU–Hawaii.
The endearing art of lei making in Hawaii. Hawaii Magazine.
Hawaiian leis: understanding their rich tradition, cultural symbolism, and the art of lei making. NPI Fund.
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