Instructions for Making Hawaiian Lei from Leaves
A lei is a string of leaves, nuts, flowers or other material woven or strung together that is usually worn around the neck or shoulders in the Hawaiian islands. Polynesian settlers wore lei to distinguish themselves as individuals, and they introduced lei to Hawaii. Lei eventually became symbols used to welcome visitors to the islands. Lei are also used to commemorate special occasions, such as weddings or graduations.
Preparing Leaves for Lei-Making
The most common leaves used in lei-making are the large green leaves of the ti plant. Before ti leaves can be used in lei, they have to be de-veined by having their hard center stalks stripped out. You can remove the vein without separating the leaf into pieces. From the tip of the leaf, pull the vein away from the softer part of the leaf and peel it downward.
The leaves of the ti plant are too rigid to work into lei when they are first picked from the plant, so you'll have to soften them up before working with them. To do this, stack several leaves on top of one another, roll them together and place a band around the bunch. If you place the bunch of leaves in the freezer overnight, they will be soft and ready for use the next day.
If you wish to work on your lei on the same day that you pick the leaves, place the de-veined leaves on an ironing board and iron them on a low to medium setting to soften them, then wrap them in newspaper and place them in the refrigerator for an hour to chill.
Fringed Ti-Leaf Lei
Use two large whole ti leaves to make a fringed lei. After de-veining and and softening the leaves, tie the stems of the two ti leaves together. Use your fingers to tear thin diagonal strips in the leaves, beginning at the edges and tearing in toward the center, angling toward the bottom of the leaves. Continue tearing down the length of the leaves, stopping when you get an inch or two from the knotted ends. Use scissors to make the diagonal strips if you are unable to make straight strips with your fingers.
Drape the lei over your shoulders, allowing the fringed leaves to hang down over your chest. Fringed lei may also be tied around the arms or legs, which is how they often are worn by hula dancers.
Braided Ti-Leaf Lei
Rolling ti leaves into a braided lei may take a few attempts to get right. Start by softening at least four ti leaves, but instead of de-veining them, you'll split each leaf into two pieces by completely removing the center stalk in the middle, cutting all the way through the leaf.
Tie the ends of the first two pieces together in a square knot, and hold one end of the connected pieces in one hand and the other end in the opposite hand. Hook the knot either under your big toe or around a stationary object to hold the leaves in place while you work.
Roll the leaf pieces between your thumb and forefinger of each hand to twist the pieces and give them a thin, rope-like appearance. Roll about 2 or 3 inches of each piece and then intertwine the two pieces by twisting them together clockwise. Once you twist the rolled pieces together, roll a few more inches and repeat the twist.
As you twist the leaf ropes together, you will eventually run out of leaf to work with. When the ti pieces get within one or two inches from the end, get two more pieces, roll them between your fingers in the same manner as you've been doing and twist the new pieces into the first pieces. Do not trim off the ends if they stick out, as this is part of the decoration. Use as many leaves as you wish to reach the desired length. You may leave the lei open-ended by tying a knot at the end of each leaf rope, or you can make the lei circular by tying the two ends together.
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