Lei in Hawaii are big business. Traditionally, floral blossoms, leaves, berries and nuts strung together in garlands, lei today may also be made of paper, silk, candy, alcohol, yarn and even money. Making lei is a simple task, mostly involving stringing things together using needle and thread, but it does take some practice to get it right. If you're looking for a unique and creative crafting project that can make you money, lei making could fill the bill.
Instructions
1. Lei, in Hawaiian culture, are a way to honor a person or an event and are viewed as a celebratory symbol. As your first step, identify the purpose for your lei and the appropriate material to use. Money lei, made of strung-together loose or origami-folded bills, are traditionally given at graduation ceremonies. Weddings are celebrated with white floral lei and draped maile lei (made of green leaves and left open at the front). For marketing purposes, consider what type of lei would work best in your area and focus on that.
2. Make your first lei. The simplest is a kui lei made of silk flower petals. Measure your thread to the right length for your project (neck lei: about 36 inches; headpiece lei: about 18 inches; wrist and ankles, about 12 inches) and thread your needle. String one placeholder onto your thread--an inch-long piece of drinking straw, for instance--and tie it off. Now string whatever you like on your thread, in any order, just trying to center and balance your items.
You'll notice one thing right away: it takes a lot of stuff to fill out a short space on that thread. You can space out blossoms and leaves by using berries, beads, or buds. This gives your lei a fuller look and helps you balance its appearance.
When you finish your lei, remove the placeholder straw and (for headpieces and neck garlands) tie the ends together securely or (for ankle and wrist lei) tie off the ends so strung-together bits cannot slide off before you tie the lei into place. If your lei looks lopsided or odd, don't worry about it. It takes time and practice to master creating them.
3. After you're comfortable with kui lei making, you can check out the many other types of lei. Wili and hilo lei use two strands or more of kui-type lei and twist them around one another to make a sort of rope. Humu lei are made by stitching lei materials to a backing, similar to a collar. Hili is a braided lei using one material; haku lei are braids with multiple materials. So-called "emergency" lei use mesh tube netting to string together solid objects: tie off one end, slip a package of candy or miniature alcohol bottle in, tie that off with a knot or ribbon so your object is in a little mesh pocket, and then repeat. You can also find books on make crocheted and knitted lei.
Search for images of different lei online and experiment. If you use live flowers, pay attention to the scents as well as the appearance of your lei. Learn about the different lei traditions, such as presenting them with a kiss and never giving pregnant women closed lei, but only lei with loose ends. The more you learn about this craft, the more effective your marketing efforts will be.
4. The simplest way to market your lei is online, but you will find a lot of competition. It may be more effective to take samples of your work to florist shops and talk to them about subcontracting or commissioned sales. Or choose a market: make displays at bridal shows, sell kitschy lei at craft shows, or make New Age-themed lei with dried herbs and sell them at psychic fairs. Advertise everywhere that you will do custom lei. Wear your own lei everywhere. If you are as creative with your marketing as you are with your lei, you can develop a very nice business fairly quickly.
5. At every step of the way, assess what sells and what does not and what you are good at and what needs work. You will probably find that you need to specialize in one or two areas. Be patient and remember to focus just as much on the business end as you do on the lei-making end.
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