Hawaiian leis are worn as a headdress or as a necklace.
A Hawaiian headdress is traditionally worn for ceremonies and events of great importance. The materials used to fabricate the adornment denote social standing. A traditional Hawaiian headdress is a lei that is strung together with natural materials such as fragrant flowers, leaves, shells, nuts and feathers. Feathers in particular are used for the headdress of women in Hawaiian royal families. The ancient Hawaiian chiefs wore helmets decorated with feathers while less accomplished warriors wore helmets adorned with lesser quality materials and ornaments. Leis, whether worn by men or women, are bestowed as a gift for an important event or celebration.
Instructions
1. Flowered leis are beautiful and often fragrant.
Prepare the materials for stringing together as a lei. Whether you've chosen to make a headdress out of leaves, shells, nuts or flowers, each item should be ready for stringing with a needle and thread. Shells require extra preparation to create a hole for the needle and thread to pass through.
2. Create a pattern for the headdress materials. A men's headdress can be designed with a single flower, leaf, nut or shell, but headdresses made of a variety of special or hard to find materials are prized gifts. A pattern for a lei could include grouped colors of flowers in which each color lasts for 1 to 2 inches, or it could be a combination of flowers and leaves throughout. Choose a color pattern that fits the spirit and style of the man who will wear the headdress.
3. Choose a sturdy needle that won't bend or break.
Press the steel needle through your first flower, leaf, nut or shell and tie a knot with your string. This will secure this item at the beginning of your headdress and prevent all materials from falling off the end of your string. Be sure to leave at least 3 inches of string to tie the ends of the headdress together when you're finished.
4. String the remainder of the flowers, leaves, shells or nuts onto the headdress. A flower can be strung through the center or through the stem. If the flowers are strung through the center, their petals will face the next flower on the string. If the flowers are strung through the stem, then the petals will face outward. Regardless of which stringing method you choose, be sure to press the flowers or other materials together so that they touch tightly.
5. Leis can be made of fresh materials and refrigerated for several days.
Tie off the end of the second half of the headdress. If you do not know the circumference of the head for the man who will receive the headdress, leave one string loose so that decorations can be removed to shorten its length.
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