Are leis handmade?

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Are the Lei's that you see people wearing, are they handmade by individuals and how many flowers does it take to make an average Lei? How are they made?

Thanks for having this area, these are questions that I've wanted to know but didn't know who to ask?

Tami

-- Tami Barrett (abarrett@penn.com), January 15, 1999

Answers

Response to Lei Question!

All the leis are handmade by individuals who make the lei by stringing them through the middle or side (kui), sewing flowers to a broad leaf (humuhumu), winding them together (wili), or braiding (hili o haku). It just depends on the type of lei. Some leis require no flowers as they are made of shells or seeds and some leis require hundreds of flowers. The plumeria lei you get at the airport when you get off the plane takes about 50 blooms. Some of the exotic orchid leis require between 250-400 blooms. Lei making is an individual art and there are many contests held locally.

-- Roy Inouye (roy@bothi.com), January 15, 1999.

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