We all know graduation is coming up in about two months which is getting closer and closer each day. As to prepare, my family is making multiple kinds of leis to celebrate graduation. Since my mom was born in Hawaii and is Filipino as well, it is tradition on my mom’s side to make leis for those who graduate, whether from middle school, high school, or college. Now some may ask what is a lei? The original definition of a lei is a Polynesian garland of flowers but a lei can now be made with all kinds of different material (ex. candy, ribbon, and even money). A lei is used for greetings, farewells, congratulations, friendship and more. In Hawaii, leis are given to you and placed around your neck when you arrive on the islands with a kiss on the cheek to show affection and welcome. In addition, the ancient Hawaiians wore these leis to beautify themselves, give to one another, or give to the gods. Today, there is such a wide variety of leis you can make that can be used for numerous occasions. However, some leis are easy or difficult to make and can be very time consuming but a carnation lei is a simple and fairly easy lei to make.
Materials needed:
● Two dozen batches of carnation flowers (any color of your liking will do) - Be careful when choosing the bouquets, some carnations are too small and won’t look as nice when put together for the lei. Look for a well bloomed carnation that is fully to almost bloomed, DO NOT get carnations that are barely bloomed or are still buds.
● Thread or floss (the line of floss not the sticks) - I recommend the line of floss (as long as it’s not a scented one)
● Scissors
● A small tub of water - warm water and wide in width
● A long thread needle
To make the lei like the image above, you will first need to separate the flowers from your bouquet and cut the flower part away from the stem, so that you separate the flower bud part from the stem. Do this for every flower with your bouquet and gently fluff your flower buds so that the petals will look fuller on the lei. After fluffing, place them in the tub of water so that they stay fresh while you weave them together. Now get the sewing needle and place the thread through the needle. Once through the needle tie the end with a knot as if you’re sewing, make sure it’s a big enough knot so that the thread won’t slip through the flower while making the lei. Select a flower bud and carefully poke the needle through the center of the bottom of the flower and carefully push through until it goes through the other end. When you get the needle through and place another flower make sure the bottom of the second flower is on top of the previous flower, place them so that the bottom of the flower bud is hidden within the flower petals. After that, continue this process until you reach your desired length, place the lei around your neck to measure. Once you reach your desired length tie the end of the threat and make sure it is secure and tight. If you wish to keep it fresh overnight place the lei in the fridge and take it out the next day, keep it in the fridge no longer than a day. Now you are ready for your graduation! Now you can either make that lei for a friend, family, or even yourself! I hope this was helpful or even just an interesting tip to know and if you want other tutorials on how to make other kinds of different leis let me know.
32 comments:
This is so cute, I always loved leis and now I am definitely going to try and make one for myself or just tell my sister to look at this and make me one. Great instructions, and very unique instructional article :) - Jaeyeon Romero
This was great. You must have a lot of talent for arts and crafts. It would be cool to receive this from someone in May.
I love how you briefly mentioned a bit of context of the origin of the lei to preface your work! It gives the reader a chance to pick up on what exactly the lei symbolizes in Hawaiian Culture. I will definitely attempt to do this once I get the materials. Well done!
This is such a wonderful idea! You were able to incorporate the history behind the Polynesian lei and I liked how you were able to tie your culture and traditions into this tutorial. It was very easy to follow with instructions broken down for people who have never even seen a lei. I look forward to making some for my friends and I for our own graduation while following this tutorial. Thank you for sharing with us how to make a Carnation Lei!
I've always thought that making leis would be so difficult but it really isn't. Your entry is very easy to follow, great job!
Considering we're graduating in like two months, this tutorial seems to be perfect timing! Based off of personal experience, I wouldn't consider myself to be a crafty person, but your step-by-step breakdown definitely makes this tutorial less intimidating to someone like me. Appreciate how you included little tips like placing the lei in the fridge overnight to keep it fresh, I would have never thought of that! Nice work!
Since graduation is just around the corner (hopefully) this is perfect! I never knew how simple it was to make these leis! Great explanation!
Wow!! I really enjoyed reading this blog. I also like how you included some background of what lei's are used for. Finally, with your easy steps I will definitely try to make one. Thanks!
Rumjeet P
How beautiful! I love how simplistic the process is as well as the small amount of materials needed for being able to make a lei. My mom and Grandma always made sure that I too had a lei whenever I graduated from middle school and elementary school.
This is so easy to follow and very well-written. Since graduation is soon, this is perfect timing to write this. It is very short and simple which could help a lot of people.
Lei's are such a staple during graduation. They are so beautiful and when I promoted from 8th grade i was able to receive one! Thanks for giving us background knowledge about the lei and simplifying the steps. I may try to make them with my sister! :)
A really helpful and creative instructional guide just in time for graduation. A relevant and interesting work that I will definitely look into trying. I especially like how you added context and significance to the lei, giving a little bit of insight to how and why it is still used today, especially for celebrations.
This is so cute. Also a great idea to do. Your instruction were very clear and it was interesting to read.
I love the fact that you incorporated the history and other facts about leis. Your directions are easy to follow and well detailed, I like how relevant this is, because we are set to graduate soon. I might try making my own lei to give to my cousin for her promotion.
WOW !! This is super pretty and very creative !! I found this how-to to be super easy to follow and I cannot wait to try this out for myself ! People would love to use this for their graduation celebrations and would absolutely find this delectable ! Thank you for sharing ! - Aaron P
This guide really brought me back to when I did this in Hawaii a few years ago. This guide is super easy clear and easy to follow. I will definitely have to do this if we have a graduation ceremony! - Cameron Hunter
You did a great job explaining how to make such beautiful lei's. I enjoyed that you included the meaning of what a lei is and what they can be used for. I will have to try to make one someday.
You are so talented! These are super beautiful and I love how you gave background information on them. I’ll definitely try making some in the future!-Katera Perry
This was really a great item to teach us all how to make because of the fact graduation is coming up. Most people who teach us how to make things mostly just do food but you actually chose something useful. Although maybe it won’t be that useful now because who knows when graduation is gonna happen or if it will even happen at all. However this was still very useful and very clear so thank you for making it easy for a dummy like myself to follow.
This piece is so helpful given the fact that we are graduating soon (despite our current circumstances, I still hope that we get the graduation ceremony we all deserved). I love how you wrote it in such a simplified and easy to follow manner. Overall, I think the lei truly reflects your creativity since it was made so wonderfully.
I've always seen these at graduation ceremonies and was always curious about how to make them. It's interesting how Hawaiians had their own way of giving back to the Gods, and now it is used in a completely different way in today's society. Great piece and very informative!
I honestly have loved leis ever since I was a little girl and, this now makes me reminisce on our 8th grade graduation (just because we might not have one this year). Now, I can save money and make myself one or, even make one for my brother when he graduates! This is very easy to follow and also, your instructions are clear and precise. Thank you!
This was a great tutorial for making leis! Not many teenagers know how to do this so I really appreciate your how to. I also liked how the very last paragraph is very descriptive yet simple for anyone to try. After reading this, I definitely plan on making one for my brother's college graduation. Great job! -Nathaniel Alvarado
These leis are so BEAUTIFUL! Since I know how to make them, it will save me so much money because the prices for these are ridiculously high during graduation time. Your instructions are super simple and clear to follow and the writing style is coherent and easy to follow. Thank you for sharing.
These are so beautiful and I’m glad to know I am capable not making them at home ! :)
Wow. I am amazed. I like how you started off with the history and meaning behind the Lei. I also like how easy to follow your instructions are and how you incorporated the meaning of and steps to creating a Lei, it made for a very fun and insightful piece. Hannah Ekelem
This is one of the best ideas I have read in sometime. I really liked how you incorporated your heritage into the piece because it made it more personal and insightful. Traditions are something that I hold near and dear to me and i'm glad you shared this. -Kerin Bynum.
Jaelani,
Thank you so much for sharing your instructions on how to make this carnation lei! When graduation (hopefully) occurs, I look forward to being able to sport one of these! I doubt that my parents would make one, instead buy one, but nevertheless, it is interesting to understand the process of how it is made and the background/culture of the product. The steps seem relatively simple considering what is used. I might have to give this a try!
- Joshua Lechuga
I loved reading this! I like how you went step by step and made it easy to understand. This is such a cute idea to do for yourself or others and I enjoyed how you mentioned where it comes from and what type of occasions they’re worn in.
Great piece! I like the addition of the background context and your explanation was super easy to follow! The inclusion of your heritage helped give this piece a more personal feel which made for a very read.
I am not surprised that you were capable of making this because you are so talented. It makes me sad to think we can't wear these anymore because of the virus.
This is so cute and pretty. Also the tradition sounds so nice and how it has so many different positive meanings makes it even more beautiful.
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