HONOLULU (KHON2) — As the islands get ready for May 1, also known as May Day is Lei Day in Hawaiʻi, there’s one tradition that brings everyone together: making and wearing lei.
Whether you’re a beginner or someone who has made lei before, learning from people who live aloha every day can make a big difference.
Kumu Brad Lum and his assistant Joylynn recently shared their knowledge with KHON2.com about two types of lei — a puako (flower) lei and a ti leaf lei — while weaving in deep respect for the ʻāina, plants and kūpuna (ancestors).
“This is about more than just making something beautiful,” said Kumu Brad Lum. “This is about connection, about giving and about honoring.”
This is what we learned from Kumu Lum and Joylynn.
1. Know what type of lei you want to make
Joylynn shared two different styles: the lei pua kou (a flower lei using the kui, or stringing method), and the lei lāʻī (a twisted ti leaf lei).
“For the flower lei, I’m using pua kou,” said Joylynn. “They’re this really vibrant orange, and I love them not just for their color but because they’re indigenous to Hawaiʻi.”
Pua kou flowers grow freely and are easy to gather without harming the tree.
“The tree showers us with the flowers. So, if you go early in the morning, you can pick them straight off the ground,” she said. “That’s how giving the tree is.”
2. Gather about 70–80 flowers for one lei
To make a full-sized lei, Joylynn recommends collecting around 70 to 80 pua.
“You want the lei to be full, to drape nicely,” she explained. “It depends on the size of the flowers and how tightly you string them, but that’s a good number to start with.”
3. Use a clothespin to keep everything in place
Stringing the flowers may look easy, but one smart tip makes it smoother.
“I like to put a clothespin at the end of my string just so I can push the pua as far as possible, and they won’t fall off the other side,” said Joylynn.
When you’re done, the knot you tie at the end turns the lei into a circle because it’s a symbol of aloha with no beginning or end.
4. Choose the right tools: Use a lei needle and natural string
“The lei needle has an open eye,” Joylynn explained. “It lets you wrap the string and pull it through without struggling. You can also stack more flowers on it before pulling them through.”
Instead of plastic thread, she uses biodegradable dental floss.
“It’s all natural; so, when the lei goes back to the ʻāina [the land] it won’t leave anything behind,” she said. “You can hang it on a tree, bury it or even give it to the ocean.”
5. Making a ti leaf lei is simple but powerful
“The lei lāʻī is really simple,” said Joylynn. “But you still have to treat it with respect.”
To start, soften the ti leaves by boiling them, freezing them or ironing them. Then, cut off the hard edges and begin twisting.
“Because I’m right-handed, I twist the right side away from me, as tight as I can,” she said. “Then I go right over left. Always right over left.”
You can add more leaves along the way by laying them shiny-side up on the right side, then continuing to twist and fold them in.
“It can be a lei for your neck, your wrist, or your bag strap,” she said. “It’s up to you.”
6. Reuse, reclaim, respect
Ti leaves are often waved at University of Hawaiʻi volleyball games. But what happens after that?
“If you’re going to wave them to support our Rainbow Warriors, that’s great,” Joylynn said. “But don’t throw them away afterward.”
Kumu Lum agreed: “This is our ʻohana. This is from the ʻāina. It’s not ʻopala — it’s not trash.”
In fact, Joylynn gathers the ti leaves from the stadium floor after games and uses them to make lei.
7. A lei is never just a decoration
“This isn’t just a thing you make,” said Kumu Lum. “You wear a lei to give aloha. You give a lei to show love. You return it to the ʻāina to show respect.”
Even as Joylynn worked with her hands, twisting ti leaves and threading flowers, she spoke softly but firmly: “Everything around us, everything we touch, it’s alive. It has mana [power].”
And sometimes, lei making gets sticky. Literally.
“The sap from the ti leaf is sticky, not greasy,” Joylynn said with a laugh as she held up her fingers. “I use a little spray bottle to clean my hands, so I don’t rip the leaves. It’s all about taking care of the plants, of yourself and of the lei.”
8. Your thoughts while making the lei matters
Making a lei is about using your hands. But it’s also about using your heart and your mind to imbue your creation with aloha.
“When you make a lei, your thoughts go into it,” Joylynn said. “So, you want to focus on positive thoughts. You’re giving this lei to someone, and you want to pass that positivity on.”
Whether you’re thinking about the person you’re gifting it to or simply feeling grateful for the day, what you feel becomes part of the lei itself. That’s why intention matters.
“You don’t want to give someone your stress, your anxiety or your negative feelings,” said Joylynn. “You want to give them your aloha.”
Kumu Lum added, “That’s why making a lei is ceremony. You slow down. You breathe. You connect.”
So, before the first flower goes on the string, and long after the last leaf is twisted, remember: what you carry in your thoughts is just as important as what you hold in your hands.
9. Final thought: Lei is a verb
Making a lei isn’t just a craft. It’s a way to honor life, people and place. As May Day approaches, remember what Kumu Lum said:
“Honor our lei. Wear lei. Give a lei. And aloha. Always.”
Kumu Brad Lum
So, whether you’re twisting ti leaves under a tree, or stringing flowers from your front yard, you’re doing more than just making something pretty. You’re practicing aloha.
Want help making your first lei this May Day? Kumu Lum and Joylynn say: just start. “It’s okay if it’s not perfect,” said Joylynn. “You’re learning. That’s the lei, too.”