More than just an ornament

A lei is more than just flowers because making one requires physical, mental and spiritual aspects, said Allison Legazpi, a senior majoring in Pacific Islands studies from the Philippines. “Finding and gathering of materials is the physical part, mentally because I need to remember the pattern of what I am trying to make and what I want it to look like. And spiritual because I say ‘thank you’ to the plants that I get my materials from, because we take the materials from a living thing,” she explained.

Photo by Abish Gale Torio

A community knitted with love

While it is the flowers and leaves that make a lei, it’s actually time, dedication, skill and knowledge that truly matter, said Legazpi.

When people appreciate and take care of the lei, she said she feels they reciprocate the love she put into making it for them. “For graduations, the most lei I made was 15 and they are mostly lei po’o too, so it took me 3 days,” she continued.

She shared people would usually join her because they want to learn by themselves. “When graduation season comes, I will have a lot of people in my Hale, so I can say lei making is creating a community,” she continued.

“I am not an expert,” Legazpi added. “I teach for fun sometimes, but I'm still learning. What I do know is that wherever I go after living here, I’ll take Hawaii’s influence with me. Hawaii taught me to embrace who I am as someone who can blend these values into my own life.” She said she feels equally honored when a lei is given by someone close to her or someone she barely knows. “I simply know the effort they put into it,” she said.

Legazpi shares a list of how she would make her ti lei:

Tī (Lā’ī) leaf lei (Hilo style)

1. Gather your ti leaves properly. Never cut them. Pull the leaves downwards. Follow the plant’s pattern.

2. Debone the tī leaf. Cut the leaves straight to the top of the leaf and leave the hard center that’s connected to the stem.

3. Soften the tī leaves (Microwave for 1 minute, freeze overnight or boil them).

4. Take two leaves, tie a knot and hang them up somewhere you can put tension on the leaves. (Some people use their toes, but make sure your toes are clean!)

5. Take the right strand and twist it to the right and put it over the other strand. Repeat the process.

6. To add a leaf, once the leaf you’re working on has at least three inches left, add another leaf to extend it by simply placing it on top of the working leaf and twisting it to work it in.

7. To end the lei, tie a knot.

Adapting to materials available for her, she said, “If there are no ti leaves, I find another plant. It is also important to harvest sustainably. I have been using kukui leaves recently from the kukui tree. And they make pretty good leis.”

When plumerias bloom in spring, she said she uses those. If it’s during Culture Night, there are little to no ti leaves available, so she said she tries to find what’s available. “I like working with organic materials, from the earth,” she explained.

How to take care of a lei

The Hawaii Flower Lei website describes leis as constructed from flowers, leaves, shells, seeds, nuts, feathers, even bone and teeth of various animals. “In Hawaiian tradition, these garlands were worn by ancient Hawaiians to beautify themselves and distinguish themselves from others,” the site says.

The meaning and symbolism of a lei is showing the aloha spirit, warmth and welcome of the Hawaiian people, says the Flower Leis website. “Each material selected for crafting a lei carries its own unique symbolism, often accompanied by specific chants, myths and customs related to its collection, creation, presentation and use.” For instance, the site says vibrant yellow and red feathers of the Hawaiian honeycreepers, a group of small birds endemic to Hawaii, were exclusively used for the leis of ali’i, or royalty.

Legazpi said she takes care of the leis memorable to her. She kept her own puakenikeni lei she received from a co-worker to keep in her room. “My coworker used the yellow flowers, and they were fragrant. It was meaningful because I’ve always wanted to make one myself, but to be gifted one made me feel special,” she shared.

When you take care of a lei, it doesn't mold. It just dries up and preserves nicely, Legazpi said. “I have another lei that I received from when I left my job at the Polynesian Cultural Center, which my manager gave me. It’s made out of yarn,” she continued.

Even the disposal of a lei carries cultural significance, Legazpi said. “You either keep them or return them to nature, but always remove the string first,” she said.

Sharing aloha across cultures

In a May 2025 CBS News interview, lei maker and Hawaii native Meleana Estes said the tradition was passed down for more than 1000 years. “There’s never a wrong time to bestow someone with a lei,” Estes says.

Estes shares a lei is an expression of aloha or one’s love, saying her grandmother was very intentional before making a lei. “I feel like my Tutu(her grandmother) would think about it for three days prior, you know, as she'd start gathering[materials] with intention for that one person," she says.

Legazpi shared she made leis for her sister and a close friend’s wedding. Despite not asking her to make one, she said, “It was a privilege for me to make it for them, and I saw it as an opportunity to help them out and gift them with it. It is how I share my love for them.

She said funeral wreaths remind her of leis. She recalled how beautiful the wreath was that her family received during her grandmother’s funeral, despite the sadness of the occasion.