How to Make a Lei

Most leis are made from either long, colorful plastic strips or beautiful flowers, both real and artificial. However, anyone who has traveled to the Hawaiian islands where the lei originated knows that you can make a lei from just about anything. Just follow these steps.

Instructions

1. Make a 21 and over lei for a coming of age birthday party. Use a piece of heavy twine to tie knots around cocktail umbrellas and the little plastic swords they use to garnish drinks. Evenly space a few mini bottles of liquor around the lei, tying the twine tightly around the neck of the bottles. Only use about six bottles, as they are quite heavy.

2. Create a candy lei using colorful drinking straws and suckers. Cut the straws into 1/2-inch pieces and thread them onto heavy twine. Every three or four straw pieces, tie a knot around the base of a sucker. You might also add other kinds of wrapped candy.

3. Be a big spender and create a graduation lei from dollar bills, a creative way to give the gift of cold hard cash to the graduate in your life. Fold multiple dollar bills into accordions, working down the long edge. Cut a piece of ribbon a bit longer than twice as long as you would like your final lei and then tie the first bill to the center of the ribbon, knotting around the center of the accordion. Stack another bill on top and tie around the middle, continuing until you are out of money or reach your desired length and then tie the ends of the ribbon together.

4. Give a great smelling pacifier lei to the mother to be at a baby shower. Cut multiple baby wipes into long strips and then fold into accordions along the length. Thread a needle and string through the center of two or three baby wipe accordions and then loop a baby pacifier onto the string. Continue the pattern until you reach your desired length.

5. Play safe and make a prophylactic lei as a gag gift for a special friend. Purchase multiple brightly colored condoms and then double a piece of colored electrical tape over one edge of each condom. Run a needle and thread through the electrical tape flaps so that you don't break the condoms and then tie when it reaches your desired length.