How to Make a Flower Lei

So you say you can work magic with a needle and you're throwing a Hawaiian luau? Get busy creating your very own flower leis.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fresh-cut Flowers
• Needles
• Orchids
• Threads
• Scissors
• Scissors

1. Cut orchid blossoms from the stem of the plant. Leave the sepal - the green part that holds the petals together - attached to the blossom.

2. Thread your needle with a considerable amount of thread - about 25 to 30 inches.

3. Tie a large knot at one end of the thread.

4. Pick up cut orchid blossom and look for the hole in the sepal that goes through the center of the blossom.

5. Run needle and thread through hole in sepal and center of blossom.

6. Thread another blossom in the same fashion. The new blossom's sepal should end up in the center of the previous blossom.

7. Continue threading blossoms.

8. When you reach the end of the thread or run out of blossoms, tie ends of thread together and knot tightly.

Tips & Warnings

• If orchids are unavailable, use any large and hearty flower.

on 11/22/2005 I used chrysanthemums, barely opened roses and parsley blooms! It turned out beautifully and also lasted for hours. It was for my friend's birthday and she wore it at her party and loved it.

on 11/22/2005 When picking a type of flower to use for your lei, pick just one to begin with to see how long it will last. Many flowers will wilt after only a few minutes, therefore, your lei will last only a few minutes.

on 11/22/2005 Use string. Cut up straws about 1/8th of an inch, and alternate a petal and then a straw. The silk flowers can be pulled apart - use one layer of petals at a time. You can even use several colors of flowers.