How Do You Make A Hawaiian Lei With Ti Leaves?
Making a Hawaiian lei with ti leaves is a simple matter if you’re lucky enough to have access to the leaves. The ti leaf plant is thought to bring good luck and ward off any evil spirits; the ti leaves are still used in religious ceremonies by priests for just that purpose. So to give a Hawaiian ti leaf lei to someone is to wish them good luck. Gather at least three to four full size ti leaves to make an average size Hawaiian lei. Cut the leaves from the ti plant with the pruner about 3″ from the bottom of the ti leaf. Cut the rigid spine from the center of the ti leaf. With the scissors, cut from the bottom right hand side of the leaf as close to the spine of the leaf as possible. Cut all the way to the top. Flip the leaf over and repeat this procedure. Rinse ti leaves in cool water. Lay leaves out on a bath towel. Pat off most of the water until only a few droplets remain. Now to begin… Ancient Hawaiians used hot rocks to make their ti leaves limber enough to twist into a lei, but
