Many people assume a plumeria lei is a master craft that takes years to learn, so they buy one instead. In fact, the basic stringing style is one of the simplest things you can make with flowers. Learning how to make one takes a long needle, strong thread and an hour or so.
The classic method is called kui, which means stringing blossoms on a thread with a needle. This guide covers the full process. It runs from picking the flowers to finishing the strand and treating the lei with respect.
What You Need to Make a Plumeria Lei
The list is short, and none of it is hard to find.
- Fresh plumeria flowers: fully open, undamaged and picked the same day if you can.
- A long lei needle: sold in Hawaii at craft shops and grocery stores, usually about 10 to 18 inches long. Outside Hawaii, a long beading or doll needle can work.
- Strong thread: kite string, fishing line, thin cord or unflavored waxed dental floss all show up in lei making tutorials.
- Scissors and a clean tray or bowl to hold the flowers.
- Gloves if your skin is sensitive to plumeria sap.
If you want everything in one purchase, a lei making needle kit is an easy starting point. Check what is included, since kits vary and some contain only the needle and string.
Dental floss is the usual stand in for lei string when you cannot find anything else. A pack of plain waxed floss is cheap and strong enough for a single strand.
Unflavored waxed dental floss is the version to look for, so the thread does not smell of mint.
How Many Flowers Does a Plumeria Lei Need?
The honest answer is a range, because flower size matters.
One home tutorial strung 31 flowers into a lei about 23 inches long. It suggests 30 to 50 in general. A Honolulu walkthrough puts an adult lei at about 55 blooms and a child size lei at 45.
Plan on roughly 40 to 60 flowers for a full single strand. Large blooms such as those on Lei Rainbow plumeria fill the thread faster than small ones, so you will need fewer. Pick a few extra, because some flowers will bruise or split while you work.
Picking Plumeria Flowers for a Lei
Start with the flowers, since a lei is only as good as what goes on the thread. Growers commonly pick in the cool morning, when the blooms are firm and freshly opened. Choose flowers with clean petals and no brown edges.
Pinch or snap each flower off at the base of its stem so it comes away cleanly. Gather them gently into a shallow tray rather than a deep bucket. Plumeria flowers do not last long once picked, so string them soon.
Our guide on how long plumeria flowers last explains why timing matters.
Always ask permission before picking from a tree that is not yours. In Hawaii, plumeria trees on parks, school grounds and neighbors’ yards are not a free harvest. If you have no tree, local lei shops and farmers markets often sell loose blooms.
Sap safety
Plumeria sap is milky and can irritate skin and eyes. Wear gloves if you have sensitive skin, and wash your hands after handling the stems. Our page on whether plumeria is poisonous covers the sap in detail.
How to Make a Plumeria Lei Step by Step
This is the kui style: each flower is pierced through its center and slid down the thread. Read through all the steps once before you begin.
- Measure the thread. Drape the thread around your neck and cut it at about belly button length. Add a few extra inches for tying.
- Thread the needle. Pull the thread through the eye and tie a firm knot at the tail end. If the knot slips through a flower, tie a second knot on top.
- Pierce the first flower. Hold the flower face toward you and push the needle through the center and out the stem end. Most tutorials string every flower in the same direction.
- Add several flowers at a time. Slide a few flowers onto the long needle before you pull the thread through. This is the reason the needle is so long, and it saves a lot of time.
- Pack them snugly. Keep each flower pushed up against the last one with no gaps. Loose flowers leave a thin, gappy lei.
- Check the length. Hold the strand up to your neck now and then. A typical lei hangs to the chest, and a child size lei is shorter.
- Tie it off. Remove the needle, leave a few inches of thread on each end and tie them in a firm square knot. Trim the extra and tuck the knot between two flowers so it does not show.
Some tutorials add a ribbon or a few beads over the knot for a neater finish. That is a choice, not a rule.
Other lei styles
Wili winds flowers and foliage onto a base, and haku braids two or more kinds of material in three strands. According to Kamehameha Schools, kui is the most common and best loved. For a first lei, kui is the one to try.
Keeping a Plumeria Lei Fresh
One Honolulu source says a lei lasts about 24 hours before browning. Careful storage can stretch that a little.
- Lay the finished lei flat in a clean paper or plastic bag. Some lei sellers also advise a lightly damp paper towel in the bag, not a soaked one.
- Put the bag in the refrigerator, not the freezer. One Hawaii lei shop suggests a refrigerator at about 54 F and warns that colder temperatures can freeze blossoms. We could not find a Hawaii source that specifically tests freezing plumeria, so treat freezer advice with caution.
- Take it out shortly before it is worn or given.
Handle the flowers as little as possible, since fingers bruise the petals. If you want a keepsake instead of a fresh lei, see our guide to preserving plumeria flowers.
Lei Etiquette: Giving, Receiving and Letting Go
A lei is a gift of affection and respect, so a few customs are worth knowing. Hawaii visitor sources agree on these.
- Accept a lei graciously and wear it with thanks.
- Do not take it off in front of the person who gave it to you.
- Pregnant women are traditionally given an open lei rather than a closed loop.
- A lei is not rubbish. When it wilts, return it to nature rather than the trash. A garden bed or the foot of a tree works.
Customs differ between families and islands, so follow the lead of the person giving or receiving it. If you want a different arrangement, our page on plumeria flower bouquets covers cut flower displays.
A Brief Note on Meaning
Plumeria has long been tied to the lei tradition in Hawaii. For the history and symbolism, read the meaning of plumeria in Hawaiian culture and our overview of the iconic Hawaiian flower. If you grow your own and want more blooms to pick, see our guide to getting plumeria to bloom.
The Plumerist toolkit
The gear we would buy if we were starting over.
As an Amazon Associate, Plumerist earns from qualifying purchases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to make a plumeria lei?
A simple kui lei can take around 15 minutes once the flowers are picked, according to one home tutorial. Allow longer for a first attempt.
Can I make a plumeria lei without a lei needle?
Yes. A long, thin needle with a large eye works, as does any needle like tool that pierces the flower gently. Pushing flowers on one at a time is slower, so a long needle is worth getting.
Can I wear a plumeria lei if I have sensitive skin?
Plumeria sap can irritate, so handle the stems with gloves while you string. If your skin reacts when you wear the finished lei, take it off.
Should the flowers face the same way on a lei?
Most tutorials string every flower from the face to the stem end so the blooms sit in one direction. It looks neater, but it is a style choice, not a strict law.
Is it rude to throw a lei away?
Hawaii sources describe a lei as a treasure. They suggest returning a wilted one to nature instead of tossing it out. Placing it under a tree or in a garden bed is the common approach.