Getting Started Making Flower Ribbon Lei

If you enjoy crocheting, knitting, cross-stitching, and sewing, you might also find pleasure in making flower ribbon leis. While it's a tradition rooted in Hawaiian culture, creating these leis can be a delightful and creative endeavor for everyone. When I first started, I just used regular thread and a needle. I crafted numerous flower ribbon leis for my children, family, and friends, and they turned out beautifully.

Now that I sell them, I've raised my standards for quality. I use stronger thread to ensure they don't come apart. I provide more detailed instructions in my YouTube video titled 'How To Get Started To Make Hawaiian Ribbon Lei'.

In this writing I would like to share a little bit about the basic stitches and techniques I frequently use when creating leis.

Basic House Fold

I'm not sure why it's referred to as a 'house fold,' but perhaps it's because the shape resembles a house. (look picture 2 😉)

I use this fold for many flower petals.

Trifold and Fourfold or W Pinching

It might seem that trifold and fourfold are very similar, but they actually create distinct effects for the leaves or the flowers.

Fold the center of the ribbon 3 sections. This is trifold.

Fold the center of the ribbon 4 sections. It will look like letter W from the side. This is fourfold.

Plumeria Stitch

It’s actually a basic running stitches every 1/2” or 1 cm along the edge of the ribbon. When we push the ribbon, it’ll spiral naturally and ruffle beautifully like a plumeria flower.

Pikake Stitch

Pikake is the Hawaiian name for the jasmine flower. It’s a beautiful white flower with sweet scent.

The pikake stitch is a circular stitch that is sewn from the underside of the ribbon. These stitches will come together to create a small flower that represents a jasmine flower.

I believe those are the techniques I use most frequently while crafting flower ribbon leis. I hope you enjoy making your own lei. Have a wonderful day!