I DO HAPPEN TO KNOW RENEE WAS
HEALTHY CHASING AROUND THE
CHICKENS ON KAUAI.
SHE WAS IN HEAVEN.
SWITCHING GEARS, IT'S GRADUATION
SEASON.
THAT MEANS IT'S LEI TIME.
JOY SHIMABUKURO, CREATIVE
DIRECTOR FROM BEN FRANKLIN
CRAFTS JOINS US TO TALK ABOUT
LEI.
GOOD MORNING.
THAT'S RIGHT.
LEI MAKING IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
IT'S A SIGNATURE THING THAT YOU
KNOW YOU'RE FROM HAWAI'I.
YOU TAKE IT TO THE MAINLAND.
A LOT OF TIME YOU WANT TO MAKE
LEI YOU CAN TAKE WITH YOU AND
YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT
FRESH FLOWER.
FRESH FLOWERS ARE THE BEST BUT
SOMETIMES -- I JUST BROUGHT THE
STARTING OF LEI.
A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE SEE A LEI
BUT DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE IT.
YOU'RE TAKING SHEER RIBBON.
ALL YOU'RE DOING IS TAKING A
NEEDLE.
I RECOMMEND THESE LONGER DOLL
SCULPTURE NEEDLE.
ALL YOU'RE DOING IS LIKE WHEN
YOU'RE A KID, YOU'RE DOING A
SIMPLE RUNNING STITCH.
OKAY.
AND WHEN YOU'RE PUSHING IT DOWN,
YOU'RE MAKING IT SWIRLING.
Kelly: YOU SCRUNCH IT UP.
THAT'S A SIMPLE LEI.
THAT ONE I'M EYEBALLING.
IF YOU'RE A PERFECTIONIST AND
NEED TO HAVE A PERFECT, WHAT I
RECOMMEND IS USE WHAT THEY CALL
PIKO EDGE, WHICH HAS LOOPS.
SO YOU CAN COUNT LOOPS.
IT WILL BE PERFECTLY HOW YOU
WANT IT.
THE REASON I'M SHOWING THESE
LEIS, EVERYBODY HAS TONS OF
NIECES NEPHEWS, FRIENDS,
WHATEVER GRADUATING.
THEY MIGHT BE FROM DIFFERENT
SCHOOLS.
YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO INVEST IN
EVERY SCHOOL COLOR.
AND CREATE A SPECIAL DAY WITH
YOUR OWN COLORS THAT LOOKS LIKE
NATURAL FLOWERS LOOK LIKE.
AND DO SOMETHING SIMPLE.
SO YOU CAN LET THEM KNOW WHO
GAVE THEM THAT LEI.
Kelly: YOU GET SO MANY.
RIGHT.
AND ONE THING ABOUT DOING
SOMETHING LIKE THIS, BECAUSE
EVERYBODY ELSE IS GIVING SCHOOL
COLORS, YOURS IS GOING TO STAND
OUT.
EVERYBODY KNOW STRAW LEI.
A LOT OF TIMES YOU USE THE
BUBBLE DRINK ONE.
TAPE IT ALONG.
ALL YOU DO IS TIE THIS UP AND
WIND IT.
THAT IS WHAT A STRAW LEI WITH
YARN IS ABOUT.
IT'S WINDING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO
CROCHET.
UNTIL IT'S TIME TO END IT.
HERE I HAVE GREEN.
I'M TRYING TO GO NATURAL.
AND YOU TIE IT ON.
AND ACTUALLY ALL YOU'RE DOING IS
WINDING YARN DOWN.
AND IT BECOME FLUFFED UP.
HOW TO MAKE THOSE.
A BASIC LEI THAT YOU CAN USE
FOR ANY AGE.
THIS IS YOUR REGULAR BRAIDED
LEI.
Kelly: WHICH IS BEAUTIFUL.
YOU CAN MAKE IT IN SCHOOL
COLORS.
HAVE YOU MADE ONE OF THESE?
Kelly: I HAVE.
YOU KNOW HOW EASY IT IS.
LOOP IT THROUGH AND LOOP IT
THROUGH.
AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU'RE
DONEC
DONE.
Kelly: YOU JUST LOOP IT.
WE HAVE INSTRUCTIONS.
THE REASON IT I I WANTED TO SHOW YOU
THIS, SAY YOU WANTED TO MAKE IT
INTO A MONEY LEI, MAKE YOUR
MEDALLIONS.
BECAUSE IT HAS THE LOOPS YOU CAN
PULL IT APART AND TIE IT ON.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO RUIN DOSH PUT
THE LEI UP TO GET THE MONEY.
Kelly: AND TYING IT ON TO A
LITTLE SECTION PREVENTS IT FROM
SLIDING.
RIGHT.
WE'RE USING THESE AS LAN YARDS.
Kelly: THAT'S A ANY THING.
THIS IS EASY.
CLIP THAT ON.
Kelly: THIS, I CAN DO.
SUPER EASY.
CLIP IT ON.
DO IT THROUGH A LOOP OR ANOTHER
THING IS YOU TAKE THESE.
THESE ARE LUGGAGE TAGS.
INSTEAD OF PUTTING THAT ON, PUT
MAYBE A NICE MESSAGE.
YOU CAN TIE THAT ON.
Kelly: SO CUTE.
EASIEST?
STRAW.
IF YOU NEED TO MAKE A LOT, THIS
IS THE BEST BECAUSE YOU DON'T
YOU CAN GET A LOT OF LEI OUT OF
A COUPLE ROLLS OF RIBBON.
ANOTHER FUN THING, YOU CAN TAKE
LIKE THE MARDI GRAS BEADS AND
WRAP YOUR ANIMAL ON IT.
AND CLIPPING IT ON.
IT'S A REALLY EASY THING TO DO.
Kelly: PERFECT.
AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, WITH
THIS LEI, IT'S TIED CLOSE.
MAILIILE LEI.
THESE STRETCH.
Kelly: PULL IT OUT WHEN YOU
GET -- A LOT OF HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS YOU HAVEN'T SEEN FORA
WHILE.