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DIY Hawaiian Luau Decorations: Hawaiian Paper Lei (Cricut Craft)

Are you throwing a Hawaiian Luau party this summer? Scroll to find out how to make your own paper lei Hawaiian luau decorations using a Cricut!
This DIY Hawaiian Luau Decorations post about how to make a Hawaiian paper lei contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.

As soon as the weather gets warm, I immediately want to start planning a Hawaiian luau party to hang out with friends and family.

It’s a classic summer party theme, and people love digging out their Hawaiian dresses and Aloha shirts and taking a little Hawaiian vacay.

While having yummy Hawaiian food and Hawaiian music is pretty crucial, nothing sets the scene better than decorations.

If you want your Hawaiian luau decorations to stand out from other Hawaiian party decorations, the best way to do that is by creating your own!

This Hawaiian paper lei DIY activity is pretty easy, and you can even have kids assemble the paper leis after you cut out all the flowers.

These make fun luau party favors, or you can decorate tables and chairs or even turn them into garlands to string around. There are lots of fun possibilities with these paper Hawaiian leis!

And these don’t just have to be for Hawaiian parties. We make them as a classroom activity when we learn about Lei Day in Hawaii.

Want to make paper flowers? Get my easy plumeria paper flower tutorial!

So, let’s dive in so you can create your own Hawaiian lei!

Hawaiian Luau Decorations: How to Make a Hawaiian Paper Lei

This Hawaiian paper lei DIY uses a Cricut machine.

You can definitely cut out all the flowers by hand for these paper flower leis, but it can get pretty exhausting if you are making a bunch of leis (my hands are always super sore after cutting hundreds of paper flowers!)

A Cricut definitely makes DIY paper lei-making a lot easier!

DIY Hawaiian Luau Decorations: Hawaiian Paper Lei Craft by top Hawaii blog Hawaii Travel with Kids

Hawaiian Lei Materials:

Free Downloadable SVG Files for Cricut

Here are a few paper lei templates that made this a lot easier to make!

DIY Hawaiian Paper Lei Instructions:

Here is exactly how to make a lei out of paper!

Step 1:

The first step involves creating some of our paper lei materials. You’ll need to upload the SVG files to design space. Then, choose the layer with the set of files and click “attach” on the layers panel.

DIY Hawaiian Luau Decorations: Hawaiian Paper Lei Craft by top Hawaii blog Hawaii Travel with Kids

Next, click “make it” to cut each set of files for this tropical lei project.

DIY Hawaiian Luau Decorations: Hawaiian Paper Lei Craft by top Hawaii blog Hawaii Travel with Kids
DIY Hawaiian Luau Decorations: Hawaiian Paper Lei Craft by top Hawaii blog Hawaii Travel with Kids
DIY Hawaiian Luau Decorations: Hawaiian Paper Lei Craft by top Hawaii blog Hawaii Travel with Kids
DIY Hawaiian Luau Decorations: Hawaiian Paper Lei Craft by top Hawaii blog Hawaii Travel with Kids

Step 2:

You’ll want to adjust your material dial/setting to “medium card stock” before you load the card stock onto a blue or green grip mat. Then, click “go,” and you’re on your way!

DIY Hawaiian Luau Decorations: Hawaiian Paper Lei Craft by top Hawaii blog Hawaii Travel with Kids

DIY Hawaiian Luau Decorations: Hawaiian Paper Lei Craft by top Hawaii blog Hawaii Travel with Kids

Step 3:

After all the Hawaiian flowers and tropical leaves are cut, you’ll want to add a bit of dimension to them. Take one flower and one leaf and gently press them into a small spoon (we used a 1/2 tablespoon, but you can use anything you have.) I think this is a crucial part of the lei creation process and makes the beautiful flowers pop more.

Do this for all the flowers and leaves you have.

While you don’t have to do this step, it really takes your Hawaiian paper lei to the next level. Otherwise, it can look really stiff.

DIY Hawaiian Luau Decorations: Hawaiian Paper Lei Craft by top Hawaii blog Hawaii Travel with Kids

Step 4:

Take your straws and cut them into small pieces to create your spaces. We cut them about thumb width, but you can make them longer or shorter depending on how full you want your lei to look. The straws are used to create dividers between the flowers.

Sometimes taking a hand full to cut straws altogether is faster, but it also depends on your kids’ ages. This step might need a little adult supervision.

DIY Hawaiian Luau Decorations: Hawaiian Paper Lei Craft by top Hawaii blog Hawaii Travel with Kids

Grab your string and tie a knot on one end.

Step 5:

This is the part where kids can help a bunch and can do their own lei creation!

DIY Hawaiian Luau Decorations: Hawaiian Paper Lei Craft by top Hawaii blog Hawaii Travel with Kids

Start stringing your lei by picking up flower and leaf combos and threading them on the string. Make sure to alternate flower colors. Keep going until you are happy with the length of your lei.

Step 6:

DIY Hawaiian Luau Decorations: Hawaiian Paper Lei Craft by top Hawaii blog Hawaii Travel with Kids

Tie the two ends of your string together and trim any extra remaining string to finish it off. Voila! You’ve just made a lovely Hawaiian paper lei craft!

DIY Paper Lei FAQs

How do you make a homemade Hawaiian lei?

A homemade Hawaiian lei is super easy to make. All you need is some colorful card stock, a straw, and some string! Using the paper lei template above will help this process go much faster too!

Is there a paper flower lei template?

I have a free basic flower design template you can use, or you can create your own. I used different colors that really pop, but any will do!

Can I use construction paper to make my paper lei?

If you have colorful construction paper, you might be tempted to use that. However, the card stock is much sturdier and will make your lei last a lot longer too!

How to Make a Paper Lei Wrap-Up

These paper Hawaiian leis are super easy to make and are so cute too! The best thing is that your kids can make them with you for a special craft activity.

Use the paper flower lei template above to quickly make this DIY paper lei your kids will love to wear time and time again!

Looking for more DIY Hawaiian luau party ideas? Check out my posts about the best Hawaiian music, my favorite Hawaiian recipes, and how to create Hawaiian experiences at home!
Yield: 1 Lei

DIY Hawaiian Luau Decorations: Hawaiian Paper Lei (Cricut Craft)

DIY Hawaiian Luau Decorations: Hawaiian Paper Lei (Cricut Craft)

Planning a Hawaiian luau and want to DIY some Hawaiian Luau Decorations? Find out how to make an easy Hawaiian Paper Lei using a Cricut.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Active Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Difficulty Easy

Materials

  • Card stock (8.5x11” 65-80lb) tropical colors
  • Cricut blue light or green standard grip mat
  • Plain white straws
  • Jute cord or string

Tools

  • Cricut or other cutting machine
  • 1/2 tablespoon to help shape flowers
  • Scissors

Instructions

  1. The first step involves creating some of our paper lei materials. You'll need to upload the SVG files to design space. Then, choose the layer with the set of files and click "attach" on the layers panel. Next, click "make it" to cut each set of files for this tropical lei project.
  2. You'll want to adjust your material dial/setting to "medium card stock" before you load the card stock on to a blue or green grip mat. Then, click "go" and you're on your way!
  3. After all the Hawaiian flowers and tropical leaves are cut, you'll want to add a bit of dimension to them. Take one flower and one leaf and gently press them into a small spoon (we used a 1/2 tablespoon, but you can use anything you have.) Do this for all the flowers and leaves you have. While you don't have to do this step, it really takes your Hawaiian paper lei to the next level. Otherwise, it can look really stiff.
  4. Take your straws and cut them into small pieces to create your spaces. We cut them about thumb width, but you can make them longer or shorter depending on how full you want your lei to look. Grab your string and tie a knot on one end.
  5. This is the part where kids can help a bunch. Start stringing your lei by picking up flower and leaf combos and threading them on the string. Make sure to alternate flower colors. Keep going until you are happy with the length of your lei.
  6. Tie the two ends of your string together and trim any extra string to finish it off. Voila! You've just made a lovely Hawaiian paper lei craft!

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