In Polynesian cultures, a lei is a common gift to greet visitors as a symbol of friendship, to honor a loved one, or to celebrate events such as birthdays and weddings. The beautiful, fragrant garlands are made of flowers, leaves or other materials strung together.
The Summer 2024 issue of Doll News magazine includes my pattern, “Make a Muumuu for Hitty.” In the article, my Hittys all wear miniature leis made from beads. This tutorial will show you how to make a similar lei for your own Hittys or other small dolls.
I purchased strands of flat, flower-shaped polymer clay beads from Hobby Lobby, but you can also find them on Amazon. These beads are sometimes called “Heishi” beads.
Along with flower beads, I used glass seed beads as spacers. Seed beads come in a few different sizes. I found that size 6/0 works best, because the hole is big enough for a regular sewing needle to pass through. When you examine your beads, you may notice that they are not all exactly the same size, and some might be broken or misshapen. It is a good idea to sort through the beads and pick out the best ones before you begin.
Materials
6mm Flat Polymer Clay “Heishi” Flower Beads
6/0 Glass Seed Beads
Quilting Thread
2” Long Needle for Hand Sewing
Scissors
Tape Measure
Clear Glue
Toothpick
Dinner Plate
Magnifying Visor (recommended)
MEASURE DOLL
Use a tape measure to find the circumference of your doll’s head. Add a minimum of 1/2-inch to this number. For this tutorial, I used 4-1/2 inches.
WORK SPACE
Arrange your materials in a well-lighted area with a flat surface. Sort your beads on a dinner plate. This will keep them from rolling off the table. You may want to have a magnifying visor or some other form of magnification handy.
STRINGING
Cut a length of quilting thread about 20 inches long. Before threading, make sure that the eye of the needle is small enough to fit through the holes in the beads. Thread the needle and tie an extra bead of a different color onto the doubled end of the thread. This extra bead will keep all of the other beads on the thread as you string them. Begin stringing the beads, alternating between the flower beads and the seed beads.
When you think the string is long enough, check the length with a tape measure. For the sample lei, I used 27 seed beads and 27 flower beads. Test to make sure it will fit over your doll’s head. You can adjust the lei by adding or removing beads to make it longer or shorter as desired.
FINISHING
Now that you have the correct length, remove the extra bead. Tie the ends of the finished lei in a square knot, and use a toothpick to put a dab of clear glue on the knot. Let the glue dry. To help hide the thread ends, feed them through a couple extra beads before trimming.
You’re finished! Now why not make another for a friend?
Here is Haliana, my newest Kitty Friend from Hawaii, showing off her new leis and muumuu.
