No Hawaiian luau party is complete without girls wearing swaying hula skirts. Originally made from the leaves of the good luck or ti plant, modern skirts are now made from a variety of materials including faux long leaves or raffia, a string-like weed available from your local hobby or craft store. You can alternate natural raffia with its synthetic version that is cheaper on the wallet. Using the right tools, make a homemade hula skirt for yourself or your daughter.
Instructions
1. Wrap elastic around your waist, at the point where you normally fasten your pants or skirts. Make sure it fits snugly and is not too tight or uncomfortable. Allow for one inch to overlap before cutting excess off with sharp scissors.
2. Remove the elastic from your waist and stitch the ends together to form a band, using a sewing machine or needle and thread. Try the elastic band again and adjust the size by tightening it further if it feels loose.
3. Measure the length from the point on your waist where the band will be to below your knee, the length of a traditional hula skirt. Adjust length to make it slightly longer or shorter, depending on your desired look, and make a note of the length.
4. Lay the raffia on an even surface. Fold lengths in half and gather the ends. Measure the desired skirt length on the raffia plus an additional two inches; cut with sharp scissors.
5. Secure the raffia strips to the band, one at a time. To do this, hang a raffia strand over the band so its ends meet and knot its center under the band. Continue the procedure of hanging strands over the band, aligning their ends and knotting just below the elastic band until you achieve your desired thickness.
6. Try on the hula skirt. If loose, roll the band under once; trim the ends if it is too long. Trim the ends in a straight line for a uniform look or let the ends be random for a natural-looking skirt.
Tags: hula skirt, your waist, elastic band, from your, length raffia, made from, over band