Pa U Hula Skirt Pattern? All Answers

A traditional hula skirt is called a pa’u and is a wrap skirt. It is often made from raffia, which are long fibers of palm woven together. The raffia hula skirt is often tied, giving it a wrap quality. The individual strands of raffia are both thick and stiff, allowing the skirt to rise slightly from the body. It is usually knee length or longer.

Today you can find an inexpensive grass skirt made of imitation raffia. The fibers tend to be a bit softer, allowing the skirt to lie flat. This is a good option for a Hawaiian themed party or for a Hawaiian costume. However, when it comes to the traditional hula look, the real raffia hula skirt is not particularly expensive. You can often buy one for around US$20-25 (USD) depending on your waist size.

It should be noted that a traditional hula skirt alone does not evoke the ancient traditions of the hula. Women dancing the ceremonial kahiko hula 100 years ago would have worn the raffia skirt and nothing else. For those looking to copy such a look, it may be best to pursue a more modern look that includes the coconut bra or a simple shirt. It’s not exactly traditional, but it’s more in line with conventional behavior.

It would be a mistake to assume that the hula skirt is always one made of raffia. In fact, many modern hula dances are performed in simple cotton Hawaiian skirts or dresses. Raffia tends to hide the hula’s hip movements, so the modern hula can appear more sensual in skirts that are closer to the body. Alternatively, it may just be more comfortable to dance in cotton than in raffia.

If you’re preparing for a hula class and don’t have access to a grass skirt, consider a loose-flowing wrap skirt if you have one. Any rock is essentially acceptable if one is a learner. However, the more experienced dancers will want the raffia hula skirt and other Hawaiian skirts for performances.

Pā’ū (skirts) are special garments worn for hula. Both men and women can wear pā’ū. Historically they were made from kapa or bark cloth and stamped/dyed in beautiful patterns using natural materials. In modern times, the pā’ū can be made of cloth. Pa’u may also consist of lā’ī (ti-leaf), lauhala (leaves of a hala tree) and hau (bark of the Hibiscus tiliaceus tree) and bast, to name a few. Pā’ū are carefully selected for their meaning and mele (song) style.

A pā’ū has special meaning for an olapa (hula dancer). Our hard work, sweat and tears; the mo’olelo (stories) we tell and the oli (chants) we share. The meaning of the pā’ū should be learned by each dancer in order to appreciate and maintain their special qualities.

Here are some things to consider that are typical hula protocol.

Your Pā’ū skirt should be kept fresh and clean. Handle it with care by storing and transporting it carefully. Wash your Pā’ū skirt when needed!! Wash gently and hang to dry.

Put your Pā’ū skirt on over your head. Stepping feet first into the pa’u skirt would show disrespect and touch the ground.

Do not use your Pā’ū skirt for any activity other than dancing.

Do not place your pā’ū on the uncovered ground or floor. It’s always on something – Lauhala mat, chair, table, etc.

Do not eat or drink anything (except water) while wearing our pā’ū.

Your Pā’ū skirt was special to you and should be kept special to you.

Enjoy your Pā’ū skirt and wear it close to your heart!

Little girls in grass skirts are just the cutest thing ever. Babies in grass skirts – even cuter!

Luckily, this DIY hula skirt is easy to make in any size!

Last spring we threw a small luau party for my 4 year old’s preschool friends. While we were planning, we realized that her little sister needed her own mini hula skirt. I was thinking about trimming one of our old kid size skirts to be small enough, but then I saw this raffia package in the hobby lobby and decided to just make a miniature size DIY hula skirt.

It wasn’t hard at all, but took about 45 minutes to tie all the pieces together – perfect for watching 1 episode on Hulu!

How to make a DIY hula skirt?

You will need:

natural raffia (I found mine in Hobby Lobby for $2.99 ​​- and the baby size skirt took exactly 1 pack)

scissors

thick, soft cotton thread or cord

directions:

Unroll your raffia. It will get bent and creased when rolled into a bundle, but we’ll fix that! Submerge the bast in a sink (or bowl) of hot water. Leave it on for about 5 minutes. Gently smooth the raffia and leave to dry on a towel. Once dry, trim to desired length. First measure how long you want your skirt to be. Double that number and add 2 inches. For example, I wanted the baby hula skirt to be 10 inches long, so I cut my raffia into 22 inch pieces. Cut your cotton string to the length of baby’s waist plus about 16 inches. Lay out the cord. Take a piece of raffia and fold it in half under the twine. Take the ends of the raffia and fold them over the string and tuck them into the loop at the top of the raffia piece. Pull the ends of the raffia tight. Repeat this until you have your skirt as wide as needed. Cut the ends of your cord, leaving enough length to easily tie the skirt. Tie your DIY hula skirt to your Teeny Wahine!

How to host an easy luau party

And now for the luau party!

We were fortunate to be part of a wonderful preschool community in San Francisco, and my daughter had a great group of friends. One of the parents had a brilliant idea to start Friday night gatherings for the girls, where every few weeks a different family hosted all the girls from 5pm to 8pm. Parents were welcome to stay and hang out or enjoy a night out on the town without the kids. Dinner was served and the girls usually ended up dressing up, dancing and having a great time.

Every time the girls came to our house on Friday night, they all wanted to put on our hula costumes. As we only had 2 and there were usually 7 little girls this was a problem at times. When we were in Maui a few months ago, we spotted some hula costumes at a little store in Lahaina and bought enough for all of her friends.

And our idea of ​​turning one of the Friday night meetings into a luau party was born.

I don’t have many pictures from the actual party because I was too busy drinking pina coladas with the other moms… I mean supervising the kids. 😉 But just in case you want to host a super easy, hassle-free luau, here’s a quick rundown of what we did.

Luau Party Invitations:

Luau Party Food:

Fruit skewers with fresh tropical fruits (mango, guava, passion fruit, banana and pineapple)

Kahlua pork sliders on mini Hawaiian rolls

Sticky Rice and Mac Salad

Pineapple whips for dessert

(All dishes inspired by our favorite Lahaina restaurant, Aloha Mixed Plate)

Luau Party Drinks:

Pina coladas and mai tais with paper umbrellas for the adults

virgin pina coladas with paper umbrellas for the kids

Luau Party Decorations:

fresh colorful flowers in mason jars

Garlands of shell necklaces

Luau party music:

Luau Party Activities:

dress up hula

diy leis with paper flowers and twine

Hula lessons with this DVD

Luau Party Favors:

Hula costumes – a huge hit with the girls! We found these at a small store on Front Street in Lahaina, but similar sets are available on Amazon.

Mahalo for your visit! If this is what you like the most, you may also be interested in:

A weekend in Lahaina

DIY upcycled beach bags

A birthday party in San Francisco

DIY mini notebooks

Aloha!

Before beginning any grass catcher project, you need to consider the materials you will be using to craft your grass catcher. An authentic grass skirt consists of braided, plaited grasses, but these may not be readily available to you. Alternative materials include raffia, streamers, newsprint covered with crepe or tissue paper, or even green or beige garbage can liner. Some of these options are more durable than others. So if you move around a lot or the costume is for a small child, choose a material that can withstand some abuse.

Create a waist band This will be the center of your skirt. The waistband is the area where your “weed” will attach. To make a waist band you need to use some type of fabric or flexible material that can be tied. Felt makes a great waistband because it comes in many colors and can be cut without fraying or fraying, eliminating the need for sewing. Measure around the waist with a tape measure. Add about 8 inches on either side to allow room to tie the skirt – this will be your total waistband length. Create a rectangle of fabric measuring about 4 inches plus the length of your pants waistband. Cut this out and you’re good to go.

Attach the Grass Deciding how to make a grass skirt depends on what materials you’re using. Different materials require different methods of attaching your “weed” to the waistband. Gluing, sewing, and basting are all quick ways to get your grass skirt ready to go.

Raffia Grass Raffia is a grass-like material and is much finer than the other options. It should be sewn in place and can be machine sewn for a more secure finish. For this option, use a 2 inch wide waistband instead of a 4 inch wide strip. Fold the raffia in half over the waistband, leaving the last 8 inches on either end for tying, then sew in place. Shorten the bast length to about knee height. This creates a safe, beautiful grass catcher.

Papersnake Grass To make a grass papersnake skirt, cut a coil of green or tan party snakes into equal lengths. Pin or glue these streamers to the waistband material about 2 inches from the top, leaving room at the ends of the waistband to tie around the skirt. Fold the top of the waistband over the glued or stapled streamers and secure.

Crepe and Newspaper Grass This option is a bit more robust than crepe streamers. Open a sheet of newspaper and cut 2-inch wide strips down the long side. Attach green crepe paper or tissue paper to both sides of the newspaper strip with glue and allow to dry. Once these are dry, you can attach them to the waistband by sewing, gluing, or basting. Cut the “grass” evenly around the skirt to a knee length.

Garbage Bag Weed This is the ultimate in simplicity! Cut open a beige or green garbage can liner and cut strips of this durable material. Like the hard-wearing crepe and newspaper strips, these can be attached to the waistband by gluing, stapling or sewing.

Pa’u Skirt Protocol

The protocol for the Pa’u skirt is very dependent on the situation. There are pa’u skirts… and then there are pa’u skirts. In my halau we have our practice pa’u skirt to which I assign very little log. We have “costume” pa’u skirts that need to be changed quickly in a performance, so there’s no time for minutes. And we have our Pa’u skirt reserved for cultural practice.

Within this last category there are two classes. The first is our white halau pa’upa’u – the term my teacher gave to the pa’u skirt worn with the tube top as a garment for the hula. These are the hula garments that we wear when doing a cultural performance with extended halau when using one or more classes for a hula presentation. The second is what I call our holy Pa’u. It is the pa’u that is given to the student as ‘olapa after the successful completion of her studies. This very special skirt is presented to the dancer at her public ‘Uniki presentation after the successful completion of her ritual ‘Uniki rites’.

This skirt serves as confirmation that she has attained the rank of ‘olapa, or skilled dancer. It is the only “diploma” that the titled dancer receives. This Pa’u has been decorated in the traditional manner using hand-pressed kukui oil, ash and charcoal to paint the design. The pattern on the skirt is unique to our line. It is the same pattern that I wore on my ‘uniki as ‘olapa and the same pattern that my kumu wore and her kumu before her and so on and so forth. This particular skirt comes with the traditional dress chants for kupe’e (wrist and ankle adornment), lei ‘a ‘i (neck lei), lei po’o (head lei), and oli pa’u (chant for the hula head). skirt) for the skirt.

Let’s see what counts as appropriate protocol, if such protocol is appropriate: Never use the pa’u for any activity other than dancing.

Never consume food or drink (other than water or ritual beverages) while wearing our Pa’u. We do not wander beyond the changing area in our Pa’u.

Do not place our Pa’u on the bare ground or floor. It is always something – a chair, a table, a cloth or a floor mat.

The pa’u is always clean and fresh, not crumpled up in a hula bag.

The sacred Pa’u is carried in a garment bag – never folded. Due to the materials used to color the design, it cannot be washed, so it needs to be stored and transported from place to place very carefully.

The pa’u goes over the head when elastic – never feet first as this shows disrespect towards the pa’u and also breaks the kapu of having it on the bare ground or floor.

No one else should wear your sacred Pa’u. It was made for you and only you.

Audrey McAvoy, Associated Press

The turning point is the latest sign of a renaissance among Native Hawaiians

The misconceptions stem from the way Hawaii is marketed and presented to outsiders

Many of the images can be traced back to the arrival of tiki bars from California

HONOLULU – Coconut bras are not Hawaiian. Neither are grass skirts. Tiki bars? You are from California. Nevertheless, they are all among the most well-known symbols of a Hawaii vacation.

Now many resorts in Hawaii are hoping to change that image, away from those cheesy marketing gimmicks and towards true Hawaiian traditions that can make traveling to the islands special for travelers.

The driving force behind the movement is partly the economy. Tourism leaders know that Hawaii needs to highlight what makes the islands unique in order to compete with other sun and surf destinations like Florida, Mexico and Thailand.

But the turnaround is also the latest sign of a Native Hawaiian renaissance, with more locals learning the Hawaiian language, reviving traditional hula styles, and learning ancient skills like using stars to navigate the ocean.

“It’s about having that sense of place — understanding who came before us, understanding that Waikiki is a place where we’re so deeply rooted in our culture. And now there’s that resurgence to share with our guests,” said Kehaulani Kam, cultural service director at Starwood Hotels and Resorts Waikiki.

The trend could help improve many native Hawaiians’ bleak view of tourism, the state’s largest industry and employer. A 2010 government poll found that nearly 60 percent of them don’t think it helps preserve their language and culture.

The contempt was captured in a 2009 Saturday Night Live skit, which drew protests from state officials and was hailed as good satire by others.

In it, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Fred Armisen play two underpaid entertainers in grass skirts at a Kauai restaurant. Johnson performs a sloppy hula-like dance and Armisen strums the ukulele. Both sing in gibberish that tourists might mistake for Hawaiian.

Tourists watching the performance sip tropical cocktails and rave about how lucky they are to be in Hawaii without even noticing the facade.

The misconceptions stem from the way Hawaii is marketed and presented to outsiders. Travelers who see vacation brochures with photos of grass skirts, coconut bras, Samoan fire knife dancing, and Tahitian hula dancers are naturally under the impression that these are Hawaiian traditions.

The notoriety of many images can be attributed to the arrival of tiki bars in Hawaii – from California.

Trader Vics and Don the Beachcomber restaurants began mainland bars in the 1930s, displaying replica Polynesian deities and artifacts from across the Pacific. Trader Vics opened its first store in Honolulu in 1941, and Don the Beachcomber followed after World War II.

Around this time, “in the 1950’s, the nightly shows here shifted from being purely Hawaiian, which they had previously been, to being Polynesian. Then there’s a knife dancer, torch men, Tahitian hula,” said DeSoto Brown, historian at Episcopal Museum.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority is distributing a new guide to advertisers, travel writers and others involved in disseminating information about Hawaii, seeking to clarify what is and isn’t Hawaiian.

The agency wants people to identify a fire knife dance as Samoan and a Tahitian hula as Tahitian when using photos from different performances. If people want to show Hawaiian hula, they should be sure that this is what is shown in the pictures.

Keli’ihoalani Wilson, the agency’s cultural director, said the goal isn’t to beat other Polynesian traditions, but to avoid confusion.

“It’s all positive stuff. No scolding. Just helping,” Wilson said.

For Lori Sablas, Cultural Director of Maui’s Kaanapali Beach Hotel, it’s all about accuracy. “My brief is, ‘How do Hawaiians think? How do Hawaiians act?’ Let’s not change it. Let’s not invent it,” she said.

That said, they grow taro — called kalo in Hawaiian, which is the starchy vegetable used to prepare the traditional dish called poi — on the property and prominently display canoes, pahu drums, and other traditional artifacts.

It also means mandatory on-the-job training for employees on Hawaiian culture.

The hotel’s more than 200 employees took boat trips to neighboring Lanai, the rural island recently purchased by the world’s sixth richest man, Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison.

They saw rare native sandalwood trees, heard a Lanai legend about a man banished there for not listening to his father, and learned the long-lost art of using stars, waves, birds, and other cues from nature to to travel between them islands.

Some corporate leaders may question the investment returns of such classes. But Sablas said staff provide better and more confident service when they understand Hawaii.

“When our employees truly understand the connection between the special place they live and the special place they work, they will in turn convey that to every guest,” she said.

The Walt Disney Co., a master at creating make-believe worlds, has taken the concept further. The global entertainment giant chose Hawaii as the location for its first major standalone non-theme park resort.

Rather than building a Cinderella castle, Disney designed Hotel Aulani with the idea of ​​teaching guests about Native Hawaiian culture. One of the hotel’s bars — the Olelo Room — has Hawaiian words on the wall, and its bartenders and servers speak Hawaiian.

At night, a storyteller entertains guests with Hawaiian legends around a fire pit.

In Waikiki, the century-old Moana Surfrider, now a Westin hotel and part of the Starwood chain, began inviting guests to a sunrise ceremony last year to welcome the new moon.

A kahu, or caretaker, says a prayer and guides guests to wade into the sea from the beach in front of the hotel. The action cleanses them of the pilikia or problems they had from the previous month and they ask for strength to face what is to come.

Sometimes 100 people show up at 5:30 a.m., general manager Craig Anderson said.

“These people are on vacation. They don’t have to get up early, but they choose to do it because they want to experience it,” he said. “It’s not a helicopter ride. It’s not a surf lesson. It’s a cultural experience.”

WHAT IS NOT HAWAIIAN

As you wander the shops in Waikiki, it’s not hard to come across vendors selling knick-knacks of fake Hawaii — no, the Aloha State doesn’t have wild monkeys or parrots. Lei aren’t plastic and don’t cost 99 cents — they’re said to be made out of real flowers.

Here are some other symbols associated with Hawaii that aren’t Hawaiian.

tiki bars

Two California restaurants, Trader Vics and Don the Beachcomber, started the tiki bar phenomenon in the 1930s. Both opened branches in Honolulu in the following decade.

Tiki is a Maori word for carved figure, the language of the indigenous people of New Zealand. The bars often have wood carvings, sometimes cartoonish, vaguely reminiscent of Kii, or sacred Hawaiian carved figures of deities and family guardians.

DeSoto Brown, a historian at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, said the restaurants were never tied to a specific location. Instead, they were based on a fantasy that the owners were merchants or scavengers cruising the Pacific.

The restaurants continued to evolve after World War II and spread across the United States to become an American fad.

“These two guys invented tropical cocktails, gave them funny names, and put little accessories inside. Like zombie this, mai tai that,” Brown said.

grass skirts

They were introduced to Hawaii in the 1870s and 1880s by immigrants to Hawaii from the Gilbert Islands (small atolls that are now part of the Pacific island nation of Kiribati).

Brown said Hawaiian hula dancers most likely wore them in performances while touring the US mainland vaudeville circuit. The skirts were practical because they were dry and easy to carry to the mainland.

Hawaiians traditionally wore skirts made from fresh ti leaves, which are not found on the mainland. In the early 20th century, hula artists in Hawaii and the US mainland wore grass skirts. Some hula artists still wear grass skirts today.

Torch lighting ceremonies

Many hotels today hold an event at dusk, with men in loincloths lighting torches around the property. This ritual was invented by Grace Guslander, manager of the Coco Palms Hotel on Kauai, where part of the Elvis Presley film Blue Hawaii was filmed.

Traditionally, Hawaiians used torches as a source of light when walking or fishing at night. But it wasn’t until the 1950s and at Guslander that it became common practice to stick torches in the ground for lighting, Brown said.

Torch lighting garnered brief internet notoriety last year when a scantily clad man carrying a torch walked behind Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Donald Tsang, then Hong Kong Chief Executive, as they walked outside at a meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation for photos posed.

A short video clip of the scene and a startled laugh from Clinton became an online hit.

coconut bras

It is not clear where coconut bras came from, although they are worn by some hula and Tahitian hula dancers. Traditionally, Pacific Island women didn’t wear tops at all, so they most likely arose sometime after initial contact with Westerners, Brown said.

Fire knife dances

Paramount Chief Letuli Olo Misilagi of American Samoa, also known as Freddie Letuli, invented the fire knife dance. He told a newspaper in 2003 that he got the idea in San Francisco when he saw a young girl with lightbulbs and a Hindu man blowing flames out of his mouth.

Letuli said he was inspired to show that his version of playing with fire was more unique than hers.

Leila and Lita Cook

By Malika Dudley – bio | E-mail

WAIMANALO, Oahu (HawaiiNewsNow) — Leiala Cook is knowledgeable about Pa’u riding. She’s been doing this since she was 9 years old. In the 19th century, women wore the pa’u on the way to special occasions. “If you run and gallop to the event, all the dust will fly, so the pau cover their ball gowns,” she explains. A passion for Pa’u runs in Leiala’s family. Her mother Lita was known as the “Queen of the Pa’u Riders”.

“Since the death of my mother in 2003, I have served as parade leader for the Aloha Festival so I can keep her legacy and my family tradition alive.”

Her mother was an equestrian leader for 25 years, now it is Leiala who leads the horse units. The Pa’u riders are selected based on horsemanship, but there is also a hierarchy.

“To become a princess, you would first be primarily a pooper scooper, then a companion, and then a princess.”

Once a princess has ridden for each of our eight islands, she can become queen. Each driver has to fill out an application, selection takes place in April, followed by months of training. Well, it’s time for me to become a Pa’u rider! Leiala puts on the poncho first, then hair and makeup, and the draping of lei. Underneath a simple pair of jeans. Next step, the Pa’u. Twelve yards of fabric tied tightly around the waist.

“There are no zippers, no strings, no buttons. It’s just held on by six kukui nuts.”

Three in front, three in back and three twists before being tucked into a sort of culotte that makes mounting the horse easier. It’s definitely not as easy as it looks.

Little girls in grass skirts are just the cutest thing ever. Babies in grass skirts – even cuter!

Luckily, this DIY hula skirt is easy to make in any size!

Last spring we threw a small luau party for my 4 year old’s preschool friends. While we were planning, we realized that her little sister needed her own mini hula skirt. I was thinking about trimming one of our old kid size skirts to be small enough, but then I saw this raffia package in the hobby lobby and decided to just make a miniature size DIY hula skirt.

It wasn’t hard at all, but took about 45 minutes to tie all the pieces together – perfect for watching 1 episode on Hulu!

How to make a DIY hula skirt?

You will need:

natural raffia (I found mine in Hobby Lobby for $2.99 ​​- and the baby size skirt took exactly 1 pack)

scissors

thick, soft cotton thread or cord

directions:

Unroll your raffia. It will get bent and creased when rolled into a bundle, but we’ll fix that! Submerge the bast in a sink (or bowl) of hot water. Leave it on for about 5 minutes. Gently smooth the raffia and leave to dry on a towel. Once dry, trim to desired length. First measure how long you want your skirt to be. Double that number and add 2 inches. For example, I wanted the baby hula skirt to be 10 inches long, so I cut my raffia into 22 inch pieces. Cut your cotton string to the length of baby’s waist plus about 16 inches. Lay out the cord. Take a piece of raffia and fold it in half under the twine. Take the ends of the raffia and fold them over the string and tuck them into the loop at the top of the raffia piece. Pull the ends of the raffia tight. Repeat this until you have your skirt as wide as needed. Cut the ends of your cord, leaving enough length to easily tie the skirt. Tie your DIY hula skirt to your Teeny Wahine!

How to host an easy luau party

And now for the luau party!

We were fortunate to be part of a wonderful preschool community in San Francisco, and my daughter had a great group of friends. One of the parents had a brilliant idea to start Friday night gatherings for the girls, where every few weeks a different family hosted all the girls from 5pm to 8pm. Parents were welcome to stay and hang out or enjoy a night out on the town without the kids. Dinner was served and the girls usually ended up dressing up, dancing and having a great time.

Every time the girls came to our house on Friday night, they all wanted to put on our hula costumes. As we only had 2 and there were usually 7 little girls this was a problem at times. When we were in Maui a few months ago, we spotted some hula costumes at a little store in Lahaina and bought enough for all of her friends.

And our idea of ​​turning one of the Friday night meetings into a luau party was born.

I don’t have many pictures from the actual party because I was too busy drinking pina coladas with the other moms… I mean supervising the kids. 😉 But just in case you want to host a super easy, hassle-free luau, here’s a quick rundown of what we did.

Luau Party Invitations:

Luau Party Food:

Fruit skewers with fresh tropical fruits (mango, guava, passion fruit, banana and pineapple)

Kahlua pork sliders on mini Hawaiian rolls

Sticky Rice and Mac Salad

Pineapple whips for dessert

(All dishes inspired by our favorite Lahaina restaurant, Aloha Mixed Plate)

Luau Party Drinks:

Pina coladas and mai tais with paper umbrellas for the adults

virgin pina coladas with paper umbrellas for the kids

Luau Party Decorations:

fresh colorful flowers in mason jars

Garlands of shell necklaces

Luau party music:

Luau Party Activities:

dress up hula

diy leis with paper flowers and twine

Hula lessons with this DVD

Luau Party Favors:

Hula costumes – a huge hit with the girls! We found these at a small store on Front Street in Lahaina, but similar sets are available on Amazon.

Mahalo for your visit! If this is what you like the most, you may also be interested in:

A weekend in Lahaina

DIY upcycled beach bags

A birthday party in San Francisco

DIY mini notebooks

Aloha!

Before beginning any grass catcher project, you need to consider the materials you will be using to craft your grass catcher. An authentic grass skirt consists of braided, plaited grasses, but these may not be readily available to you. Alternative materials include raffia, streamers, newsprint covered with crepe or tissue paper, or even green or beige garbage can liner. Some of these options are more durable than others. So if you move around a lot or the costume is for a small child, choose a material that can withstand some abuse.

Create a waist band This will be the center of your skirt. The waistband is the area where your “weed” will attach. To make a waist band you need to use some type of fabric or flexible material that can be tied. Felt makes a great waistband because it comes in many colors and can be cut without fraying or fraying, eliminating the need for sewing. Measure around the waist with a tape measure. Add about 8 inches on either side to allow room to tie the skirt – this will be your total waistband length. Create a rectangle of fabric measuring about 4 inches plus the length of your pants waistband. Cut this out and you’re good to go.

Attach the Grass Deciding how to make a grass skirt depends on what materials you’re using. Different materials require different methods of attaching your “weed” to the waistband. Gluing, sewing, and basting are all quick ways to get your grass skirt ready to go.

Raffia Grass Raffia is a grass-like material and is much finer than the other options. It should be sewn in place and can be machine sewn for a more secure finish. For this option, use a 2 inch wide waistband instead of a 4 inch wide strip. Fold the raffia in half over the waistband, leaving the last 8 inches on either end for tying, then sew in place. Shorten the bast length to about knee height. This creates a safe, beautiful grass catcher.

Papersnake Grass To make a grass papersnake skirt, cut a coil of green or tan party snakes into equal lengths. Pin or glue these streamers to the waistband material about 2 inches from the top, leaving room at the ends of the waistband to tie around the skirt. Fold the top of the waistband over the glued or stapled streamers and secure.

Crepe and Newspaper Grass This option is a bit more robust than crepe streamers. Open a sheet of newspaper and cut 2-inch wide strips down the long side. Attach green crepe paper or tissue paper to both sides of the newspaper strip with glue and allow to dry. Once these are dry, you can attach them to the waistband by sewing, gluing, or basting. Cut the “grass” evenly around the skirt to a knee length.

Garbage Bag Weed This is the ultimate in simplicity! Cut open a beige or green garbage can liner and cut strips of this durable material. Like the hard-wearing crepe and newspaper strips, these can be attached to the waistband by gluing, stapling or sewing.