Make a Hula Skirt
Original hula skirts were made with leaves from the ti plant, also known as the good luck plant. Grass hula skirts were introduced to Hawaii in the 1800s and today's hula skirts are made with an array of materials. When most people think of Hawaii, beautiful swaying women in hula skirts and colorful leis come to mind. If you want to put a bit of tropical heaven in your home, try making a hula skirt with these steps.
Instructions
1. Purchase the right raffia. Go to your local craft store and purchase raffia strips. Raffia comes packed on a spool or by the bagful. You can get either natural raffia grass or the synthetic raffia, which is commonly made from nylon and is a bit cheaper. Raffia comes in different colors, so pick your favorite color or go with brown or green.
2. Measure the elastic band. Wrap the elastic band until it meets snugly around your waist and then cut one inch longer. You don't want the band too loose but also not too tight. Take a needle and thread and sew the ends of the elastic band together.
3. Stack the raffia. Gather the raffia together in a stack and try to make both ends as even as possible. Fold them in half and then measure them to 26 inches and then cut. This will make the raffia the length you need plus even the ends out.
4. Knot the raffia. Take each strand of raffia and hang it over the band, making sure both ends are the same length. Next, knot each strand under the band. Continue to knot the strands of raffia until the skirt is as full as you want it. If you don't have the time or patience to tie each strand, you can always use fabric glue to fasten them to the elastic band.
5. Try on your hula skirt and make sure it fits right and looks the way you wanted it to. If the skirt fits a little too loose then try rolling the band under one time to make it a little tighter.
Tags: elastic band, hula skirts, each strand, both ends, hula skirts were