How to Make a Ribbon Lei with 3 Colors
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In Hawai’i it’s a tradition to give every graduate, both high school and college graduates, a lei. Leis are made from all kinds of materials: flowers, leaves, vines, yarn, eyelash yarn, candy, money and ribbon. Last week I shared my tutorial on how to make a ribbon lei tutorial (including a video tutorial). This week I’d like to show you how to make a ribbon lei with 3 colors. You can make a one-strand 3 color ribbon lei for $1.50 about and in about 30 minutes.
The traditional ribbon lei is made in the graduate’s school colors. Many school have three colors and sometimes you want to soften the combination of the two school colors with the addition of a third color. If you look at the combination of black and purple in my how to make a ribbon lei tutorial, you’ll see why I wanted to lessen the harsh color combination of purple and black by adding white to the ribbon lei. Learning how to make a ribbon lei with 3 colors offers you additional creative options.
How to Make Graduation Leis:
- Double Braided Ribbon Lei Instructions
- How to Make a Candy Lei
- How to Make a Simple Ribbon Lei
- DIY Dog Treat Lei
- Crochet Yarn Lei
- Crocheted Graduation Lei
- Flower Money Lei Tutorial
How to Make a Ribbon Lei with 3 Colors
You’ll start with three spools of ribbon from your local craft store or big box store. You want 10 to 12 yards lengths of ribbon in each color. Two spools of ribbon needs to be 1/4 inch wide and the third needs to be 1/8 inch wide. You can find these spools of ribbon for about $.50 each.
Find the middle point of each strand of ribbon and crease it. (You can see my tip for a quick way to find the mid-point of the ribbon in my How to Make A Ribbon Lei tutorial).
Place the thin ribbon on top of one of the wider ribbons. Slip one ribbon, ribbon 2 (the dark blue ribbon), through the other ribbon, ribbon 1 (the white and light blue ribbon).
Holding the base of the two ribbons together, make a loop of ribbon 1 and pass it through ribbon 2. Pull ribbon 2 tight, but not so tight that it makes the ribbon buckle. You want the ribbons to be woven tightly together and to lay smooth at the same time.
Now make a loop of ribbon 2 and pass it through ribbon 1. Pull ribbon 1 tight.
Continue the weaving pattern. Take your time to keep all the ribbons from twisting. You want to straighten the ribbons so that your final woven pattern is uniform and smooth.
When you get to the end of the ribbons, pass the end of the shortest ribbon tail through the final loop and pull tight.
Knot the two ribbon tails securely together. Trim the ribbon tails close to the knot.
Sew the ribbon lei closed covering the knotted end with the finished end.
Add a bow to cover the joined ends of the lei.
You can present a single strand of this three color ribbon lei or you can give a traditional three strand lei of this ribbon lei with three colors to your favorite graduate.
More than 9 DIY Lei Tutorials – these are my favorite lei making instructions that I’m sharing with you.
Now that you know how to make a ribbon lei with three colors, there’s no end to the creative combinations of ribbon leis you can create.
No. For this tutorial, two ribbons will be the same width and the third one will be narrower so that all three colors are visible in the lei.
I recommend double-side satin ribbon because it’s makes a softer more flexible lei. Grosgrain ribbon can also be used and makes a slightly stiffer, crisper lei. I do not recommend picot edge ribbon because of how the 3 colors fold in the braiding process.
The ribbon pattern looks different in the lei because of the braiding process. You can finish your lei with either side facing up based on your preference. But the common side to have facing up is the convex side like the one in the images above.
Stop the braiding sooner for a shorter lei and for a longer lei continue braiding until you reach the desired length. As I’m braiding the lei, I hold it up to myself and then adjust it longer or shorter based on the height of the recipient.
The braiding process is the same for both, so it is not a more complicated. However, holding the third color in place takes some practice to achieve a smooth, even finished lei. You’ll get the hang of how to hold all three ribbons in place by about 10-12 inches of braiding length.
More Lei Tutorial Ideas
I’m a mom of 3, a veteran, military spouse. I’ve moved into 20+ homes all around the world. My passion is helping busy people make the space and time for what’s really important to them. Learn more about Organized 31 and me.
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Great tutorial! Thank you! I am having some trouble attaching my origami money flowers to the lei. Do you have any suggestions? I used florist wire to tie the bills together….
Thanks!
I use ribbon to attach mine, but I think you should be able to wrap the wire around the ribbon lei and twist it in the back. Then weave the ends of the wire into the back of the lei to hide them. I’d love to see a photo when you’re done, Jessica!
Can I use bigger ribbon like 1/4”, 5/8” or even 1/2” or 7/8”?
Yes, I’ve used 3/4 inch ribbon for a 2 color lei and it turned out well, so you should work just fine for a 3 color ribbon lei.
How long should the lei be when finished also how long should an open lei be?
The finished lei should be around 40 inches, but you can make it longer for a taller person. And open lei should be about 56 – 64 inches long depending on the height of the person. Have fun making leis!
Thank you!