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Traditionally, women are the weavers in Hawai’i, and many of the old everyday objects they created from lau hala (leaves of the pandanus tree) and the minutely thin makaloa (sedge grass) are considered works of art today. Lau hala mats, hats, and handbags are easily found in craft shops, but makaloa is now something of a rarity.

Coconut frond hat

There’s no more enduring symbol of Hawai’i than the lei (garland). In the past, permanent lei were made from shells, seeds, bone, and feathers, and temporary lei from vines and leaves. Today, colorful and fragrant flowers like plumeria and tuberose are most associated with this craft.

Cloaks, lei , headware, and kāhili (standards) for the ali’i (chief) were all once fashioned from feathers. The birds were trapped so that specific feathers could be plucked, and then the creatures were released. Yellow, red, and black were the colors most often used. Today, artisans still craft lei of feathers from pheasant and other introduced species.

Used throughout old Polynesia for clothing, blankets, and decoration, Hawaiian kapa is made from the bark of the wauke , or paper mulberry tree. The process, which is restricted to women, involves pounding the bark repeatedly into paper-thin sheets that are then decorated using plant dyes and bamboo tools.

Stones are an important part of Hawaiian cultural life, used in practical situations (such as building) and for spiritual needs (such as the fertility and birthing stones found on all the islands). Because stones are so highly regarded, visitors are asked not to remove them from their habitat.

Olonā fiber, derived from a native shrub, was commonly used in the old days to make fishing nets (a practice performed by men only). Strong and durable though it was, manmade materials such as nylon replaced olonā in the 20th century.

As in all Hawaiian cultural practices, there is much ritual surrounding the building of a canoe, another of the men’s arts. Traditionally, canoes are made of koa and always from one log, carefully selected by the boat builder. The craft is still very much alive today.

A Portuguese import of the late 19th century, the ’ukulele quickly found its place in Hawaiian music. ’Ukulele making is still a respected art in Hawai’i, and companies like Kamaka on O’ahu and Mele ’Ukulele on Maui produce high-quality, handcrafted instruments.

The implements used by hula dancers and their accompanying chanters have changed little over hundreds of years. Though some enthusiasts still craft their own implements, hula supply shops on all the islands now allow dancers with busy 21st-century lives to purchase many of the items needed (though the materials used may not always be traditional these days).

Among the many traditions brought by the missionaries was quilting. Not surprisingly, Hawaiian women took to the art form and made it their own, replacing New England designs with gorgeous renderings of local flora and fauna.