Fresh flower leis are beautiful! But for those of us on the mainland coming across a fresh flower lei isn’t easy, and the shipping cost to have them shipped from Hawaii can be costly. While there are tons of faux flower leis available (ranging from silk to plastic), kukui nut or shell leis are a great (authentic) alternative to garnish your guests for your next lu’au.
Kukui is Hawaii’s state tree and the leis made from the dried nuts of the tree were worn by royalty, politicians and other important figures in Hawaiian history. Both men and women wear kukui leis. They make a great favor for your guests to take home. They range in price but you can buy a fairly nice one for about $8 (hand made in Hawaii kukui leis start at about $30 each).
Shell leis are also a fun alternative and are generally less expensive than kukui nut leis. They are usually sold by the dozen. You can give each person one or layer a few together.
Kukui nut leis
$5 each – http://hawaiistores.com/kukuinutleis.html
$7 each – http://www.alohagiftsfromhawaii.com/kukuinut.html
$9 each - http://www.rainbowhawaii.com/clerherforse.html
$13 each (hand painted with flowers) – http://hawaiiandays.com/KNH/shop_kukui_nut_lei.htm
$29-35 – http://www.iakamai.com/islandproducts/buy_kukui_lei.html
Shell leis
$4 per dozen – http://hawaiistores.com/shellleis.html
$7 per dozen – http://www.hulasupplycenter.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=75
$20 per dozen – http://www.hawaiianluauparty.com/product.cfm?productid=159
$3 each – http://www.waveshoppe.com/images/Hawaiian-Leis/seashell-leis.jpg
For larger events, most of the sites listed above offer bulk discounts. There are also other wholesale suppliers online who sell in bulk, but the minimum quantity is generally higher.
*Shown above is a dark brown kukui nut and yellow shell lei, available for $9 at http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/accredited_1993_177125745
Anytime you can find Kukui nut leis for under $15 it’s a good deal. The nuts with painted hibiscus flowers are the best, but watch out for the imitation Kukui nuts which are made from wood or plastic.
I would very much appreciate knowing the wholesaler info. I need 1100 shell leis for a school event and our budget is tight! We do have a committee member with a wholesale number so hopefully that will not be an issue.
Thank you!
Hi Marianne – Try the sites provided for the shell leis. If they don’t offer better wholesale options I would just try a google search and see what you come up with. I don’t have one supplier that I can recommend for wholesale. Best of luck with your party planning!
The reason I asked is because your article says there are wholesalers… The best deal I found is with Oriental Trading Company using an online coupon for 15% off. Google did me no good.
The ones from OTC are less expensive, but the website below offers two differenty styles of shell leis for $8.70 per dozen (shipping included). http://www.bigcitybagsandjewelry.vpweb.com/ContactUs.html
My only other suggestion is to ask for a bulk discount from retailers.
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