Christine's Designs

One of our new vendors is Christine who makes beautiful hand-made jewelry such as earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. She uses shells, beads, glass, and other materials to make unique designs. Come by and visit her at the market to see her creations up close.

Lauhala Beauty

What a treat it was to have Mahina and Cheryl Pukahi (husband and wife team) from Wai'anae bring their beautiful hand-made lauhala treasures to Makeke Kapolei, and to teach us how to make something with our own hands. Many people came by to give it a try and take home a custom-made bracelet.

Here are some of the tools used to prepare the lauhala. The wooden box-like tool is used to cut the leaves into strips of even widths.

Here is a roll of lauhala, ready to be cut into strips.

And here are the show-stealers, honu!  (turtles!)  Aren't they so cute?!

Mahalo to the Pukahis for sharing their knowledge and skills with us, and mahalo to the Hawai`i Tourism Authority and Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement for making this session possible.

Lauhala Creations Coming Soon!

We saw Mahina Pukahi at the Hawai'i Conservation Conference today demonstrating lauhala weaving. With his wife, he has created really beautiful items. We're looking forward to seeing him at the Makeke Kapolei tomorrow!

Learn to Weave Lauhala at the Makeke

Come to the Makeke Kapolei on Thursday, August 2, 4-6 pm to try your hand at a traditional Hawaiian art -- weaving lauhala (pandanus leaves).  Learn from Mahina Pukahi of Wai'anae, a skilled artisan, who will teach you a craft that is important throughout Polynesia.  The event is FREE and FAMILY-friendly, thanks to funding support from the Hawai`i Tourism Authority administered by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement.

Photo from nakaniohula.com

Aquaponics system makes a debut at the market

Malama Learning Center brought its mobile aquaponics unit to Makeke Kapolei, which generated interest from many customers. We found that several people had heard of it and were even getting aquaponics units started at home. Others we eager to try. Aquaponics is a great way to grow food and fish in a closed system, saving water and fertilizer.

The Malama Learning Center's booth at Makeke Kapolei features plants galore!  There are plants to grow, eat, use to beautify your yard. Be sure to stop by and get your fresh plants. All edible plants are grown following organic practices.

Kapa Making Fun!

Mahalo nui loa to Ka'iulani de Silva for coming to our market on July 5 to share her knowledge and talent on kapa (Hawaiian bark cloth) making to our customers. She brought a lot of hand-crafted implements used to beat and decorate kapa.

These materials are used to make dyes the traditional way (roots, berries, clay, etc.)

Using the 'ohe kapala (carved stamp made out of bamboo), we decorated pieces of kapa-like fiber using brightly colored inks.

Even the young kids enjoyed the activities. (But that's not kapa printing on their faces!)