Lei (garland) spam musubi are tied into garlands. "Non-traditional" materials such as cloth ribbon, sequins, cellophane wrap, curling ribbon, and yarn are often used to fashion leis in various forms today. Among residents of Hawaii, the most popular occasions at which nā lei can be found are birthdays, graduations, weddings, funerals, retirement parties, and bridal showers. It is not uncommon for a high school or college graduate to be seen wearing so many nā lei that they reach his or her ears or higher. On May 1 each year, Hawaiians celebrate "Lei Day", first conceived in 1927 by poet Don Blanding. At
Lei (garland) and simple "lei lāī" ("tī" leaf lei) is made using this method. Hipuu / nipuu: a method of making a "lei" by knotting the stems of the decorative plant material and stringing the next stem through the knot. It requires a very long stem on the decorative material. Similar to a daisy chain. Humu / humuhumu: sew to a backing, usually using a basting stitch. A method of making a "lei" by sewing the decorative material to a backing such as "hala", "lai", paper, or felt. Each successive row of lei material is overlapped on the previous to create a