With graduation season in full swing, crafty locals came together at the Fullerton Public Library on May 6 to learn how to make money leis.
The graduation lei tutorial and demonstration took place in the library’s Community Room. Upon entering, guests passed a table with a printed sign-in sheet, golf pencils and a program survey.
The yearly event was brought back by popular demand.
“It was a really popular event and we had some patrons asking about it, and we always love to hear from the community and design programs around what they need and what they want, so that was really the inspiration,” said Adult Services Librarian and event organizer Amanda Ortega.
While traditional flower leis have existed in Hawaiʻi for centuries, the money leis that we see today originated sometime in the 1990s in Southern California. They are often used as a creative way to give a graduate money, but they are also seen as a symbol of the giver’s affection.
Ortega had no prior knowledge or experience with money leis, but wanted to make sure the library was fulfilling the community’s needs. She learned how to make them from YouTube and TikTok tutorials.
Each of the 10 craft tables were adorned with the necessary supplies – ribbon, tape, elastic bands, fake $100 bills and optional items including beads and colored paper. Participants were shown how to make two types of leis: a simpler design and a more complex one.
Drawing on her experience as a former teacher, Ortega wanted to make sure things were as accessible as possible and that her live demonstration wasn’t the only way attendees could follow along. Also on the table were the YouTube videos that she learned from, printed out frame-by-frame, accompanied with a QR code so guests could refer back to them.
Ortega said that not only is the event a fun way to commemorate the success of graduates, both high school and college age, but also to bring families together.
“This one, like our seasonal craft night, is open to adults and teens, and a lot of, especially adults will mention this is a really great opportunity to kind of bond with their kids,” Ortega said.
Among those who got to share this bonding experience was mother-daughter duo Rachel and Mia Garcia.
Rachel Garcia, who is recently retired, found the event online while looking for things to do. She and her daughter shared responsibility in making the lei, with Mia Garcia folding the bills and Rachel Garcia putting the flowers together.
Both Rachel and Mia Garcia mentioned that the lei making demonstration was a rare and special opportunity for them to spend time together.
“I think, too, because I work a lot and then school, and it’s just like, we don’t really get a lot of time to go out and do activities together. So this is nice,” said Mia Garcia, a third-year communications advertising major with a minor in human communication at Cal State Fullerton.
Along with family members who attended the event together, there were a number of solo patrons as well.
Substitute teacher Miriam Arteaga found out about the event via the Fullerton Public Library monthly newsletter.
“I work at a school, the elementary school, and the moms mentioned that they wanted to learn how to do this, so I want to learn and then go teach them,” Arteaga said.
Arteaga encourages community members to be on the lookout for the free events that the library has to offer.
Ortega echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that events like this one are great opportunities to be creative and interact with others.
“One of the things I love about working at the library is it gives people the opportunity to take part in these free events, where they can come together, they can learn with other people, they can have fun and be creative, maybe challenge themselves to learn something new, and I think that’s just such a beautiful service we’re able to offer at the library,” Ortega said.