Make a Hula Skirt

Hula skirts make for great costumes, fun summer outfits, and amazing arts and crafts projects. There are a couple of ways to make hula skirts – the most popular methods being paper bags or raffia (a natural material made from strips of the raffia palm trees). These skirts can be made at home with a few basic supplies from any local craft store.

Steps

Using Raffia or Ribbon to Make a Hula Skirt

1. Gather up your materials. You'll need raffia or ribbon (2-4 large packages), scissors, a measuring tape, and a sturdy string, such as yarn or twine. You'll also need a sink or bowl to soak your raffia / ribbon in, and a flat surface where you can lay the raffia / ribbon out to dry.
   • If you want an extremely dense hula skirt (one that you cannot see through), you'll probably need about 4 large packages of raffia or ribbon. If you want a lighter skirt, 2 large packages should be enough.
   • All of these supplies can be purchased online or at your local craft store.
2. (optional) Dampen your raffia or ribbon by soaking it in water. Start by unrolling your raffia / ribbon. It will most likely be bent, curled, and kinky from being rolled into its packaging, so soaking it and laying it flat to dry will straighten it out. Submerge the raffia or ribbon in a sink or bowl full of hot water for 5 minutes.
3. (optional) Dry your raffia or ribbon. As you remove your raffia or ribbon from the water, lay it on top of a towel on a flat surface to dry. It will take a few hours to dry, and should feel completely dry to the touch before you begin attaching it to your skirt.
4. Measure the length of your hula skirt. While the raffia / ribbon is drying, take your measuring tape and measure the length from your waist to your knees (or however long you want your hula skirt to be). Write down this measurement so you don't forget it.
5. Cut your raffia or ribbon to the proper length. Find the measurement you wrote down in the last step, then double this number and add 2 inches. For example, if you want the skirt to be 15 inches long, cut your raffia / ribbon into 32 inches pieces. You have to double the length of your raffia / ribbon because each piece will be folded in half and end up being two strands of fringe for your skirt.
6. Measure your waist to determine the width of your skirt. Take your measuring tape and wrap it around your waist to see how long you need to cut your string. Then, take that measurement and add 12 inches. This added length will be used to tie and untie your skirt. This string will be your waistband.
   • For example, if your waist is 30 inches, cut your string so that it is 42 inches long.
7. Tie each piece of raffia or ribbon to your waistband string one at a time by using Larks head knots. Look here for visual instructions on tying Larkshead knots.
   • To tie a larks head knot, start by taking a piece of raffia or ribbon and folding it in half.
   • Take the looped end of your folded raffia or ribbon and slide it under your waistband string. The looped end should be below the waistband, and the loose ends should be above the waistband.
   • Now, take the loose ends of your raffia or ribbon and fold them towards you, around your waistband string.
   • Slip the ends through the loop and pull tightly to secure your raffia / ribbon to the waistband.
   • Do this with each piece of raffia or ribbon until your hula skirt is complete. It should take 2-3 entire packages. Leave 6 inches on each end of your waistband string so you can tie and untie your skirt.
8. Tie the skirt around your waist. Use a bow instead of a knot so that you'll be able to tie and untie your skirt. Have fun in your new hula skirt!

Making a Hula Skirt out of Paper Grocery Bags

1. Gather all of your materials. You'll need grocery bags (typically 1-2, depending on how big your waist is), a pair of scissors, a pencil, a thick string (such as yarn or twine), and either packing tape or a stapler. Having a ruler will also help, but isn't absolutely necessary.
2. Cut your paper bag. Start by cutting along one of the corner seams of the bag all the way to the bottom. Then, cut off the entire bottom of the bag by cutting around the perimeter of the bottom. Your bag should now be in a long rectangle shape.
   • If you are going to use more than one bag, repeat this step with each bag.
   • To see how many bags you need to use, wrap one horizontally around your waist. If it goes all the way around you, you only need to use one. If the bag leaves more than a couple inches showing, you'll need to add an additional bag.
   • You won't always need to use entire bags. For example, it might take a bag and a half of a bag to fit around your waist. It's just paper, so you can cut and tape the exact amount of paper bag that you need.
3. Lay your paper bag out on a flat surface so that it is horizontal / landscape. If there are any words or logos on the bag, leave them facing upwards. The upward facing side of the bag will end up being the inside of your hula skirt. This way, the words or logos won't show when you're wearing your skirt.
4. Draw the waistband onto your bag. Drawing an outline for your waistband will show you where to stop cutting when you're making the fringe of your skirt. Take your ruler and measure 1-2 inches down from the top of the bag (depending on how thick you want your waistband to be), and make a small mark with a pencil. Then, place your ruler horizontally on the mark (your ruler should be parallel to the bag), and trace a straight line across the entire top of your bag. This line will mark off the waistband of your hula skirt.
5. Cut strips into your bag to create the fringe part of your skirt. Starting on the right end of your bag, cut strips into your bag by starting at the bottom and cutting upwards until you reach the waistband outline. Strips should be 1/2 inch - 1 inch, depending on how think you want your fringe to be. Cut strips across the entire bag.
   • Repeat this with any additional bags you are using.
   • Leave the bag(s) laying flat while you do the next step.
6. Cut your string. Wrap the string around your waist to see how much you'll need. Be sure to include a few extra inches of string on each side for you to tie and untie your hula skirt. Then, cut the string. After the string is cut, lay it along the waistband portion of the skirt that was not cut. Center the string to leave a few inches on each end of your skirt to tie and untie it.
   • If you are using multiple bags, lay the bags side by side and tape or staple the end of the waistbands together. You will lay the string along the top of the entire width of your skirt.
7. Tape or staple your string onto your skirt. Be sure that the string is secured well to your skirt, otherwise your skirt will not stay on.
   • Use a heavy-duty tape, like packing tape or masking tape. Tape the string down along the entire waistband.
   • If using staples, it's best to add a staple every 2 inches.
8. Put the skirt on! Pick the skirt up and tie it onto your body. Use a bow so that it is easy to tie and untie your skirt. The tape or staples should be on the inside of your skirt, so that they cannot be seen from the outside.

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Sources and Citations

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