I love weaving. It’s always been something that I’ve enjoyed. For a while, I got into macrame, which I play with by adding knitted patterns too. So as we approached our departure from O’ahu, I put aside a morning for a bracelet weaving class. These are free one-hour classes that are first-come-first-serve. The Royal Hawaiian Centre also offers several other cultural classes.

The Royal Hawaiian Centre

I’ve spent some time at the Royal Hawaiian Centre. This is my local Apple location, where I went for my phone replacement. I also walk over there for boba drinks. Junbi is a franchised matcha tea brand based in California. I’ve tried many boba teas in Hawai’i – so many bad ones! – and this has been the best so far, though I’ve never gotten any of their signature green tea drinks. I like that I can adjust the level of sweetness and opt for non-dairy, which is usually coconut milk.

The Royal Hawaiian Centre has a food court, restaurants, and a number of shops, like Royal Hawaiian Quilt, where I went initially to look for a dress for my niece. Wade got some nice 100% cotton shirts with Hawai’ian prints for his dad, his son, and himself.

House of Mana Up showcases Hawai’ian artisans. This is where I found a Hanalei travel poster for Wade’s dad, for his birthday. I saw Nick Kuchar’s stall at a fair, which didn’t have very many posters of Kaua’i. So I was happy to find one of Hanalei Bay at House of Mana Up.

I also dropped by Dean & Deluca, which is so popular with Japanese tourists. I like the one over at Ritz-Carlton; it’s more spacious and less busy. I’ve been there a couple of time for a bite to eat and to get some work done on my laptop. Before I left O’ahu, I also picked up a couple of their reusable cotton shopping bags for souvenirs.

Out of all the souvenirs and gifts I got, I was most excited and happy about weaving my own bracelet.

Lauhala weaving has been in every Hawaiian family since the beginning of time — for thousands of years.

Pohaku Kaho‘ohanohan, master weaver and kumu (teacher), Maui Magazine

Lauhala Weaving Class

The two long tables were mostly full by the time I arrived. I got a little lost between the buildings of the Royal Hawaiian Centre though I was still early for the class. I sat next to a family of four. The parents were going to make bracelets with the two kids. We were each given a few lengths of leaves from the hala tree (Pandanus tectorius). We first measured how big a round we needed for our wrist. The teacher came by to check on everyone, adjusting as needed. Then he showed us how to get started with the basic checkerboard patterns.

I loved it, and found it meditative, watching the band emerge.

When people were done, they lined up for the instructor to do the finishing for us, using some special tools. I love mine and I wanted to return with Wade to make one for him. That class, even though I went much earlier, was completely full. I even stuck around to see if anyone dropped out. No one did, so instead I went to Royal Hawaiian Quilts, where I bought a pencil case and a pillow case as souvenirs.

Royal Hawaiian Centre
2201 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu
website