Niʻihau Shell Jewelry Workshop with Kai Hyde: Create a Pendant or Earrings

Join us at Waikīkī Community Center for a hands-on workshop with Niʻihau shell artisan Kai Hyde. With more than 33 years of experience, Kai will guide you through creating your own pendant or earrings while sharing his knowledge of these treasured shells and the meticulous craftsmanship behind Niʻihau shell jewelry.

Each shell is a small treasure, chosen and worked with care. This workshop offers an opportunity to slow down, learn directly from an experienced practitioner, and connect with the knowledge and traditions behind the piece you create.

Saturday, November 28, 2026
11:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Ages 18 and older • Limited to 24 students

Select one project when you register. Each ticket includes your selected jewelry kit and guided instruction during the workshop.

• Pendant Kit + Workshop — $40 per person
  Create a Pikake or Kipona pendant.
• Pikake Earring Kit + Workshop — $85 per person
  Create a pair of Pikake earrings.

Both options are offered at special community rates thanks to grant support. Additional fees apply when registering through Eventbrite.

This workshop is supported by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority’s Kūkulu Ola Project Grant, which helps WCC make Hawaiian cultural learning more accessible while supporting the practitioners who carry these traditions forward.

WCC’s cultural programming centers on moʻolelo—story—and the ways Hawaiian knowledge, values, and traditions are shared through the arts. The grant helps bring residents and visitors together in small-group experiences where they can learn directly from cultural practitioners, hear the meaning behind their work, and build connections through hands-on learning and conversation.

Your participation is about more than making a beautiful piece of jewelry. It supports a shared purpose: deepening appreciation for Hawaiian culture, strengthening community relationships, and helping cultural knowledge continue through practice and teaching.

Grant funding reduces participants' costs while ensuring Kai receives his full, regular fee for the materials, preparation, instruction, and expertise he brings to the workshop.

Kai Hyde is a Niʻihau shell lei maker, teacher, restorer, and appraiser with more than 33 years of experience working with Niʻihau shells. Inspired by his Tūtū’s shell collection, he began making lei by age 13. His work serves clients and museums worldwide, combining careful craftsmanship with deep knowledge of shell jewelry. Through his teaching, Kai shares his skills and passion to help carry this tradition forward.

Waikīkī Community Center
310 Paoakalani Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815

Room 203-A: Upstairs, air-conditioned classroom.
Accessibility: Stair access only; no elevator.
Parking: Free parking for workshop participants.

All registrations are non-refundable. If you cannot attend, you may transfer your registration to someone else. Please contact WCC at 808-923-1802 to arrange the transfer before the workshop. The attendee must be 18 or older.

Reserve your space through Eventbrite or call 808-923-1802.

Space is limited to 24 students across both ticket options.

Hosted by Waikīkī Community Center, a nonprofit caring for our community as ʻohana since 1978.

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Waikiki Community Center, 310 Paoakalani Avenue, Honolulu, United States

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