Kahana Designs

Close-up of tropical tree bark, the raw material behind Hawaiian kapa barkcloth
What Is Kapa? Hawaiian Barkcloth, Its Patterns and Meaning
Kapa is Hawaiian barkcloth — beaten from wauke bark, watermarked with carved wood, and stamped with bamboo. Here is how it was made, what its patterns meant, and why it... Read more...
Fire-knife dancers performing at a nighttime lūʻau celebration in Hawaiʻi
Celebrating the Holidays Hawaiian Style
From Mele Kalikimaka to backyard lūʻau, discover Hawaiian holiday traditions and how the islands celebrate every occasion with ʻohana, food, and the spirit of aloha. Read more...
New This Week at Kahana Designs — July 13
Six new handmade Hawaiian jewelry pieces dropped this week — puka shell necklaces, opihi awa rings, and lauhala bangles, all handcrafted in Kailua-Kona. Read more...
Palm trees wrapped in warm string Christmas lights glowing against a night sky in Hawaiʻi
Hawaiian Christmas Traditions (Mele Kalikimaka)
A warm guide to Hawaiian Christmas traditions — from the meaning of Mele Kalikimaka to Honolulu City Lights, canoe-paddling Santa, and holidays spent in the islands. Read more...
Lush green Hawaiian forest foliage where the kukui tree grows on the island slopes
Kukui Nut: The Meaning of Hawaiʻi's Light-Giving State Tree
The kukui, or candlenut, is Hawaiʻi's state tree and a lasting symbol of light and knowledge. Here's what it meant to Hawaiians — and what a kukui nut lei still... Read more...
A family walking together on a sunny beach carrying beach gear on a Hawaiʻi family vacation
Planning a Family Trip to Hawaiʻi
Planning a Hawaii family vacation? A local, ʻohana-first guide to choosing an island, when to go, what to pack, and how to travel with aloha and respect. Read more...
A family walking hand in hand along a tropical beach, evoking the meaning of ʻohana (family) in Hawaiʻi
What Ohana Really Means in Hawaiian Culture
The ohana meaning goes far beyond the word 'family.' Discover the roots, values, and living spirit of ʻohana in Hawaiian culture. Read more...
A Hawaiian green sea turtle (honu) basking on a beach in Honaunau on the Big Island of Hawaii
Honu: What the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle Means in Hawaiian Culture
What the honu, the Hawaiian green sea turtle, means in Hawaiian culture: a guardian, a symbol of wisdom and long life, and the legend of Kauila. Read more...
A woman wearing a purple and white orchid lei in a Honolulu park in Hawaiʻi
Best Hawaiʻi Gifts for Island Lovers
Looking for the best Hawaii gifts for island lovers? Our guide covers meaningful, locally-made ideas — from travel posters and wall art to lei, lauhala jewelry, and edible island treats. Read more...
The historic banyan tree spreading over Lahaina Banyan Court Park on Front Street in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaiʻi
Lahaina: Honoring Maui's Historic Heart
Lahaina history runs deep: a royal capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, a whaling port, and a town rebuilding after the 2023 fire. A respectful guide to Lahaina's past, present, and... Read more...
The Milky Way arching over a dark ocean beach at night, the kind of sky Hawaiian wayfinders read
Hawaiian Wayfinding: How Navigators Crossed the Pacific Without Instruments
How Hawaiian navigators crossed thousands of miles of open ocean with no compass, chart, or clock — the star compass, the four star lines, and the revival of wayfinding aboard... Read more...
Aerial view of Hanauma Bay, one of the most beautiful beaches in Hawaiʻi, on the island of Oʻahu
The Most Beautiful Beaches in Hawaiʻi
A guide to the most beautiful beaches in Hawaiʻi — from Lanikai and Hanauma Bay on Oʻahu to Poʻipū and Polihale on Kauaʻi — plus the meaning of the shore... Read more...
A cozy living room styled with framed wall art and lush tropical greenery, evoking Hawaiian home decor and island vibes in Hawaiʻi
Bring Island Vibes to Your Home
A warm guide to Hawaiian home decor — how to bring island vibes into any room with color, natural texture, greenery, and Hawaiʻi canvas wall art. Read more...
An assortment of tiny seashells arranged on pale sand, evoking the shells gathered for Niʻihau shell lei
Niʻihau Shell Lei: The Story Behind Hawaiʻi's Rarest Jewelry
Made from tiny shells gathered on Hawaiʻi's privately held Forbidden Isle, the Niʻihau shell lei is heirloom jewelry so rare it's the only shell in the world insured as a... Read more...
A gallery wall of four framed art prints arranged in a grid on a wall, illustrating how to decorate with Hawaiian wall art
How to Decorate with Hawaiian Wall Art
A practical guide to decorating with Hawaiian wall art — how to choose prints, arrange a gallery wall, pick sizes and frames, and bring island calm into any room. Read more...
Carved wooden kiʻi (akua god images) at Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau on Hawaiʻi Island, representing the Hawaiian gods
The Four Great Gods of Hawaiʻi
The four great Hawaiian gods — Kāne, Kū, Lono, and Kanaloa — shaped the Hawaiian world. Meet these major hawaiian gods, what they governed, and how they were worshipped. Read more...
The Alekoko “Menehune” Fishpond on Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi, a curved ancient stone-walled pond said to be built by the menehune
The Menehune: Hawaiʻi's Legendary Little People
Meet the menehune of Hawaii — the legendary little people said to build fishponds, ditches, and temples in a single night. Here is the lore, the real sites, and what... Read more...
A nighttime torchlight procession glowing in the dark, evoking the huakaʻi pō — the Night Marchers of Hawaiian legend in Hawaiʻi
The Night Marchers of Hawaiian Legend
The hawaii night marchers — huakaʻi pō — are ghostly processions of ancient warriors said to march the old trails after dark. Here is the legend, the lore, and how... Read more...
Ancient Hawaiian petroglyphs — human figures pecked into stone (kiʻi pōhaku)
Kiʻi Pōhaku: The Meaning of Hawaiian Petroglyphs
Kiʻi pōhaku — images in stone. What Hawaiian petroglyphs mean, the piko tradition at Puʻuloa, where to see them, and how they connect to kākau and kapa design. Read more...
Hawaiian hula dancer performing with a graceful hand gesture, flower in her hair and kukui nut lei, Hawaiʻi
Laka: Goddess of Hula
Meet Laka, the goddess of hula in Hawaiian tradition — patron of the dance, the forest, and the sacred kuahu altar. A warm, respectful guide to who she is and... Read more...
A full moon rising over the ocean, its light reflecting across the water toward a Hawaiʻi beach — an image of Hina, goddess of the moon
Hina: Hawaiian Goddess of the Moon
Meet Hina, the Hawaiian goddess of the moon — her legends, her many forms across Polynesia, and why she still shines over the islands tonight. Read more...
Green coastal mountains and valley on the Island of Hawaiʻi, representing ʻāina, the land at the heart of the Hawaiian language
20 Beautiful Hawaiian Words and What They Really Mean
A plain-language guide to 20 beautiful Hawaiian words — aloha, mahalo, ʻohana, pono, kuleana and more — and the deeper meanings they carry in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Read more...
Loco moco Hawaiian food t-shirt, Hawaiian food and drink design for island foodies
Hawaiian Food & Drink: Tees for Island Foodies
A guide to Hawaiian food and drink — plate lunch, loco moco, poke, malasadas, kalua pig, Kona coffee and more, the story behind local grinds, and tees for island foodies. Read more...
Plumeria lei Hawaiian floral t-shirt, Hawaiian flowers and nature design
Hawaiian Flowers & Nature: Tees That Bloom
A guide to Hawaiian flowers and nature — plumeria, hibiscus, bird of paradise, pikake and more, their meanings, and floral tees inspired by the islands’ endless bloom. Read more...

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