Napa teen celebrates grads by making, selling money leis

Moises, with some help from his mother, has built a business making custom graduation leis. Using ribbons of any color, he braids together multiple strands to match school colors.

On top of that, Moises can also add paper money, such as $1s, $5s or even $20s to the leis. The bills are folded into intricate medallions and other shapes such as stars and butterflies.

“I always like doing things with my hands and being crafty,” said Moises Padilla, who is 15 and goes to Napa High School.

When his mother Laura Padilla first mentioned the idea of making and selling leis, Moises figured it would be a good way to make some extra money.

“My first year I sold maybe five leis,” he said. “But I liked it and just kept going the next year.”

Since then, Moises has made and sold hundreds of the garlands to graduates of all ages, from kindergarten to college.

“Over the years we just kept adding and making things that are a little different,” such as varieties of ribbon and braiding techniques, he explained. “And people like really liked it.”

The school colors for local high schools, such as the blue and gold of Napa High and the burgundy and gold of Vintage, are the most popular, according Moises. But he’s also made leis for other schools in and around the Napa Valley. He’s even made woven leis for “graduating” kindergartners, including those at his alma mater, Sunrise Montessori.

Making the leis takes his mind off of things, said Moises. At the same time, when he gets lots of orders that need to be finished on a deadline, it can be stressful. Sometimes his siblings will help him braid the ribbons.

This year he expects to sell more than 100 of the garlands via his business T.P. Crafts.

The custom of wearing leis likely originated with indigenous Hawaiians, but other cultures also make, and give, traditional garlands and leis. Today, leis certainly have become a popular accessory for graduates or celebrants of all ages.

People celebrating those grads continue to spend strongly, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual graduation gift survey. From that survey, 36% of respondents plan to buy a gift for a high school or college graduate in 2023. An estimated 52% said they planned to give cash.

Laura Padilla said that the cost of their leis start at about $26 for a woven lei with one cash flower. The amount of money added to the lei is up to the buyer, they said. It could be a $1 bill, or a $20, or more. For example, one lei order featured more than $100 in cash “decorations.”

The paper money is not cut, it’s only folded. According to Laura Padilla, most kids take the money off the lei. It’s another way of giving the graduate a cash gift, she noted.

While she usually gets the cash from a local bank, she can’t request brand-new bills; instead, she uses what she gets. Some customers like to provide the cash in advance. The ribbon comes from Amazon, usually on 100-yard spools.

Moises said he and his mother get ideas for making different leis from a variety of online sites. For example, he learned how to fold elaborate paper money decorations by watching YouTube videos.

Laura Padilla said that she handles the business side of the lei-making operation, including managing her son’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

However, Moises is responsible for paying for his materials. He’s also required to save half of his earnings; the other half is his to spend on what he chooses, like soccer cleats. Moises plays on Napa United’s under-16 team, practicing four days a week and playing games on weekends.

“He doesn’t have a lot of free time,” said Laura Padilla.

Moises said he usually makes the leis in an assembly line but estimated it takes him about 45 minutes to an hour to make each one.

The lei-making business can expand. One new idea the family has is to make ribbon leis for other events, such as birthdays or vacations. They can even make Disneyland-themed leis, with colors representing certain characters or animals. “We’re at the very beginning stages” of that plan, said Laura Padilla.

Moises said that in the end, he realizes he’s making a keepsake, something that the student will probably keep for a long time, along with other graduation memorabilia such as the tassel and cap.

There’s more to the lei than just the money, he said. “It’s a memory.”