Big Island of Hawaii Craft Classes

Enjoyed the tour and making a ti leaf lei!! Learning a technique our guide Kalani shared in making lei. He was very informative about the land and traditions and answers questions. We enjoyed hearing childhood stories. Thank you Kalani! We would recommend this experience on this beautiful ranch!

In a word... AMAZING!Amazing view... Amazing guide/instructor... Amazing experience. AND we took home two Amazing tikis carved by our own hands (with a little help from Mani).Who is Mani?? A 4th generation Master Carver, Mani Lavaka is a fantastic ambassador of Aloha and a tiki caring genius. We were picked up in the parking lot and got a quick ride through Aloha Adventure Farms on the way to Mani's shop/carving area.The view and the vibe was warm and welcoming. Mani took some time to explain the various tiki styles, what they represent, and showed us a view variations of tiki styles from the various pacific islands before we began carving.His instructions were clear, easy to follow and as Mani likes to say... "There is no oops" in tiki carving. He stressed that perfection isn't the key... carving, talk stories, relax and enjoy the experience. Mani assisted at every step of the process and then finished off the top/more ornate portions of our tiki per our requested imagery to give our tikis a nice, finished look. THEY ARE AMAZING!My next trip to Kona will certainly have me back carving tiki again, if not for the experience, but to also just hang out with Mani. Aloha!

Such an amazing experience learning how to make lei’s and about the culture highly recommend…..,.,,,

OMG, so much fun! We absolutely loved our carving session with Mani. Mani was great, such a good instructor. Probably my favorite experience on our trip.

I booked a birthday fun workshop for my wife and daughter with the talented people at Big Island Stained Glass. To my surprise, not only did they have a great time...they actually made and brought home very nice stained glass pieces. They both loved the experience and appreciated all the expertise and kindness given. Highly recommended!

I booked the stained glass workshop when other outdoor activities got cancelled due to weather, and luckily Sheri could accommodate me last minute. The creative process was very interesting and Sheri was very helpful guiding me through the steps. The class is taught at her home studio, which was easy to find following the instructions she sent. We did a brief intro, then I chose a pattern out of several very pretty ones available (fish, plumeria etc) and the colors of glass I wanted from a broad variety of options. The steps to make the object were clearly explained and I got to practice on my own as well as with help from Sheri. I really enjoyed the creative process and Sheri's instruction approach was helpful. I went home with a beautiful stained glass keepsake that I made (mostly) myself. I'd recommend this activity to anyone with a creative streak and a bit of patience.

We are crafty people and love to learn about local traditions when traveling. Poerava is an excellent teacher and we really enjoyed our time with her and her family. We wore our beautiful leis to the Volcano park after the visit and received so many compliments. This was a favorite experience on our trip and we hope to take weaving classes from Poerava on our next trip to the Big Island!

Amazing personalized experience weaving Hawaiian tradition and culture into a unique activity. Great for kids and adults. Not to be missed!

This was a 25th Wedding Anniversary present to my husband! Our experience was absolutely incredible!! Mani was so patient with a couple from Georgia!! We had the best time admiring his work & accomplishing our own! ( With a little help from Mani 😆) What an amazing time spent learning, hearing stories and soaking up the Aloha spirt up the mountain with Mani!! Hands down a must do when on the Island!! Our Tikis will be displayed to forever remember this experience!! Maholo & Aloha Mani(PS.. don’t tell your brother you received this review 😉😆😆)

Had an awesome time. Logan and Kulani did a great job teaching me how to make a Lei. They were very knowledgeable and patient with me during the whole process. They explained the Hawaiian culture which I loved and shared so many wonderful stories. They even shared Hawaiian food. (Yummy) Mahalo to my two new friends!!!

Incredibly beautiful location and kind people. We had a truly wonderful time learning to carve with Mani. It was an unforgettable experience and we appreciated his knowledge he shared about Tiki Gods and skill.

Very friendly, knowledgable, and fun! My “instructor” was a very knowledgable, local man who shared a lot of his interests and local information with me.

Sheri and Doug were wonderful teachers. Our Hawaii trip was totally rained out so we booked this stained-glass experience (inside). My granddaughter and I were thrilled at what we learned and made our stained glass to take home with us. Five stars. Would definitely recommend!

I booked a stained glass class with Big Island Stained Glass and was pleasantly surprised when a last-minute scheduling change meant I ended up with a private lesson. I really appreciated that they still held the class rather than cancelling.The instructors were patient, fun, and very encouraging—even with my less-than-steady hand. As a solo traveler, I felt welcomed and well taken care of. I had a great time and left with a beautiful stained glass tropical fish to take home!

Wonderful experience! I enjoyed every minute spent with Poerava. Wore my “floral crown” on the plane ride home and got many compliments. Would love to attend again when I return to the Big Island. 🌺

Our travel agent recommended this carving experience and we booked it and it was one of the best experiences we did on the island. Mani explained the history of tiki and then tought us how to carve our own. It was wonderful. My 12 year old wanted to go back and do it again just a couple days later. I highly recommend.