Kapa Workshops
Discounts applied to groups 2 or more
Now accepting groups up to 20 people!
For groups larger than 4 or for more information
call 808-536-9800 or email pukoastudios@gmail.com
Want us to come to your location? No problem, we can accommodate up to 20 students in an appropriate location of your choice!
Learn how to create beautiful, unique pieces of Hawaiʻiʻs traditional fabric from the bark of the Wauke tree. Connect to the earth and our culture with artist and Kapa maker, Kumu Page "Pūko‘a" Chang. Harvest and process plants grown by Pūkoʻa and pound Kapa in her Waimānalo garden surrounded by Wauke and Kukui trees.
- Come for a private session or small group
- Bring the whole family for a reunion or birthday
- Bring your office coworkers for a day of team building
- Bring your bridal party to create unique gifts or wedding accessories
- Bring friends and family to create ceremonial pieces
- Take one class, or schedule a Kapa Intensive for all classes in one week
- Sooo many options!
Once you have completed the Introduction to Kapa Making Workshop, you can schedule Advanced Kapa Making, Kapa Tool Making, Dye Making, and Kapala Making and Design.
Introduction to Kapa Making (Available Morning and afternoon sessions)
Process Wauke from farm to Kua La‘au. 3 Hour Session
Class size: 1-10 participants
Each guest leaves with their own handmade piece of Kapa
Advanced Kapa Making
(Available Morning and afternoon sessions)
*Advanced Kapa making class is available to students who have completed Introduction to Kapa workshop with Kumu Page, or have previous Kapa making experience.
If the Kapa bug has bitten, you need to come pound another piece! Advanced Kapa making gives you the opportunity to jump right in to processing more Kapa. Because Kapa needs to ferment and is created in stages, itʻs necessary to schedule 2 sessions to complete a single piece.
Session 1: You will harvest a tree of your choice, and peel and pound the bark into mo‘omo‘o, which you will take home to ferment. Of course tool prep and maintenance will also be performed, as well as spending a bit of time in the mala. Kumu Page will guide you, as well as provide all tools necessary.
Session 2: You will return to Waimanalo with your stinky, fermented mo‘omo‘o, and using the provided traditional tools, transform it into a sheet of Kapa. Tool prep and maintenance will be performed. Kumu Page will guide you and will provide all tools necessary.
2 sessions 3 hrs ea $200 (total)-please sign up for one session, we will determine the date of 2nd session at that time, as well as collect remaining balance.
Dye Making
(Available Morning and afternoon sessions)
*Dye making class is available to students who have completed a Kapa workshop with Kumu Page, or have previous Kapa making experience.
Come join the fun of reactive dye making! Natural dyes are a joy to work with and offer tons of experimental opportunities. With a few tweaks, you can achieve a broad range of color from one single plant! Iʻll provide everything you need to awaken your inner creative mad scientist!
3 hour Session
Dye making is seasonal, so the actual dyes will vary. Both native and non-native plants will be used. Dyes may include:
‘Uki‘uki, ‘Olena, Ma‘o, Indigo, Mahogany, Kukui bark, Kukui Soot, Achiote, Avocado, Noni, Ma‘o, Butterfly Pea, Logwood.
Students will take home three 4oz jars of dyes that they have made from scratch, and 3 Tea Towels provided to test the dyes. Students are encouraged to bring their own Kapa or other textile for dying.
Tool Making
*Tool making classes are available to students who have completed a Kapa workshop with Kumu Page, or have previous Kapa making experience.
Hohoa and Kua La‘au (Available afternoon session only)
Students will carve the round wooden mallet used for the first pounding and the Kua La‘au, the wooden anvil used in the final pounding. Both hand and power tools will be used.
4 hour Session (Please sign up for the 1pm-4pm slot, which will extend to 5pm)
* An additional material charge of $50 will be collected at the workshop
I‘e Kuku Carving (Available afternoon session only)
Students will carve the square mallet used in the final phase of kapa pounding. At least one side of the pu‘ili, grooves, will be completed. Students will take home their own ie kuku, and carving tools to complete all 4 sides on their own.
4 hrs
* An additional material charge of $50 will be collected at the workshop
Kapala Design (Available Morning and afternoon sessions)
Students will hand carve bamboo into ‘Ohe Kapala, bamboo stamps.Alternate materials will also be available to create various printmaking tools. Bring your own piece of Kapa to print, or use fabric and paper provided.Students will take home 3 Kapala.
3 hrs
* An additional material charge of $50 will be collected at the workshop