Kauai entrepreneur crafts myriad of handmade items

Kari Villabrille is soft-spoken and industrious, and it looks as if there is no fanciful thing she can’t make by hand.

Through her business Liliana Christian, named after her children, she creates events, memorable centerpieces, party favors, jewelry, a myriad of lei and more.

"I’ve always been like that," she said, with leanings toward creating fun items and experiences. Little things make a big difference, she said, and keeping that in mind, she works "to make someone’s day special."

It’s difficult to characterize all that Villabrille does and makes, because her products and services are wide-ranging, and all are available by custom order.

Villabrille had worked for a company as a wedding coordinator, but left the position "and then continued on the side and actually opened up my own business" in 2011, she said.

Her clients’ needs vary. "If people are looking for coordination, I still do that, from start to finish," she said, but she also can work on components for events ranging from bridal and baby showers to weddings, family gatherings, luau and celebrations in general, she said.

"In Hawaii we tend to have a lot of celebrations and cultural events," she observed.

She has planned events at luxury resorts, but her work is done primarily in smaller venues. "I try to help people keep (plans) within their budget," Villabrille said, adding that on Kauai "we’re fortunate to have beautiful beaches and parks that we’re able to access without having to utilize a lot of extra funding."

She makes diaper cakes, which for the unaware are neither edible, nor are they actually cakes. They are centerpieces, typically for baby showers, constructed from disposable diapers and decorated according to a theme with flourishes that can include ribbons, candy, plushies (stuffed animals) and more items.

Small "cakes" using nine diapers start at $12, while prices for larger, more elaborate centerpieces would be higher-priced and dependent on a client’s budget.

Also for baby showers, Villabrille creates platters of "sushi" made from baby socks, onesies, washcloths and related items, sort of as a joke, because hapai women were long told to avoid eating raw fish. While some medical opinions on raw fish have changed, expectant mothers will still be able to enjoy Liliana Christian’s hand rolls and nigiri offerings without worry.

The faux food items she makes are primarily Asian-themed, but cupcakes and other types of food also are a possibility, she said.

Once those babies are born and photo shoots and birthday parties start getting planned, Liliana Christian offers themed items, such as decorated photo frames, "fairy" wands, decorative hairpins, jewelry and more.

Hairpins start at $3, while wands can vary widely in price. She made one with a lighted wand toy purchased at retail, adorning it with different elements and making it into an elaborate prop for a picture of her daughter, who was wearing a Tinkerbell costume. A wand like that would sell for $24, while a "basic wand with beads and tulle and ribbon would start at $12," she said.

"Kauai has so many more little-girl pageants" now, she said. Given all the props used in the pageants, "if you have a pageant child, it’s never-ending, unless they can get someone to make it. For me it’s fun," Villabrille said.

She doesn’t just make hairpins, jewelry and fairy wands for wee princesses, though.

Villabrille creates grown-up jewelry, as shown on her website. A pair of dangling earrings featuring Job’s-tears seeds would start at $12, which also is the starting price of coiled bracelets made from memory wire. The bracelets in her Pukana Aloha Collection range in price up to $24 or more, depending on what is used to make them. That can include natural gemstones such as mother of pearl, freshwater pearls, coral, amazonite, turquoise and Job’s-tear seeds, interspersed with assorted beads.

Lei making also is a Liliana Christian specialty. Villabrille was "very fortunate to take hula from inspirational women who taught us hands-on from the very beginning, to go out and gather," she said. Villabrille and her hula sisters learned the values behind gathering, "what we needed to look for, and to be gentle and not overpick," she said, citing lessons from kumu hula Maile Baird and the late kumu hula Hua­lani Kuu­lei.

"It’s so important to teach that to our children, the same cultural values that we were raised with," she said. "I can’t even describe how, as I look back, I am so thankful" for her kumu.

Villabrille was honored last year to be selected to ride in Kauai’s Kame­ha­meha Day Parade. "That was a dream," she said. "I was blessed to ride with my daughter." Villabrille and Skye Liliana Schumacher represented the island of Maui. For the parade, Villabrille made the haku, or arranged lei, for the horses she and her daughter rode, as well as maile lei and lei papale, or hat lei of ti leaves, for the escorts.

“Buy Local” runs on Aloha Fridays. Reach Erika Engle at 529-4303, erika@staradvertiser.com or on Twitter as @erikaengle.