Sapa: Private Hmong Batik and Embroidery with Local Artisans

We start in the morning after arriving at Indigo Snail Boutique Homestay, Ta Van village. We have been practicing the traditional techniques for many years and will share our knowledge with you. First, we do batik. You will be given 2 pieces of cloth. The first piece is made using traditional Hmong symbols in hot wax using a bamboo tool. The second piece, you are free to create your own design.

The next step is the process of natural indigo dyeing; the cloth is dipped in the dye vat that we prepare. It takes time as the process requires many dips and the cloths need to rest between dips. Repeated dips deepen the color and make the dye long-lasting. The wax will later be boiled out of it, so you will have your finished pieces by the next morning at the earliest, or normally after 2-3 days. If you don't stay at my home, then I will send the finished pieces to your address in Sapa.

Enjoy a home-cooked lunch. In the afternoon, you will learn Hmong embroidery. You will be given a piece of cloth and detailed instructions to embroider some patterns to create a bracelet.

Don't worry if you've never done batik or embroidery before! I will show you step-by-step.