Made in Laos
Laos’ ethnic groups (160 ethnic subgroups within 50 ethnic groups) practice a variety of traditional arts, including silk & cotton weaving, dyeing, embroidery, applique, basket weaving and carving. You won’t find the same mass-produced trinkets in hundreds of stalls all over the country. Instead, regional crafts and products made by hand make shopping a one-of-a-kind experience. Here’s a guide to some interesting, locally made popular Lao products.
Handwoven Textiles
Handwoven textiles from Laos are typically made with silk or cotton. The colorful textiles have distinct characteristics, depending upon the region from which they come from.
They are popularly made into Sinhs, which are long skirts worn by Lao women in their daily lives and are also commonly often embroidered magnificently as shoulder scarves and shawls. Cotton cloth is widely used as bedding, pillowcases, and tablecloths.
Pottery
The talented and skillful hands of Laos women are the main factors contributing to the creation of good quality and long service life ceramic products such as ceramic jars, vases, bowls, plates, or floor tiles.
Many villages in Laos focus on preserving and developing pottery traditions. Women are the main workforce to create traditional pottery. The techniques are passed down from mother to daughter through generations.
Wooden Handicrafts
Handicrafts made from wood have been popular in Laos for a long time and are created using local wisdom and exquisite skills passed down through the ages.
Wooden handicraft production takes place throughout the country from large household items such as cabinets, tables, and beds, all the way to small household utensils and decorative items. Ban Nong Beung in Champasak Province, is a famous village known for carving wood. You would find most villagers steadfastly carving wood into various shapes such as animals, people, and stories of local life.
Tribal Wares
A part of the Lao population is made up of tribal peoples. They include the Hmong, Yao, Akha, Lahu, Lanten, and Khmu. These tribes still live their traditional lifestyles, retaining various unique handicraft-making skills that have practical applications in their daily lives.
Tribal crafts vary greatly and include clothing, hats, bags, metallic jewelry, jewelry decorated with seeds, textiles, tablecloths, bedclothes, coasters, and placemats. Each tribe produces items in their own unique color schemes and designs.
Silver
Lao silversmiths is renowned to have great skill in completing detailed work with the precious metal, fabricating beautiful traditional designs that have been passed down through generations.
Silver is a symbol of wealth, especially silver jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings, which carry designs called “Lai Dok Pikoun,” which are popular among the Lao as they are associated with high social standing. In addition to jewelry, products made from silver include utensils, kitchenware, Buddha statues, and decorative objects.
Bamboo Basketry
Bamboo is a plant that is found throughout the country. Most people are quite skilled at weaving bamboo into containers and utensils such as fans, baskets, bags, and kitchen implement.
You can attend a bamboo and rattan weaving session in some shops or Ba Nalao (a cluster of 6 villages) to learn the techniques, and weave a fan, or even a small basket, within half a day.
Mulberry Paper
Mulberry paper products from Laos are quite varied in type and form. They are created from the paper mulberry plant, and once the bark has been turned into paper it is tough and durable. Because of its durability it is widely used to create souvenirs and decorative items such as notebooks, lamps, umbrellas, and even paintings.
