Rare Hmong Beaded Necklaces

Hmong Beaded Necklaces Now Available on My Etsy Shop

By Hmong Creations Pang nya

Hmong toddler wearing a Hmong beaded necklace by Hmong Creations 2018

      

 
 
   Hmong beaded necklaces are rare.  To this day I have not see one in person.  A thorough google and facebook search gave me zero pictures so I couldn't share with you all how beautiful they are. I have seen pictures but sadly cannot recall where they were online.  If anyone has a photo they would like to share with me please do so and I will post it on here for others to see.  I would love to see the many creative kinds there are out there as everyone has their own way of making them.  

     I believe they originated from when necklaces would be made for hmong dolls.  A search of vintage Hmong dolls also came up short and I was not able to find many.  If you or a family friend has vintage dolls please take photos and upload them.  I need to go home and take photos of the 4 dolls my mom has at home. I didn't realize there actually are not very many pictures of vintage Hmong dolls at all online.  Please feel free to tag me at @hmongcreations on facebook. I would love to see them!  I remember seeing other children wear them when I was younger at new years.  I don't think any of my close relatives even own one.  It wasn't until I had my babies I started to search for them.  Not surprisingly no one makes them anymore.  So that inspired me to make my own version and share them with all of you.  

Hmong Clothes & Jewelry FB Group

Hmong Clothes & Jewelry FB Group

Pictures of Hmong traditional hmong dolls found on Facebook using the key term "hmong dolls".

     

     Back in 2016 I made some beaded necklaces.  I sold them for $70 each because of how long it took me to make each piece.  I am thinking about wanting to even repurchase them back because I just haven't had the energy to make more the same way.  If you purchased one in the past and you are now thinking about selling it I would love to buy it back. I am sad I didn't even save one for my daughter.  Maybe one of these days I'll muster up the energy to make more.  My 2016 version, each and every bead I strung on string and then sewed the pieces all together.  It took me multiple attempts to figure out how I would make it look as close to as the real hmong paug. 

"...not a 1 hour project...I loved making them..."

Hmong boy wearing a Hmong beaded necklace with a pink pendant by Hmong Creations. 2016.

Hmong boy wearing a Hmong beaded necklace with a green pendant by Hmong Creations. 2016.

Hmong beaded necklace by  HmongCreations 2016

Hmong beaded necklace by  HmongCreations 2016

       At that time I was very into resin.  I made so many items with resin and then I came up with the idea of making resin out of Hmong charms.  They are very light weight compared to actual Hmong charms.  So they are perfect for children to wear all day.  I wish you good luck if you ever decide to work with resin as it is quite tricky to get right.  I think the total time it took me to make each necklace was about 24 hours.  Making and painting the pendant alone was a 3-4 hour process but also a 24 hour waiting game for the resin to harden.  It is definitely not a 1 hour project. I loved making them and they were all so adorable.  I hope that all who purchased them will cherish and love them and pass them onto the next generation.

" They are very light weight..."

Hmong star with mold by Hmong Creations. 2018. 

Spirit lock mold by Hmong Creations. 2018. 

Hmong charm molds by Hmong Creations. 2018  

      Fast forward to today 2018, I have had a few request for beaded necklaces.  I decided I would give it another go and come up with a faster way of making these adorable necklaces.  They are not hard to make but process of making them is the longest.  I like working on projects I know I can get done in the same day.  Projects that take longer than a day stress me out.  In this case I wait 24 hours for the charms to cure and once I paint them I have to wait again.  

Hmong boy wearing beaded necklace by HmongCreations 2018

" I like working on projects I know I can get done the same day"

                                                                                    Hmong  beaded necklace by HmongCreations 2018

      This is my new design for 2018.  Maybe next year I will have another design or I'll stop making them all together.  This style makes it easier and faster for putting everything together. I have a few listed on my website Hmong Creations for $55. Each necklace has 2 spirit locks and 1 star.  I can also add more stars or paint the stars in more detail but I would charge extra.  These are one of a kind necklaces and no one necklace is exactly the same. This necklace is also easier to take on and off.  In the previous version you had to un-clip 2 clasps in the front which could be difficult if your baby won't stand still. With this new version you can just un-clip it in the back like a necklace. 

Hmong  beaded necklace by HmongCreations 2018 

Hmong  beaded necklace by HmongCreations 2018

     

      I really do hope you love this necklace as much as I do.  Another bonus is that it will never tarnish so you can keep it forever. Also it is made to fit about a 1 year old and up.  The necklace even fits me! I would say the round part of the necklace is about 18 inches.  There is an extended chain on there if you were to like it to hang lower on the chest. You can also clip it in the back with a safety pin to make it more of chocker necklace style for you or your baby. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9tAAWODTiw

Watch my son in live action wearing the Hmong beaded necklace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfhawv_UkjM

Watch me take out the hmong pieces from their molds.  

Do you have a rare hmong beaded necklace? 

Tag me @hmongcreations on facebook. 

I would love to see. 

 

Visit my Etsy Shop here > http://hmongcreations.etsy.com

Visit my Youtube Channel >  http://youtube.com/c/HmongCreationsLLC

Visit my Facebook Page here > https://www.facebook.com/hmongcreations

Visit my Instragam Page here > https://www.instagram.com/hmongcreations

Visit my Pinterest Page here >  https://www.pinterest.com/ptyang3

Subscribe to my blog at the top of the page to entered into my July Giveaway! 

Ends August 1st! 

Must check email to claim prize. Winner will also be announced on Hmong Creations on Facebook!

Thank you for visiting! See you again soon. Have a great day!

How to make the Hmong Purple Hat

Traditional Hmong Purple Hat Turban Tutorial

By Hmong Creations PangNya

Hmong Baby Girl dressed in traditional Hmong Green attire 1 week old. 2016

     

      This turban style was worn by Hmong from the area of Xieng Khouang, Laos.  There is an art to wrapping the purple head turban and to this day I still don't know how to do it.  I need to film my mom putting it on my sister one of these days.  You defiantly need an expert to do it or you'll end up with just a birds nest on your head.  I remember when we were younger my mom would spend a good 30 minutes carefully wrapping the long purple hemp fabric around our heads.  She was going for perfection and would redo it if it was to loose.  It had to be wrapped not too tight and not too loose.  I remember my mom would just tuck the end of the fabric in the back and it would be nice and secure and stay in for hours.  I also worried it would fall apart but it never did. It is an art that needs to be passed on from generation to generation as it is unique to the Hmong.  The turban is finished off with what is called the siv ceeb (she-king) a black and white smaller fabric that is wrapped carefully around the outer edge of the turban.  Looking on the web there is a lot of great information  about Hmong clothing from the Hmongembroidery.org website.  Please recommend any other sites with great information in the comments below  

" There is an art to wrapping the purple head turban..."

Mom and Daughter Left to right (Xai and Pangnya) in Traditional Hmong attire

       

     I believe it was in the 2000s that I was introduced to the purple hat turban that was already sewn in place.  I was in fifth grade I believe when my mom finally gave in and purchased each of us one.  I am carious who was the first to come up with the convenient idea.  Maybe it was a cluster of individuals all at once. If you know who, I would love to add a photo of her to my blog.  The styles has slightly change in that it is more flat at the top than round.  My mom says each hat maker has their unique style and you have to find the right one that will match your face.  If you look in the year 2000 photo my mom searched for round turban hats that made our faces longer. In 2015 we are wearing the ones I purchased from the Mee Mee Vue Shop.  As you can see it is flatter at the top so our a faces look even more chubby. 

 "each hat maker has their unique style"

Mother and daughter in Hmong traditional outfits. 2016. Left to right (Pangnya and Helen).

     

      The rest of this blog I will show you how I make the purple hat. I basically deconstructed a pre-made hat to learn its secrets.  With some of my own twists I was able to make this adorable turban for my baby before she was born.  I have to say if you want cute photos of your newborn you need to prepare the clothes before your baby is born.  There was no way I would have had the strength and energy to gather or make all the clothes after having my baby girl.  Just putting it on her was very time consuming and took a lot of energy out of me as you have to be very gentle and make sure your baby is in the right mood for a photo shoot.   I give my mom props for chasing us down and dressing all of us 4 children up every year!

Watch the video HERE or keep scrolling to seen pictures of the process.

Materials:

• Black fabric
• 1/2 inch foam
• Purple hemp (6 strips and 1 long strip)
• Scissors
• Needle
• Thread

First fold the foam in half and cut down at and angle in the middle. 

Next trim along that same edge to thin it out.  This edge will be the one facing down towards the face.

Lay the foam down onto your black fabric and cut in the center. 

Fold the fabric up and then hold it together while you sew it into place. 

Remember that the sewn part will be facing outwards and covered by the purple fabric. 

Next you want to sew on the front and back buns. 

Here I am sewing on the back bun.

Then cover the 2 crescent shaped foam with black fabric.

Now sew them on along the other edge.  Notice how I left the middle part open and just attached it to the side of the from bun but made them meet in the center of the bun. 

Then you lay 3 pieces of hemp on each side and sew them into place.  Don't worry about the top and bottom because the long piece will be cover that. 

Next wrap the long piece of hemp around the hat and tuck the ends in the back. 

Finish it off with a black and white piece of cloth. 

There you go! You did it!

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW

Do you think the art of wrapping the traditional purple hat is an important part of our culture that should be passed down from one generation to another? Share your thoughts in the comments!

 

Visit my Etsy Shop here > http://hmongcreations.etsy.com/ 
Visit my Youtube Channel >  http://youtube.com/c/HmongCreationsLLC

Visit my Facebook Page here > https://www.facebook.com/hmongcreations/!

Visit my Instragam Page here > https://www.instagram.com/hmongcreations/

Visit my Pinterest Page here >  https://www.pinterest.com/ptyang3/

Subscribe to my blog at the top of the page to entered into my July Giveaway! Ends August 1st! 

Must check email to claim prize. Winner will also be announced on Hmong Creations on Facebook!

Thank you for visiting! See you again soon. Have a great day!