Handwoven Silk and Cotton

       
Not long after arriving in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand, I developed a fascination with the art of hand weaving silk, cotton and hemp fabrics. In my native country, Australia, this process is only ever witnessed in museums and craft fairs. But here, in the north of Thailand, hand looms are a common sight, the tradition having been passed down from mother to daughter, for countless generations.

     I was looking to start a business here, something in which I could involve my wife and her family, and I decided to start a website with the focus on locally produced, handwoven silk, cotton and hemp fabrics. It took nearly a year to find the right suppliers, someone to create our range of handbags, shoulder bags, totes and purses, and get our website up and running.

 We launched our website, "Lanna Charm", on the 3rd of January, 2007.

                  Although we source most of our fabrics locally, and our bags are handmade by a family here in Chiang Rai, we do a lot of traveling around south-east Asia, looking for new and interesting products for the website. So far I have been to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, Myanmar, Malaysia, India and Singapore, as well as a recent trip to Nepal and Tibet. Also I do many miles driving around the north of Thailand, one of my favorite areas being the Mekong River, forming the border with Laos.

                 Rather than just buy our products from a "middle man", we prefer to go out to the weaving villages and deal directly with the people who do the actual weaving. This way we know they are receiving a fair price for their product, and we are adding to the local economy. 

                 Most of the handwoven cotton used to make our range of handbags, shoulder bags, totes and purses comes from Ruammit Village, just a short drive west of Chiang Rai, on the banks of the beautiful Kok River. Also known as "the elephant camp", this pretty little village is mainly populated by Karen hilltribe people, but there are other hilltribe folk here as well. (In fact the name "Ruammit" itself  actually means something like "many different people".)

                 We like to use the cotton that the Karen people weave, because it is not only tough and durable, but has very intricate and unique designs woven into it. We find it is ideal for making bags and purses. Also the Karen are so honest and hardworking, a pleasure to deal with.

                 The Chiang Khong area is another happy hunting ground for genuine, traditional  handwoven cotton fabrics, as is the districts of Nan and Lampang.
 

 

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We recently added bamboo rice containers to our range of handcrafted home decor products.

These beautiful and versatile containers are created by hand weaving strips of bamboo into the basic shape of the finished product, which is then plastered, hand sanded and finally hand painted and lacquered. The lids are made in the same manner. They are a simple "push on" lid, and are held in place by making a knot in the carry cord.

They are available in a wide range of shapes, sizes, colors and designs, and look great around the home or office.
Their many uses include storage vessels for such things as coffee, tea, sugar, salt etc, or just about anything you can think of. Becoming very popular in restaurants as both condiment holders or simply as decor.

The bamboo rice containers displayed on our website are sold on a retail basis, but if you would like a wholesale price please contact us at
sales@lannacharm.com for more details. We offer up to 50% discount on orders of 10 items or more !



















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"Mia" is the latest model in our range of genuine, handwoven silk handbags.

These beautiful and durable bags are handcrafted from pure, handwoven silk fabric from Luang Prabang in northern Laos.

Each bag is unique, and available in limited numbers, as they are handmade using individual pieces of silk, handwoven in the traditional manner.

Mia's features include stylish chrome steel handles, and cotton lining with a zip pocket for your valuables.

Another feature is the different patterns on the front and back of the bag.

Dimensions : 11" Wide and 15" High (including the handles)



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Beautiful wood carvings from Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. Home decor and furniture available to wholesale buyers. Exporting services provided, including packing, Customs and shipping. Please contact sales@lannacharm.com for details.



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Below are just some of the many different types of hemp fabric we use to make our handbags, shoulder bags, totes and purses.
The rolls we use are 12" - 14" wide and up to 30 feet long, which are ideal for making bags etc.
Wider rolls are available, they are 1 yard wide.















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This beautiful stone washed cotton is hand woven in Myanmar, then the stone washing is carried out in Thailand.
We use it for making handbags and shoulder bags but because it is so soft it would be perfect for making clothing and scarves.
The cotton fabric comes in rolls approximately 26 feet long and 3 feet wide, and is available in a wide range of colors.



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Thailand is a great place to shop if you are looking for home decor products, which covers a wide range of beautiful, locally produced Thai handicrafts, furniture and artworks.
Within our website you will find beautiful Thai artwork, hand painted on canvas, paper, and wood products like mirror cabinets and jewelry boxes. Also we have a wide range of mango wood products, soap flowers, bamboo rice containers, vases and candle holders, hand carved wooden wind chimes, painted wooden butterflies which hang on the wall, essential oils and celeron oil burners and much more.

We specialize in sourcing, purchasing, packing and shipping any of the wonderful handicraft products found in this area. If there is something special you are looking for please let us know and we will do our best to find it for you and supply you with all wholesale prices and shipping rates.

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Our range includes both useful and practical items of home decor which can really brighten up a room.
We believe the best forms of home decor are the ones which not only look good, but serve a purpose, like the teak wood mirrors, boxes which hold chopsticks and cutlery, wooden trays and bowls, and kitchen utensils like pepper grinders, salt and pepper shaker sets and mortar and pestles.
Many of our customers who retail our products are selling more and more natural timber kitchen utensils.

The beautiful painting above is actually the doors of a teak wood cabinet which holds a 20" x 24" mirror. (See more examples below)
These lovely examples of old Thai style art come in vast array of colors and designs, and in sizes from 6" x 9" up to 28" x 32".

Please contact us if you would like more information on any of our products -   sales@lannacharm.com

Teak wood painted mirror cabinet, 6" x 9", hang on wall or free-standing.





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Teak wood painted mirror cabinet, 10" x 13", hang on wall or free-standing.





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Teak wood painted mirror cabinet, 10" x 17", hang on wall or free-standing.





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Teak wood painted mirror cabinet, 20" x 24", hang on wall or free-standing. Painted on both sides of the door panels. Available in a wide range of designs.





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Teak wood painted mirror cabinet, 20" x 24", hang on wall or free-standing. Painted on both sides of the door panels. Available in a wide range of designs.



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Teak wood painted mirror cabinet, 28" x 32", hang on wall style. Painted on both sides of the door panels. Available in a wide range of designs.



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Thai artwork, painted on wood panels, canvas, paper. Many designs and styles. Please contact us for more information regarding wholesale prices, dimensions, packing & shipping - sales@lannacharm.com



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Below, acrylic on canvas.



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The two paintings below are on wood panels.





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The paintings below are acrylic on canvas.

















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Teak wood jewelry boxes, hand painted in traditional Thai style artwork.
The lid swings open to reveal the cavity for storing jewelry etc. Another example of a useful item of beautiful home decor.







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These hand carved teak wood trays feature traditional style Thai artwork, hand painted by very talented Thai artisans.
They can be used as a serving tray at the dinner table or displayed as home decor.





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Hand carved teak wood wall hanging featuring goldfish and lotus flowers. This one measures approx' 48" wide by 30" high.



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Bamboo is one of the most versatile and attractive building materials on the planet, and is widely used in Thailand to create beautiful home decor products such as bamboo rice containers and candle holders.
It is also used in the manufacturing of various other  items such as furniture, kitchen utensils, serving trays and soap dishes.



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Bamboo rice containers can be used to store nearly anything found in the kitchen, including grains, spices and dry foods.
They are also widely used in hotels and restaurants, and make a great addition to the dining room table.
Rice containers come in many shapes and sizes, from a tiny 4" tall up to the large 30" models.
Candle holders which take standard size tea-light candles come in a wide range of sizes, colors and designs and are another good example of a product which not only looks good but is useful as well.
Please contact us if you would like a catalog for any of our product range.

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Bamboo rice containers in a wide range of sizes, shapes, colors and designs.

 





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These beautiful and versatile containers are created by hand weaving strips of bamboo into the basic shape of the finished product, which is then "plastered" with a blend of teak sawdust and resin, sanded, and finally hand painted. ( The lids are made in the same manner. )
They were originally made to store sticky rice in, to keep it fresh and clean. Some restaurants in Thailand still serve their sticky rice in these containers.
They are surprisingly light considering how sturdy their construction. The lids simply push on, and are held in place by knotting the carry cord.
Our bamboo rice containers are available in a wide range of shapes, sizes, colors and designs, and look great around the home, and are one of the most useful items of home decor you will find.
The designs include traditional Buddha images, floral motifs, banana leaf and lotus leaf styles, geometric patterns and the beautiful "Lanna" language scripts.
Sizes range from the tiny ones you see on dining room tables, used as toothpick holders etc, to the large "urn" shapes which can reach six feet in height.
Their many uses include storage vessels for such things as coffee, tea, sugar, salt etc, or just about anything you can think of. Becoming very popular in restaurants as both condiment holders or simply as decor.
Of the many varied bamboo products on the market today, these very useful "rice containers" are my favorite.

Please contact us if you would like more information on any of our products -   sales@lannacharm.com

 Large urns, made in the same way as the rice containers.



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Smaller size rice containers are perfect for selling at markets and in gift shops.



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Can be ordered in sets, any number of rice containers and in any color or design. Custom orders are welcome.



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 Candle holders, 3" x 3". Also available in larger sizes and in many colors and designs.





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Windchimes come in all shapes and sizes and are adorned with beautiful wood carvings of elephants, turtles, dolphins, cats, rabbits and much more.





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Our handcrafted butterflies can really brighten up a room, either hung on the wall or from a piece of string as a mobile.

The body is made from teak wood and the wings are 3mm plywood, adorned with bright colors, mirror sequins and gold colored wire.

The body has a wire loop for hanging on a nail or hook.
The large size butterflies measure 11" long by 13" wide.
The smaller sizes are 5" x 6",  6" x 6" and 7" x 8".

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Large butterfly, 11" long x 13" wide.



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Pack of 3 butterflies, 5" x 6",  6" x 6" and 7" x 8".



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Small size butterflies, 5" x 6",  6" x 6" and 7" x 8".





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Another product we have in our range is essential oils, which can be used to refresh your potpourrie, as a massage oil, or in aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy is the art of healing using pure essential oils, which are the highly concentrated liquids derived from the flowers, leaves, stem, bark, roots and other elements of plants and fruits.
Essential oils are used to treat mental and physical imbalances through inhalation and externally as a massage aid.

We have a wide range of essential oils including : peach, honey suckle, frangipani, orchid, orange, jasmine, lemon, rosemary, strawberry, ocean, white rose, coconut, apple, lavender and English rose.
Our oils come in standard 5cc bottles but larger quantities are available as well.

Please contact us if you have any questions about our range of essential oils -  sales@lannacharm.com







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Celeron oil burner. Water and oil sits in the bowl on top, candle goes inside to heat the liquid.



Celadon is a term for ceramics denoting both a type of glaze and a ware of a specific color, also called celadon. This type of ware was invented in ancient China, primarily in Zhejiang Province. Celadon has since been spread to various regions in Asia, including northern Thailand.