---
title: "Huỳnh Thị Mến, Rattan, seagrass and dó paper shades"
description: "Learned to weave from her mother. Weaves on wooden moulds so a set matches; one Hạ Chí shade takes two days."
canonical: https://denhachi.thenexova.cloud/en/workshop/makers/huynh-thi-men
lang: en
last-updated: 2026-10-05
---

![A Vietnamese woman in a conical hat and pink top weaves a bamboo frame in a workshop piled with woven baskets](/_astro/maker-hoa.C-dPTEtR_2f5Wu4.jpg)

Rattan, seagrass and dó paper shades

# Huỳnh Thị Mến

> Learned to weave from her mother. Weaves on wooden moulds so a set matches; one Hạ Chí shade takes two days.

Nguồn / Source: https://denhachi.thenexova.cloud/en/workshop/makers/huynh-thi-men


“Hang three shades side by side and you can see half a centimetre of difference, so every shade I make is woven on a mould.”

In the trade since

1996

Looks after

Rattan shades, Seagrass shades, Dó paper shades, Choosing paper and moisture sealing

Tools

Wooden weaving moulds, Rattan splitting knife, Weaving awl, Paste brush for paper, Sprayer for the moisture coat

Huỳnh Thị Mến learned to weave from her mother. Every shade that leaves the workshop goes through her hands: rattan, seagrass, and giấy dó (dó paper, made from the bark of the dó tree) laid over Lộc’s brass frames.

## What she does on a lamp

Mến weaves on wooden moulds. Each model and each size has its own, so the shades in a set match and a lamp ordered today matches one ordered last year. One 45 cm shade for the [Hạ Chí pendant](/en/collection/ha-chi) takes her two days: an open rattan weave, so light escapes sideways and patterns the wall. The [Đông Chí](/en/collection/dong-chi) bell is woven closed except for one open band. The seagrass shades of the [Lập Thu](/en/collection/lap-thu) and [Tiểu Mãn](/en/collection/tieu-man) are tighter still and push the light downwards.

She also chooses the dó paper. Paper shades are laid in two layers on the frame, so the light comes through evenly and you can still see the fibres. When a rattan or seagrass shade is finished, she sprays it with a matte moisture coat.

## Something she learned

She wove the first Tiểu Mãn sets freehand, without a mould. Three 24 cm shades in a row over a counter, and the middle one came out nearly a centimetre wider than the others, which you could see from across the room. She rewove the whole set. Since then every shade goes on a mould, even a single one.

## What she looks out for

She will tell you plainly where a shade cannot hang: rattan stays out of bathrooms and off verandas that catch the rain, and dó paper does not belong in a damp room. That is why the shades at the [Nhà Chín Phòng homestay](/en/projects/nha-chin-phong-homestay-da-lat) in Đà Lạt are sealed rattan, not paper. Caring for rattan means a wipe with a dry cloth once a month.

## What she has written

- [Rattan pendant lights: what to look for and how to keep them](/en/journal/rattan-pendant-lights-guide)
- [A bedside lamp in dó paper](/en/journal/do-paper-bedside-lamp)
- [Rattan, seagrass or bamboo: three fibres, three kinds of light](/en/journal/rattan-seagrass-or-bamboo-shades)
- [Rattan lamps in the rainy season](/en/journal/rattan-lamps-humidity-care)
- [Export rattan lamps and small-workshop lamps](/en/journal/export-rattan-lamps-vs-small-workshop)

More on our [rattan](/en/materials/rattan) and [dó paper](/en/materials/do-paper) materials pages.

## Meet in person

Spend 45 minutes at the workshop, see the lamps lit and talk to the people who make them.

[Book a visit](/en/visit-the-workshop)

## Articles by Huỳnh Thị Mến

- [22 Sept 2026Export rattan lamps and small-workshop lamps: where they differExport goods are made in batches to a foreign buyer's spec; a small workshop makes one lamp for one room. What to check in the weave, frame, cable and socket.](/en/journal/export-rattan-lamps-vs-small-workshop)
- [25 Aug 2026A bedside lamp in dó paper: light through bark paperDó paper is made from the bark of the dó tree: strong, fibrous, resistant to insects. Why light through it is soft, which bulbs to use, where to avoid it.](/en/journal/do-paper-bedside-lamp)
- [30 Jun 2026Rattan, seagrass or bamboo: three fibres, three kinds of lightRattan bends and can be woven open, so light escapes sideways. Seagrass weaves tight and sends light down. Bamboo is stiff and suits geometric shades.](/en/journal/rattan-seagrass-or-bamboo-shades)
- [12 May 2026Rattan lamps in the rainy season: preventing and treating mouldWhy rattan takes on moisture, where not to hang it, monthly cleaning, and what to do if spots appear on the shade. What our warranty covers.](/en/journal/rattan-lamps-humidity-care)
- [12 May 2026Rattan pendant lights: what to look for and how to keep themHow to tell a carefully woven shade, how rattan, seagrass and bamboo differ, damp-proofing, cleaning, and why a rattan lamp does not belong in a bathroom.](/en/journal/rattan-pendant-lights-guide)