Unpainted Balancing Bamboo Dragonflies — Set of 10

Ten hand-shaped unpainted bamboo dragonflies, ready for your own brush or left in their natural grain. Each piece is split, shaped, sanded and tuned at the Liên Xoan workshop in Thạch Xá. The artisan has already set the balance — the craft no machine can do — so every dragonfly in the set rests on its beak straight out of the box.

The beak acts as the pivot. Set one on the tip of a dowel in a flowerpot, on the rim of a glass, or on the edge of a bookshelf, and the dragonfly floats.

What you get

• Ten (10) unpainted bamboo dragonflies
• Choose a size at checkout: 7 cm, 10 cm, 12 cm, or 15 cm wingspan — all ten pieces in the set are the same size
• Natural, unfinished bamboo — ready for paint, pyrography, or display as-is

How each unpainted bamboo dragonfly is made

Mature northern Vietnamese bamboo is split by hand along the grain into thin strips, shaped into wings, body and tail, sanded smooth, and tuned on the artisan’s fingertip until each piece balances without glue or counterweight. The sets are checked one by one before they leave the bench.

Details

• Material: Natural, unpainted bamboo.
• Sizes: 7 cm, 10 cm, 12 cm, or 15 cm wingspan (set of the same size).
• Care: Dry storage. If you paint, use water-based paints and keep strokes light along the grain.
• Origin: Handmade in Thôn Đồng Sống, Xã Tây Phương, Hà Nội, Vietnam.
• Each piece is unique — subtle variation in grain and colour is part of the material.

What the unpainted bamboo dragonfly set is good for

Classroom craft and painting projects, scout troops and nature clubs, children’s birthday activity favours, wedding table decoration, workshop demos, and anyone who wants ten starting points for a slow afternoon of painting.

Teachers, youth groups and resellers — write to us for wholesale pricing on larger sets.

A craft kit straight from the village

Ten blank canvases that already balance. Paint them at a birthday party, a classroom art hour, or a slow Sunday at the kitchen table — or leave the natural grain exactly as it is. As an eco-friendly craft kit or a handmade gift from Vietnam, it does both jobs: an activity first, a keepsake after.

Frequently asked questions

How do the dragonflies balance?

The weight sits in the forewings, ahead of the beak, so the centre of gravity falls directly under the tip. No glue, no magnets — here is the physics behind it.

Can I paint them myself?

Yes — that is half the point. The bamboo is sanded smooth and takes acrylic, watercolour, markers, or pyrography. Use light coats; if the balance drifts a touch after heavy paint, re-tuning takes a minute.

Should I choose painted or unpainted?

Unpainted suits craft projects and quieter, natural decor; painted arrives finished. We wrote a short guide on choosing between painted and natural.

Do you ship internationally?

Yes — sets pack flat and ship worldwide from Hanoi. See how we ship overseas.

Is this suitable for children?

Yes — painting and balancing bamboo dragonflies is a classic activity for kids and adults alike. Young children should play under supervision, as the beak tip is thin.

Why buy from our shop instead of a marketplace?

You pay less here — marketplaces add their fees on top of our workshop price — and direct orders often include a small bonus from the bench. Personalised engraving and several sets are only sold on this site, and every direct order supports the Liên Xoan family atelier in full.