Norigae Making Class in Seoul: Make Your Own Korean Charm

Travelers snapping photos in front of hanbok rental mirrors are part of Seoul’s scenery now. What comes next has changed, though. The hanbok goes back to the shop at the end of the day — but a norigae you knotted yourself, in colors you chose, rides home on your bag.

According to Creatrip, a travel platform for foreign visitors, bookings for traditional accessory workshops such as norigae and daenggi making rose about 23% in January–May 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier. Looking only at studios in the Hongdae area, where foreign visitors cluster, bookings more than doubled. The industry reads it as a shift from trips where you “try on” hanbok to trips where you “make and wear” the accessories. This guide covers what a norigae is, where to make one and what it costs, and how to actually wear the thing afterwards.

What is a norigae?

A norigae is a women’s ornament worn on the ties of a hanbok jacket or the waistband of the skirt. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture from the Academy of Korean Studies calls it the most varied women’s accessory of the Joseon era, one that added color and sparkle to an otherwise simple hanbok. Nobody knows exactly when it began, but it probably grew out of earlier customs — Silla waist pendants, and Goryeo belts hung with gold bells and scent pouches.

The easiest way to picture one is as three parts stacked vertically: a hook at the top, an ornament in the middle, a tassel hanging below.

🪢 Anatomy of a norigae (per the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture)

A norigae with one pendant is a danjak (single); three bundled together make a samjak norigae. Pendants were made of gold, silver, jade, jadeite, coral, amber or pearl, in shapes from animals (bats, butterflies, carp) to plants (eggplants, pomegranates) to everyday objects (a tiny knife called a jangdo, pouches, gourds). The knots and tassels used red, blue and yellow as the base, mixed with pink, light green and purple.

They were not purely decorative. The musk in a scent case was believed to keep snakes away and settle an upset stomach; the jangdo was for self-defense; the needle case held needles. At court, the queen wore a samjak norigae on celebratory days such as royal weddings and birthdays; ordinary families kept a silver samjak for weddings, put it away, then brought it out again for the next family wedding. A norigae was an heirloom passed down the generations, carrying wishes for wealth, many children, long life and everything going your way.

And what is a daenggi?

A daenggi is a ribbon of cloth tied at the end of a braid. Many norigae studios offer it too, so it is worth knowing. According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture, records from the Three Kingdoms period already describe braids decorated with silk and beads, and once braiding became widespread under Mongol influence in late Goryeo, the daenggi became a must-have.

🎀 What a daenggi's color and shape used to say (per the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture)

In effect, a daenggi told you at a glance whether someone was married, roughly how old they were, even whether they were in mourning. It faded from everyday life once short hair and Western-style ribbons arrived, and today you mostly see it with wedding attire or special hanbok. In workshops you usually make a daenggi-shaped name tag or hair tie.

Why are foreign visitors making norigae now?

Because Korean tradition is shifting from something you look at to something you make and carry. After the Netflix animation KPop Demon Hunters showed Korean traditional culture in a modern light, analysts noted a rise in overseas fans looking for its accessories and props, and reports said magpie- and tiger-shaped norigae were especially popular.

One detail stands out in the numbers. Japan leads bookings (30%), but the US (17%) and Europe (Germany, Italy, France, Poland, Spain and others, 17% combined) are not far behind, and analysts say North American and European travelers particularly favor hands-on experiences. In summer 2025, one traditional craft brand reported sales up nearly fivefold, with the US and Canada making up about 30% of them.

Where can you make a norigae in Seoul?

The studios easiest for foreigners to book are clustered in Hongdae, around Gyeongbokgung and Samcheong-dong, and in Haebangchon. Below are places listed with English instruction on foreigner-focused booking platforms (Creatrip, Klook) whose operating details could be confirmed.

📍 Norigae workshops you can book in English (booking pages as of October 2026)

Leesle Hanbok — if you are staying in Hongdae

It sits on an alley off Wausan-ro, walkable from Hongik University Station. The session is split into 30 minutes of choosing materials and 30 minutes of making, and listed opening hours are 11:30 to 19:30. You pay a deposit first and the difference on site depending on how many and which ornaments you choose — so the more you add, the more it costs.

📍 Open in Naver Map

Danha Hanbok — with a Gyeongbokgung and Bukchon day

East of Gyeongbokgung, on Palpan-gil at the edge of Samcheong-dong. You pick hanbok fabric to make a bojagi bag, then tie knots and add a tassel and pendant to finish a norigae to hang on it. Sessions start at 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 17:00 from Tuesday to Sunday; closed Mondays. If the minimum group size isn’t met the class is canceled with a full refund, and cancellations within two days of the visit are not refunded.

📍 Open in Naver Map

How does a norigae class work?

Choose materials → tie the knot → attach the tassel and pendant → wrap it up. That is usually the whole hour. No crafting skills needed: in most studios the instructor handles the trickiest part of the knot, and you take care of the color scheme and finishing.

• Choosing materials — Pick the knotting cord, tassel color and central pendant. This takes the longest, so arrive with a color idea in mind.
• Tying the knot — The traditional knot is the first and hardest step. You follow the instructor one loop at a time.
• Adding the tassel and pendant — Attach the hanging tassel and ornament, then adjust the length.
• Choosing a hook and wrapping — Say whether you want a hanbok hook or a bag/phone clasp and they will fit it. Many studios gift-wrap the finished piece.

How and where do you wear a norigae?

With a hanbok, on the jacket ties or the skirt waist; the rest of the time, on your bag or phone. Norigae were originally saved for big days such as weddings, but workshop pieces are often made small enough for daily use.

👘 Where to hang a norigae

Would rather buy one than make one?

Insadong is the easiest place to find them. Craft shops cluster there, so you can choose anything from knotted norigae to small bag-charm versions.

• Ssamzigil (44 Insadong-gil, 5 minutes’ walk from Anguk Station Exit 6) — a four-story craft mall selling designer-made crafts. Open 10:30–20:30. One-day classes such as bracelet and bead crafts are bookable through Naver Booking.
• Seoul Museum of Craft Art (4 Yulgok-ro 3-gil, 1 minute from Anguk Station Exit 1) — the first-floor shop sells craft goods. Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–18:00, closed Mondays. Good for picking a souvenir after the exhibitions.
• For the backstreets of Insadong, see Insadong the way locals see it.

📍 Open in Naver Map — Ssamzigil 📍 Open in Naver Map — Seoul Museum of Craft Art

Renting a hanbok for a day is a lovely thing to do, but a norigae knotted from colors you chose that afternoon will still be hanging from your bag years later, reminding you of the trip. That was always the point of a norigae: something you carry with you, wishing yourself luck. Curious about the Seoul scenes in KPop Demon Hunters? See our Seoul K-drama and film locations.