[2] The recent and typical design of the non la was highly modeled after the coolies hat worn by Chinese laborers in British Malaya during the late 19th century.

[3] In Vietnam today, there are a number of traditional hat-making villages, including Đồng Di (Phú Vang), Dạ Lê (Hương Thủy), Trường Giang (Nông Cống), Phủ Cam (Huế), and Chuông (Thanh Oai - Hanoi).

The conical leaves are arranged on a frame consisting of small bamboo slats bent into an arc, pinned with thread, or silk or monofilament.

Nón lá is made by flattening each leaf, cutting the top diagonally with scissors, threading around 24 to 35 leaves together with a needle for one turn, and then equally arranging them on the hat mold.

In the next stage, the craftsman uses rope to tie the conical leaves that have been spread evenly on the mold with the hat frame together and then they begin to sew.