In the past, the sachets were made painstakingly by hand one stitch at a time, often into the evening with the help of candlelight. Consisting of a piece of cloth, sparkling beads and some scented cotton for filler, hsiang pao are easy to make, but it takes a great deal of skill to make them well.
她們先在布上描繪出喜歡的圖案，以繡花、或鑲珠、鑲亮片，或縫上其他顏色的碎布等方式，將香囊裝點得十分精美。從香包圖案和繡工的精美與否，可以看出製作者的手藝。