**8. Bamboo handicraft products**

Bamboo is known as one of the materials more versatile to the handicraft production because it is a raw material of easy acquisition, low-cost and demands simple tools in preparation. Besides, bamboo is also a material of high plasticity and easy to combine with other materials. Hence, it allows an artist to express his talent in several forms. Handicraft products with bamboo are exported mainly from Asian countries to other parts of the world. The excellent quality of these products is due to good qualification of the workforce and the availability of machines that assist the production process.

Bamboos are used for making skewers, chopsticks, boats, weapons, matchsticks, containers, poles, bows and arrows, rafts and fishing poles. Various craft products made of bamboo are baskets, tools, handles, hats, traditional toys, mat, flooring material, purses, bags, satchels, tea packaging, floor tiles, general household product, furniture, utensils, musical instruments, etc. Craft products are to be developed differently, marketed and promoted in innovative and various ways if they are to compete and survive in the international market. **Table 5** shows some typical bamboo species and parts used for this purpose [78].
