Handicrafts can be categorized based on the materials used and the techniques employed. Here are some common types:

Textile Crafts

• Weaving: Involves interlacing threads to create fabrics, rugs, and tapestries. Examples include hand-woven carpets and traditional fabrics like Ikat or Kente cloth.
• Embroidery: The art of decorating fabric with needle and thread, often creating intricate patterns. Famous examples include Indian Zardozi and Mexican Otomi embroidery.
• Knitting and Crocheting: Techniques for creating fabric by interlocking loops of yarn. Products include sweaters, scarves, and blankets.

Wood Crafts

• Carving: The process of shaping wood by cutting or chiseling. This includes sculptures, masks, and wooden furniture.
• Inlay Work: Involves embedding pieces of different materials like ivory, bone, or metals into the wood to create decorative patterns.
• Marquetry: A technique where thin layers of wood veneer are used to create intricate designs on furniture and boxes.

Pottery and Ceramics

• Earthenware: Handcrafted from clay and fired at low temperatures. Products include pots, bowls, and decorative items.
• Terracotta: A type of earthenware with a reddish-brown color, often used for sculptures and building materials.

Metal Crafts

• Jewelry Making: Artisans create jewelry using metals like gold, silver, and bronze, often incorporating gemstones and intricate designs.
• Metalwork: This includes crafting items like utensils, sculptures, and decorative items from metals. Techniques include forging, engraving, and repoussé (hammering metal from the reverse side).
• Filigree: A delicate metalwork technique where fine threads of metal are twisted and soldered together to create intricate patterns, often seen in jewelry.

Leather Crafts

• Tooling: Involves carving or embossing designs into leather, commonly seen in belts, wallets, and saddles.
• Leather Stamping: The process of imprinting designs onto leather using metal stamps.
• Hand-Stitching: Creating leather goods like bags, shoes, and accessories through manual stitching.

Paper Crafts

• Papier-Mache: A craft where paper is soaked in glue or paste and molded into shapes, then painted or decorated.
• Origami: The Japanese art of paper folding to create intricate designs and figures.
• Quilling: Involves rolling and shaping thin strips of paper to create decorative designs.

Glass Crafts

• Stained Glass: Pieces of colored glass are arranged and held together with lead strips to create windows and decorative panels.
• Glass Blowing: The art of shaping molten glass into various forms like vases, ornaments, and sculptures.

Stone Crafts

• Sculpting: Creating statues, figurines, and decorative objects by chiseling stone.
• Masonry: The craft of shaping and assembling stone for construction, often seen in historical buildings and monuments.
• Gemstone Carving: Creating intricate designs on precious or semi-precious stones for jewelry and decorative purposes.

Basketry and Weaving

• Basket Weaving: The art of interlacing materials like bamboo, reeds, or grasses to create baskets, mats, and containers.
• Mat Weaving: Creating mats or floor coverings using materials like palm leaves or jute.