Handicrafts include a wide variety of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft, and applies to a wide range of creative and design activities that are related to making things with one's hands and skill, including work with textiles, moldable and rigid materials, paper, plant fibers, etc. Usually the term is applied to traditional techniques of creating items (whether for personal use or as products) that are both practical and aesthetic.
Handicrafts has its roots in the rural crafts of ancient civilizations and many specific crafts have been practiced for centuries, while others are modern inventions, or popularizations of crafts which were originally practiced in a limited geographic area.
Many handicraftsmen use natural, even entirely indigenous, materials while others may prefer modern, non-traditional materials, and even industrial materials. The individual artisanship of a hand-crafted item is the paramount criterion; those made by mass production or machines are not handicraft goods.
Handicrafts are creations of craftsmen and artisans. They can be made from a variety of materials like metal, wood, jute and bamboo.
The handicrafts industry in India is massive and prolific, significantly region-specific, and can range from robust coconut coir articles to delicate clay-craft and ceramics, and from rugged stone or metal-work to intricate embroidery and mirror-work on fabrics.
