Kalaga
 Myanmar kalaga tapestry involves an intricate weaving of coloured threads with appliqué work and lavish embellishment with gilded materials and semi precious gems to yield a picture. The art of Myanmar tapestry work is believed to have its beginnings during the time of King Alaungpaya in the 18th Century. At that time it was very roughly done, and some historians believe that better workmanship was introduced during his son's reign when Thai prisoners of war were brought to the new capital of Ava.The velvet panel is first backed with a sheet of rough cotton cloth to reinforce it, so that it can bear the weight of the embellishments without buckling in the heavier places. On this background, figures of human or animals are appliquéd on with metallic sequins. Cotton wools are stuffed under the appliqués so that the figures stood out in relief. The final touches come from carefully arranged coloured and mirrored-glass that have been cut or moulded to look like gems.  The tapestry is widely use as embellishments like wall-hangings, Marionettes, traditional Myanmar costumes for dance performers and Royal costumes.

Lotus & Silk Fabrics
With a strong tradition of weaving in the country, Myanmar has been long producing the best hand-woven silk and the most intricately woven tribal cottons in the world. However there is one form of weaving that is entirely unique to Burma – the lotus fabric or “Kyar Chi”. Myanmar weavers  use the lotus stem fibre to weave a silk like fabric. It originated 100 years ago when a girl plucked a lotus flower from the lake to offer at the Buddhist pagoda, and noticed a trail of fibre where she had cut the stem. She then used this fibre to spin and eventually weave into robes for a much loved and venerable Buddhist monk. The weaving soon caught on in the area and it is continued to this day in Inle Lake, but unheard of anywhere else in the world. The lotus fibre is still made for monk’ robes but also made into exclusive and rare pieces for the wider public.  Lotus silk is extremely rare, luxurious and soft. They are natural colour. Lotus silks are the rarest and most sacred fibre in the world.

Lacquer ware
Lacquer-ware is crafted from a mixture of the sap of the thitsi tree and ash applied on the surface of objects such as woven bamboo or wood.  The Bagan area is the best area for purchasing excellent quality products.

Pottery
Pottery has a long tradition in Myanmar. The light green glaze used in 11th century in Bagan was considered by ceramic experts to be unique to the country.  Old celadon kilns have been discovered by the hundreds in the Ayeyarwady delta.  The country’s main pottery production centre is Kyauk Myaung, a town on the Ayeyarwaddy River in upper Myanmar. A much older pottery producing centre is Twante, in the delta not far from Yangon. Smaller potteries are found all over the country, with various national races producing their own style of terracotta or glazed ware.

Minority Group textiles
Myanmar has more than 130 ethnic groups, many of them having their own traditional weaving methods. Most of the responsibility for weaving is taken by women in their leisure time while men normally spend their time farming, fishing or weaving baskets. The different ethnic groups also have their own distinct clothing styles, so different patterns can be seen on textiles throughout the country.

Gold Leaf
In Myanmar, gold-leaves are widely sold at the famous pagodas to gild the Buddha image or stupa with gold-leaf. This is the Myanmar tradition for meritorious deeds. The primary centre for gold leaf production in Myanmar is Mandalay. Sheets of gold are beaten into gossamer-thin pieces which are cut into squares and sold in packets to devotees to use for gilding images or even complete stupas. The typical gold-leaf square measures just 0.000127 cm, thinner than ink on the printed page. Gilding a Buddha image or a stupa with gold leaf brings great credit to the gilder, so there is a steady growth of gold leaf on many images in Myanmar.

Marionettes
In ancient times marionettes in Myanmar were more than the entertaining stringed puppets they are today. They were a form of medium to tell country folk in far-flung villages the happenings in the Capital. They were allowed safely to divulge bad news to the king when a live messenger would probably have had his head chopped off!  Marionettes first made their appearance on the cultural scene in the 15th century and reached the peak of popularity and power during the 18th century. The king patronised his own troupe, as did the queen, princes and other nobility. Other troupes would roam the country playing at Pagoda festivals, which are the country fairs of Myanmar.  These troupes would include in their performances scenarios of what was going on in court circles, including royal scandals.  The wooden dolls enjoyed great privileges, as in those days human dancers were not allowed on stage as it was considered disrespectful to stand higher than nobles or the elderly among the audience so they danced on the ground instead.   Today Mandalay is the centre of marionette puppet manufacture and the city holds traditional marionette theatre productions most evenings.

Other crafts found across the country include wood carving, silverware and jewellry.