Toys Made from Bamboo
With a desire to bring creative toys made from pure Vietnamese materials to children, 61-year-old painter Nguyen Van Thach in Hanoi has turned bamboo trees in to artistic toys.
At his house in the old quarter of Hanoi, Thach and his wife daily cut and carve the bamboo trees bought from Quoc Oai district to make toys for his grandchildren and others. Thach said that his son suggested him creating eco-friendly items, so he started to make products from bamboo. At first, Thach just made the toys for his grandchildren to play with. When he posted the items online some people ordered them, so he continued to make toys for sale.
According to the artist, the process of making the toys includes several phases. The bamboo is cut into major and minor parts and related elements. Then the parts are smoothed and boiled in hydrogen peroxide for hours for the purpose of killing termites.
In the next phase, the artist uses tools to carve and assemble the parts into the shape of animals from folklore. The toys are painted to resist water and set out to dry.
Artist Thach said that he is very happy when many people from other provinces and cities, who saw his products online, have traveled to his workshop to learn the craft and the talented artist has become an inspiration to many students. Every summer vacation, his small workshop turns into a rendezvous place for children.
With a hope that his products will become a useful connection with the world of children, Thach has organized lessons to teach kids in Hanoi, even in remote areas in Vietnam how to make cute toys from bamboo.
