Bamboo is fairly easy to propagate from cuttings. Here are some helpful step-by-step tips and instructions.

Make a 45-degree-angle cut with your sharp knife or scissors near the top of the plant from which you are taking your sample. Make sure the cutting will have at least four or five leaves below the top of the bamboo cutting. You should have at least two-and-a-half nodes (notches or rings around your bamboo plant) after making your cutting.

2
Place your new cutting in a glass of water, all the way up to the edge of the half node (leaving the other two notches/nodes above the water) and do not place it in direct sunlight.

3
Place your bamboo shoot in a pot with potting soil mixed with sand or any loamy type of potting mix up to the beginning of the half node, as another way to start your new bamboo plant. Cover with plastic for about a month, water several times a week and remove the plastic to provide fresh air.

4
In about three weeks you should start to see roots. You can quicken the process by using a rooting compound, but be sure to not use it at full strength so as not to burn your bamboo cuttings.

5
Place your rooting bamboo into a small pot of loamy potting soil once roots appear. Water regularly, allowing your plant to drying out a bit in between watering.

6
Leave your plant in its original container until it starts to get some size, then transplant into a large container with loamy soil, being careful not to disturb the roots.

You should only take cuttings from well-established bamboo plants--preferably at least two years old--so that they have plenty of healthy green leaves. Do not use tap water unless you know that your water does not have fluorine. Fluorine can cause root rot or kill the root before it even has a chance to grow. If you are not sure if your water contains fluorine, use distilled water first. Some people like to place their bamboo--once established--into glass vases or decorative glasses. Make sure to use growing medium such as coconut hair or rocks. You will know you are on the right track when you start seeing fresh new green shoots coming from the areas of the two nodes above your soil or water.

Make sure you are ready to plant your new cutting right away, as new bamboo cuttings are subject to shock if not planted immediately. Don't overwater your new cuttings or bamboo. They like to dry out from time to time.