Commercial fuse is usually more reliable than homemade fuse, but for some purposes the reduced reliability is not really a problem. Paper tubes are commonly used for casings. Tubes can be found in many places. They can also be bought, and ofcourse, you can roll your own. A technique that takes some practice to do well, but can be very usefull.
Stars produce the majority of the effect of many items.
Shells, starmines, roman candles, etc. They consist of clumps of pyrotechnic composition held together by binders. Since so many devices depend on stars for their effects, mastering the art of making good stars can greatly improve the quality of your fireworks.