Diwali is an exciting holiday for children, whether you are learning about it or celebrating it yourself. There are plenty of opportunities for fun, creativity - and crafting! Are you looking for simple crafts that kids can create on their own, or more complex projects that require adult assistance? Either way, there are many wonderful Diwali crafts to choose from, and we've chosen 12 of our favourites here, including peacocks and paper lanterns, sparkly rangoli designs, diyas and diy firework displays. No matter which activity you select, your children are sure to have a blast as they embrace all the colours, lights, and joy that this festive holiday brings! So gather up your supplies and get ready to create some unforgettable memories together. Happy Diwali!
First up is this lovely diya collage card. What is a diya? Diyas are traditional candle holders used during Diwali, usually made from clay or metal. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are often decorated with intricate designs or bright colors, and may be filled with oil or wax for lighting. They brighten the house at Diwali and welcome guests in. Gather your scraps together to make this pretty card - paper, ribbon, glitter and anything pretty, bright and sparkly will do! Of course the craft can be adapted for a variety of ages and it works just as well with a group of children as just one. And at the end of it, you will have a pretty Diwali card to give to friends or family too.
Diya Collage Card
Number 2 on our list is another diya craft. This one is a diya mobile. Imagine a whole classroom of these made in glittery, metallic paper, catching the light and sparkling as they twirl in the breeze!
Diya Mobile
Our third choice is this fun little "diya" made from an eathenware ramekin dish. We've used acrylic paints to decorate ours, but you could also break out the sparkly stickers if you want a completely mess-free craft and a simple job for little fingers. And won't the kids love seeing a tea light sparkling in their creation? You could use battery tea lights for safety, if you want to display these near the children.
Diya Tea Light Holder
For number 4 we've chosen this pretty glass painted candle holder. It's such a quick and easy Diwali craft that kids of all ages can enjoy, and it isn't too messy either. And as a bonus, it uses up those glass jars you have been storing away in the cupboard! We've kept our designs simple by you can really go to town with this one.
Glass Painted Candle Holder
For the ultimate sparkly Diwali candle holder, you could have a go at our number 5 Diwali craft - this beaded candle holder. Similar to our last craft idea, this one can really be dressed up in Diwali colours by using pretty red, pink, orange, blue and green beads! If you have glass beads and coloured wire to hand, your candle holder will be spot on.
Beaded Candle Holder
Now, for number 6, we move on to rangoli crafts! A rangoli is a decorative design placed on the floor near an entrance during special occasions, such as holidays or festivals, to welcome guests in. Rangoli involve intricate patterns and vibrant colours often incorporating flowers, geometric patterns, and intricate drawings of animals - and peacocks. You can learn all about rangoli, and see lots of examples, in our Rangoli section. We've picked a few rangoli crafts to showcase here, starting with this rangoli made from coloured sand.
Coloured Sand Rangoli
We've picked another rangoli craft idea for number 7 on our list. If the weather is nice enough to get the kids outdoors, you might want to have a go at our Outdoor Rangoli instead. But beware! Ours lasted rather too long, despite being drawn only in coloured chalk. If you have a spare paving stone, or even a sheet of corrugated cardboard, they might be a better surface.
Outdoor Rangoli
There is no getting round the fact that a rangoli craft can be a bit messy! If you want to try a rangoli activity that won't create a mess, why not have a go at this one? We used tiny craft pompoms together with these printable "make a rangoli" pages and "painted" our designs. You could also use tiny fuse beads (hama beads), although you will end up with a jumble of colours at the end!
Make a Rangoli 1 and Make a Rangoli 2
Number 9 on our list is something a little different, and it's perfect for older children. While not particularly a Diwali craft, we think that it makes a good "India" themed activity and it allows children to get really creative. These henna hand prints make a wonderful display, too!
Henna Hand Print
There is something very satisfying about this candle craft, which is why we have chosen it for our number 10. Pressing drawing pins (push pins) into the candle wax is really fun! Younger children can go random with their pattern like Sam did, here. Older kids can get really creative. We've used multi-coloured drawing pins but a red church candle with a gold or silver design would look superb for Diwali.
Drawing Pin Decorative Candle
Our number 11 choice for best Diwali craft are these wonderful paper collage peacocks! Shelly and her kids made three different versions, so there is one for every age group here. Dress up the peacocks in the colours of Diwali, decorate them with glass beads and craft jewels, and put them on display. Lovely!
Paper Collage Peacocks
And our final choice of Diwali craft? Well, we have to have some fireworks, don't we? Grab your brightest glitter colours - red and pink and blue and gold and silver and green - and let the kids mimic a sky full of fireworks while making their own fireworks pictures to display.
Glittery Fireworks
I hope that's given you some ideas! If you need more, why not explore our Diwali Crafts, Fireworks Crafts and Peacock Crafts sections? There are plenty more ideas to discover, many of which can be adapted to different age groups. And of course for children who enjoy a little quiet and mindful colouring, we have a huge collection of Diwali colouring activities to explore too.
