Diwali is one of the most important Hindu festivals, celebrated all over India and beyond. It is a time to celebrate the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and the beginning of a new year. For those celebrating Diwali, they often clean their homes and then decorate with lights, paper or clay lanterns and patterned designs called rangoli made of chalk or colored sand. Today, we’re going to make our own take on these Diwali lanterns, or diya, using kite paper and glass jars!
Gather Your Lantern Supplies
- Waldorf Window Stars Paper
- Recycled glass jar
- Mod Podge or glue
- Glue brush
- Scissors
- Yarn or twine
Design And Craft Your Diwali Lantern
Draw a design onto your kite paper and cut out each piece. It can be as intricate or simple as you like. For consistency you can create a stencil and use that to make designs that are equal in size and shape. Bright colors are central to Diwali so choose brightly colored kite paper. Key colors are red, yellow, bright magenta, and pure blue.
Once your design is cut out you're ready to glue it to your recycled glass jar. Use your glue brush to cover the jar in mod podge. Carefully place each piece of your kite paper design onto the jar.
Place your lantern in a safe and sunny place to dry. Insert a tea light or candle into the jar. If your younger children want to carry this lantern we suggest using a battery powered tea light. Wrap your yarn around the neck of the jar and tie it off to create a handle. You can hang the lantern in a window or place it on your nature table to celebrate the triumph of light over dark!
Leave a comment