7 Last-minute Diwali Decor DIYs | Cheap + Easy Festive Makeover Ideas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb6K14uu54w&t=18s

October is bittersweet. It marks the end of pool season, but, gladly, also the beginning of festivities.

Since Diwali is here, let me show you how I decked up my home with some quick and easy DIY crafts mostly using recycled stuff many would call trash.

Seriously, I’m not kidding when I say that I spent a total of about Rs 330 on this Diwali project. I bought an acrylic paint set (Rs 79), a bottle of metallic gold paint (Rs 100), 100 grams each of orange and yellow fresh marigolds (Rs 35), mustard oil (used ¼ of a 1-liter pack worth Rs 157, so about Rs 40), cotton wicks (Rs 26) and a set of six tea light candles (Rs 50).

In this budget, I crafted:

1. A DIY Urli/flower bowl using an old clay pot (you can also use metal or plastic pots)

2. A hanging lamp using a mishti doi (sweetened yogurt) matka/urn

3. A Diwali-themed centerpiece using a fish bowl that never saw a fish

4. Tea cup diyas using, well, old china cups

5. Glass candles (aka, water candles) using glass tumblers (you can also use mason jars)

6. Lassi glass lamps using recycled clay tumblers

7. Tire art I like to call ‘lazy-daisy decor’, using a used tire a friend gave away

Let’s start with the most in-demand Diwali decor piece.

1. DIY Urli/flower bowl.

You will need: a large, wide-rimmed pot, some acrylic paint, candles or diyas, and some fresh flowers.

After cleaning it thoroughly, paint it the colour you want, perhaps in sync with your home décor or Diwali. Let it dry.

Once dry, add any design or flourishes to it. I added some mirrors from an old dupatta.

For final decoration, add water halfway to the Urli’s brim. Then, gently place the flowers in a pattern.

Make sure that you are using candles/diyas that are made of light material and will not get submerged in the water.

Check out the video to find out how it turned out in the end.

2. Hanging matka/urn lamp

You’ll need: an urn, some acrylic paint, twine or lace, and an LED candle.

I chose not the paint the urn as it was naturally such a pretty colour. So, I just drew some rough designs on it and added some mirrors.

Then, take two strands of twine/lace/rope (whichever you want) that are at least 2 to 2.5 feet long each. You’ll need the strings to be long as short ones will not give the best effect.

Tie the ends of each twine around the urn’s neck in a crisscross manner. It should look something like this:

Lastly, place a light inside it. It’s best to use battery-powered lights here to avoid any fire hazard.

3. Diwali-themed centerpiece using

You’ll need: a glass bowl, some flowers in contrasting colours, a candle stick and a candle stand.

The sky is the limit when it comes to flower arrangement centerpieces. Since I’m rooting for quick and easy crafts in this Diwali project, I’ll stick to just contrast-coloured marigolds.

Once the glass bowl is halfway filled, place the candle stand in the center. You can secure it with a tad bit of molten wax.

After that, just stick your candle in there and call it a day like I did, or add more flourishes, such as string lights, glitter, etc.

More importantly, though, please ensure safety if you’re using a real candle for this project. Open flames should never be left unattended, especially inside the house.

4. Tea cup diyas

You’ll need: cups or mugs that you no longer use, acrylic paint, mirrors, lamp oil, wicks and a transparent plastic lid.

If you’re using china cups like I did, it’s better to put a coat of primer before painting, especially if your plan includes bringing it in contact with water.

I usually stay away from mixing too many colours in one space, but Diwali is all about making your home colourful and bright. So, I painted my cups with the boldest colours I had at my disposal.

In retrospect, I didn’t enjoy the green cup, so I repainted it dark red.

Let those babies dry completely before applying more coats or designs.

This tattered, old dupatta is beyond any redemption, so I’m trying to make the most of it, starting with taking off all the mirrors and reusing them in this Diwali project.

Once everything was dry, I filled 2/3 of the cups with water and then poured in a thin layer of oil.

I also wanted the flame to be at the center of the cups. One way to do that is by making some DIY wick holders cut out from a transparent plastic lid, shaped slightly smaller than the brim.

Now, stick the wicks in the wick holders’ slits and gently lower them into the cups. Since mustard oil is denser than this plastic board, it will sink through the oil layer and float right above the water level. This is why the oil layer should be thin.

5. Glass candles

You’ll need: glass tumblers or mason jars (nothing plastic), paint/dye/food colour, wicks and a piece of transparent hard plastic.

These are the easiest and the prettiest DIY Diwali décor you can make.

First, fill your glasses halfway with water. Then, colour them whatever shade you want (or have).

Pour in a thin layer of oil.

Add some petals if you’d like.

And lastly, make the same kind of wick holders using hard plastic and gently place them in the glass.

6. Lassi glass lamps

Number 6 is a dream DIY project for the hoarder in me – Lassi glass lamps.

I’ve lost count of the number of clay lassi glasses/tea cups I’ve hoarded so far. (That, and glass bottles.)

Last year, my roommate’s mum painted these amazing artwork on some of them.

I’ll just freshen them up with a coat of paint.

Since these are not flat like earthen lamps usually are, the wicks will require extra tending to.

But once painted and designed, they can add character to your Diwali décor.

7. ‘Lazy-daisy’ tire art.

Plants and lights can be your best friend if you’re looking to decorate your home without putting in too much effort, for Diwali or otherwise.

Put the two together, and you can rarely go wrong.

If you can get your hands on a used tire like this one, you can use it to create a waterfall-like effect using fake/real vines and a string of fairy lights.

Let me show you the final results.

Here’s wishing you a very happy and fruitful Diwali. Be safe and take care.