Deck up your home this festive season with these Easy DIY Diwali Decor Ideas. Get the whole family involved for a fun celebration!

As October draws to a close, it’s time to get prepped for the next big festival on our calendar – Diwali! If you’ve ever been in India during this time of the year, you know how enthusiastic things can get during this festival. 

Of course, things are going to be different this time around, what with the pandemic and everything. But as we’ve learnt this year, you can celebrate no matter what the circumstances. All you need is the right mindset and a few basic craft supplies!

And that brings us to our roundup for the day – DIY Diwali decor ideas that you can try at home without too much effort or without having to spend too much on special supplies. Many of these can be done by kids alone, while some may require assistance from you. Decide on the ones you like and get ready to deck up your home!

15 Easy DIY Diwali Decor Ideas to Try

1. Clay Diwali Elephant Ornaments

Elephants aren’t really a mainstay of Diwali celebrations in India, but that doesn’t have to stop you from making these super cute Diwali elephants from Baker Ross! Make them out of air drying clay or any other clay you have on hand and  hang them around the house.

2. Paper Lotus Tea Light Holder

The lotus is the flower associated with many Hindu deities, particularly the Goddess Lakshmi, who’s probably celebrated the most during Diwali. So get your blessings from the goddess of wealth this festive season with a lotus themed paper tea light holder!

3. Paper Diya Ornament

Red Ted Art has a simple and pretty paper diya that’s so easy to make that even little kids can have a go at it! Make multiple diyas in different colors and then string them from some colored rope for a custom designed banner for your festive decor.

4. DIY Paper Lantern

Paper is the best medium to make lanterns out of because when light shines through it, it looks gorgeous! Especially if you use colored paper like we’ve done in this paper lantern craft.

5. DIY Lotus Wall Art

Need more lotus decorating ideas? Creative Me has an easy paper lotus craft to decorate bare walls. This is a great idea to spruce up a wall that’s too narrow for a picture or too awkward for any other kind of wall decor. 

6. Paper Marigold Flowers

You can’t have an Indian festival without gorgeous yellow and orange blooms! Marigolds are a common feature in religious festivals as well as weddings, and now you don’t have to worry about sourcing fresh flowers – you can make your own out of paper!

7. Glass Bangles Candle Holder

We absolutely love this idea from Red Ted Art of using glass bangles to make candle holders! You can use any assortment of bangles lying around your home and stack them to create an interesting arrangement, using glue to hold them in place.

8. DIY Popsicle Stick Lanterns

Got Popsicle sticks? That’s pretty much all you need to make these stick lanterns, along with some good glue, of course! You can let your creativity flow by making any design of your choice on the lanterns – make one big diya or rows of little ones.

9. Crepe Paper Flower Wall Hanging

How gorgeous is this DIY hanging from Oh Happy Day? It’s hard to believe it’s all just crepe paper! You may need a bit more time and effort to make this one, but golly, it’s completely worth all the effort you put in!

10. DIY Kandil Door Hanging

When we were kids, we used to make many of these paper kandils to hang around the home. Take a walk down memory lane and bring back your childhood by recreating these paper kandils with colored craft paper. You can hang these on the door or on the wall – wherever you see some blank space!

11. DIY Shubh Labh Hanging

‘Shubh Labh’ are words that you’ll find are commonly used around Diwali. The words are associated with goodness and abundance, and are commonly used in festive home decor. Punekar Sneha shows us how to make these pretty decor pieces ourselves.

12. DIY Glitter Table Lanterns

If it’s a festival, there’s got to be bling! These glitter lanterns are the perfect way to add in some glamor to your festive decorations without having to deal with the mess of loose glitter everywhere. Get different colors of these and make sure to use glitter pipe cleaners to add to the effect.

13. DIY Diwali Door Hanging

Baker Ross shows us how to make a traditional Indian-style door hanging that looks very professionally made! You need an assortment of beads and if you’ve been wondering what to do with your stash, this project is the perfect idea!

14. DIY Lit Diwali Backdrop

Want to have a Diwali that’s completely ‘lit’ with the current generation? Color Barn shows us how to do it in style with this Diwali backdrop! Love all the colors and shapes, and especially the hashtag!

15. DIY Accordion Fold Diyas

These accordion fold diyas are so easy to make and so versatile to use. You can string them together to create a banner or hang them vertically for a colorful wall hanging. Else, simply stick them directly to a blank wall to create your own backdrop.

And since you stayed this long, here’s a bonus home decor idea for you this Diwali!

16. DIY Diwali Wreath

If you enjoy making wreaths for all festivals and seasons, you’ll enjoy making this Diwali wreath from Baker Ross. it’s simple, made of colored craft paper and jewels you can stick on, and you can make it as embellished as you like.

I think we’ve covered all the basics – diyas, lotuses, lanterns, kandils, flowers, torans and even a wreath! With these, you’re all set to have a colorful and fun Diwali, not to mention frugal! Most of these decorations cost little to make and you can save yourself the money to buy readymade decorations as well as the space to store them for the rest of the year!