Creating Hama bead Rangoli patterns for Diwali

Last year I started doing some Diwali crafts with the children as an introduction to the festival, and I'll be continuing that this year. Last year we made some Rangoli using dyed rice, which were very successful, and this year we tried out some Hama Bead Rangoli for Diwali.

Rangoli are decorative floor patterns which are created during Hindu festivals such as Diwali. They can be geometric, or shaped to represent flowers and petals, and are traditionally created using coloured rice, sand or petals. They are created to welcome the goddess Lakshmi into the home.

These Hama bead designs are small, and would be perfect to use as decorations during your Diwali celebration. You could hang them up, use them to create colourful bunting, or use them as coasters underneath drinks and bowls of food.

If you want to create these for yourself I have reproduced the patterns below. They are all made on the small Hama bead circle base (222) using red, yellow, orange and purple Hama beads. I kept to the same palette of colours for all four, but they would look lovely in any bright colours. I found that the patterns were simple enough for my son to copy with a little bit of help, and we had fun making them together.

If you are looking for ideas for Diwali crafts to do with your children you might also like my other Diwali craft posts:

Large Hama bead Rangoli
Diwali salt dough divas
Diwali dyed rice Rangoli
Simple Diwali cards
Simple Burfi sweets for Diwali

If you are teaching your young children about Diwali, here are some books that they might enjoy:

The Best Diwali Ever (affiliate link) - A heart warming picture book about Diwali, siblings and how very special this celebration can be.

Diwali colouring book for kids (affiliate link) - A simple coloring book for young children, suitable for ages 2-5. Contains all sorts of things to colour including lamps, fireworks, candles, lanterns, food & rangoli patterns.

First Festivals: Diwali (affiliate link) - Featuring simple text, gorgeous illustrations and satisfying lift-the-flaps, this book explores common Diwali traditions and helps young children understand the importance of this special holiday.

Mr Men and Little Miss Happy Diwali (affiliate link) - The five-day festival of lights is celebrated by millions of people across the world and the Mr Men and Little Miss can't wait to join in. They're busy cleaning their homes, creating Rangolis, lighting lamps and enjoying all the festivities, including large feasts that Mr Greedy is particularly looking forward to. It’s going to be a busy five days of light and laughter!

I've also collected together lots of fun Diwali crafts and activities on my Diwali Pinterest board:

Follow Jennifer Jain's board Diwali Crafts and Activities on Pinterest.