Creating a vignette for Diwali

Decorating your house for Diwali, the festival of light is the most satisfying, pleasurable, and happiest part of the festival. I think creating small vignettes with lights in different corners/nooks looks better than creating only one in one place. It is fun to experiment with different objects in your house. The basic principle to keep in mind is "If it is pretty you can use it to create a vignette and decorate your house".

The vignette I am sharing with you today is a very easy arrangement - colorful, bright and with bling.  The colored jars are recycled, hand-painted and home decorated which makes any project especially one for festivals so unique. Anything made with/by children makes it so precious to the family, isn't it?!! It is made with love:) 

Start by arranging the jars in symmetry - height-wise or size-wise. Try ordering them in different positions which will give you an idea as to which suits you the most. 

Find a backdrop. It need not be a tablecloth, it could be any attractive and visually appealing cloth you have.  I have used my pink shawl underneath which provides a soft and sweet backdrop (I think that about pink!). The shawl is of the perfect size to cover the round table. 

Coming back to our vignette, the easy way to create a connection is by placing something that visually connects them like I have used flowers. These are the common factor between the pieces of arrangement. Real ones will look better. Poor me ..where will I find real lotus in this desert (sigh)  Do see my tip on how to keep flowers alive and fresh outside the water for long here. 

Flowers soften the setting plus give life to the arrangement. You can never go wrong with them. A little dose of a whole bunch in the background both work when you don't want them to overpower the setting. The bead necklace was given to me by my masi- maternal aunt - when I was 5 or 7. It was that WOW feeling I had felt or rather I remember it for the first time in my life. It still makes me so happy to see it.

I am guilty of using a smartphone to take pictures. My Dlsr is lying in dust somewhere in the cupboard. That's why no matter how hard I tried I couldn't take a better picture of the vignettes at night. It looked dazzling in person even if I said that myself :)

This display can be made with clear glass tea light holders or drinking glasses of different sizes as well.  

Stay tuned for more Diwali decor ideas coming your way!!!

Use led tealights if you have young children. The light won't be as bright but it is safe. 

All pictures are taken by me@home. 

Joining party @BNOP, Home and Garden, Show &tell, Home sweet home, 

Diwali decorations- Diwali DIY for kids- How to make a paper flower garland

Festivals and celebration seem dull and meaningless to me if every item needed for celebration and festivities is store bought, especially the food and decoration. Its time to be creative and  family projects. Doing it together makes it all so merry. This is how memories are created. One of the best memories of festivals while  growing up are the fun we had threading these fragrant flowers and leaves to make garland. 

Sharing with you is a Diwali DIY decoration/craft for/with/by kids:) My 2 year old and I made paper marigold and mango leaves garlands. Marigold and mango leaves garlands are used to decorate for almost every traditional Hindu festivals and marriages.

For this Diwali DIY  project you will need : Cardstock, string, colors, glue, scissor.

Start by cutting the shapes. I did free hand drawing of leaves and flowers . Cut the flowers double the number of leaves. Give them to your child one by one to paint. My son painted all the leaves and then all the flowers with watercolors. Let it dry completely.

After they are dried I cut the sides of the flower to make it smaller. The remaining border I coiled together. Ask your child to coil some as well. Mine coiled a few, not perfect but it's all learning.  Then Avaneesh applied glue in the center and pressed the smaller flower on it and the coil over it. You can see his cute little hands at work in the mosaic. The last pic in the mosaic shows how the three parts of flowers will look like:)

Arrange them alternatively and with your child glue the back to a string. I taped them to the string as well since glue was not enough to keep them in place.

Avaneesh is very happy that his work was a part of the decoration for ganpati bappa. Involving children not only gets them interested in festivals, ceremonies and culture but also helps to grow their self respect and self esteem. They feel proud that their work is getting the respect and honor of being a part of something important. 

Stay tuned!! More DIY diwali projects with/for kids coming up as soon as we complete them..I have a long list of Diwali projects to do with my little one!!!

Joining party at Sharing Saturday!

Diwali Decorations

Hi beautiful people!!! Hope you all had a wonderful holidays and festivities..I still have a holiday hangover..Sharing with you some of the pictures of Diwali decorations in my house last week!!!

This is how my center table in the living room looked like..Floated lots of flowers in a brass urli along with some floating candles..I changed the flowers everyday..sometimes orchids..sometimes roses ..sometimes marigold and rose petals..Around it is designer Rangoli..It really looks good on glass surfaces!!

Outside the main door I made traditional Rangoli from chalk powder..I was bit lazy so I used stencil to make these patterns...

Flower garlands on the main door with mango leaves and lovely door decorations which my mom send me from India..

Few more wall hangings she sent me I have hung them from the ceiling near the Ganesha paintings..

     That's how my balcony looked like.. Fairy lights have such a magical effect..

Some more pics of the decorations in my house... 

I am updating the blog after quite some time....I have just started my third trimester .. feeling tired now but of course I have more time on my hand as I am full time home now..I have lots of baby projects in my mind.. Hope to complete them in these 2-3 months!!! will share the update on my new painting soon..Stay tuned!!!!

Check more fabulous Diwali craft and decor projects on this blog! 

Weekend Wrap

This weekend was festive and very happening one!! Lots of decorations, sweets, flowers, candles, lights, friends, festivities... In my home I did a  diwali themed decor with watermelon lantern ..then  some dazzling centerpieces with Chrysanthemums ...and some more festive centerpieces with candles which I shared with you on this blog .. Today I will share with you some more centerpieces I did on the weekend!!!

We went to the flower market and brought lots of roses, marigolds and lotus.. I floated some candles with rose petals .. filled my pumpkins with marigold!!!

This is on my living room's center table.. the yellow marigold, orange pumpkins and red rose petals and candles made such a striking centerpiece..created  festive mood for the evening...

I brought lotus first time in my life.. I have no idea how and when will these two bloom..I will definitely share the pictures if and when they bloom:) This is our dining table which you guys have seen in all my table decors..this weekend it was dazzling with floating candles in a copper vessel and some earthen diyas/ candles....

This is our puja table..In Zürich we didn't get marigold flowers or garland.. we were so happy that we could get a thick marigold and rose garland...sweets (boondi ladoo) and coconut as  offering ,  rangoli design on floors..lots of diyas, lights and candles..

In the balcony I lit a row of lights...

I took this picture today of the Diwali celebration and decorations in Singapore's Little India. The entire long road is dazzling with these decorations!!!!  

Hope you all had a great weekend!! Have a lovely week ahead!!!

Diwali themed table decor

The festive season is knocking on the door.. Deepavali or Diwali is just around the corner.. I am getting into the festive mood and getting my home into the festive mood as well..Starting from the dining table..My dining table is the center of anything happening in the house and shows the mood of the people living it !!! This is what my table looks like today .. decked with flowers, candles and an .....

...yes as you can see an carved watermelon as a lantern .. I carved it yesterday night..I have made a tutorial of how to carve a watermelon which I will share later on the weekend..This is not the first time I carved a watermelon.. I had carved a ship and peacocks earlier.. you can see tutorial here. I had used it for a beach themed table decor. ( btw the watermelon can be used for Halloween or anyother festival as well..it is going to be my substitute for pumpkin jack of lantern as well..seriously.. I am not joking..:))

Coming back to the festive Diwali table decor..Diwali is the festival of lights and so the most important decor element is lights, lamps(wax or oil), traditional Indian diyas, candles..I arranged small candles which are made in shells around the carved watermelon..They are in vanilla scent..and also decorated some candles around the stargazer lily..

The second important decor element is flowers .. As you know that I moved in Singapore last month and so discovering my favorite flowers was a moment of happiness.. I arranged some in a cut-glass bowl which I brought from Berlin and on its side is a Swan from Austria.

I arranged the stargazer lilies in a tall vase to give rhythm and symmetry to the arrangement.. 

The focal point is the carved watermelon.. I lit the candles and it gives a magnificent glow and makes a beautiful pattern when it is dark.. 

The warm glow and the pattern gives a calming and magical effect ..

I arranged the cut pieces of the melon around the dish .. They make a pretty pattern..

The silver leaf gives the glittery effect of the festive season. Coming back to the important decor element for Diwali ..the third important is colors .. India is known for bright and happy  colors and it is obvious during the festival time..Colors denote happiness.. reds, maroons, orange , greens, gold and silver.. all glam & glamour and bling bling!! I am not that adventurous or flashy so I used colors in subtle and natural form ..

The top view of the centerpiece..I just love the colors and the shapes and the harmony between them.. all natural !!

This is the first Diwali decorations and there is more festivity on my blog ..so do stay tuned .. I did a tutorial of this watermelon carving ..check it out here!!!