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Festival Art & Craft Activities for Kids

Updated on August 21, 2017
radhikasree profile image

Radhika's hobbies include making art & crafts in which she is highly fond of doing fabric painting.

Kids enjoy celebrating festivals and I think we, parents should educate them the legend and significance of each festival occasionally. Even if schools also give a glimpse into festival celebrations, kids get an overall idea from their home only. Making art & crafts are also a part of most festivals and if we can get our kids also involved in doing these activities, the real festive spirits would flourish in their little hearts.

Let’s discuss some art & crafts handcrafted during these festivals Diwali, Christmas and Ganpathy.

1. Diwali

Diwali is an Indian festival of lights. Homes get ready to celebrate this festival with illuminated lanterns, colorful lamps, decorated wall hangings and so on. ‘Diya’ or lamps are the essential items that come in a variety of designs and stuffs. We buy lamps made of mud and decorate them to light on Diwali eve. ‘Diya’ decoration can be done by painting or by gluing colorful stones, pearls or by some other decorative materials.

Diya decoration

Diya decoration
Diya decoration | Source

Kids can be made to participate in this kind of activity. Teaching the legend behind Diwali festival, they can be made to decorate ‘diyas’ with their own ideas or yours. Here, one set of lamps are decorated with paint and pearls. The second set has leaves and flowers designed to it that are decorated with green and red stones.

Click thumbnail to view full-size
Mud lamps or 'diyas'Lamps after paintingLamps after pearl decorationLamps in decorated stoneslamps after finish
Mud lamps or 'diyas'
Mud lamps or 'diyas' | Source
Lamps after painting
Lamps after painting | Source
Lamps after pearl decoration
Lamps after pearl decoration | Source
Lamps in decorated stones
Lamps in decorated stones | Source
lamps after finish
lamps after finish | Source

Paper lantern

Paper lantern craft
Paper lantern craft | Source

Making of a lantern

Kids can make paper lanterns from Origami. However, these lanterns can’t be lit, but can serve the purpose of a wall hanging decoration. Let’s see how a lantern is built using paper.

Click thumbnail to view full-size
A square sheet of paperFold verticallyFold horizontallyUnfold the paperFold the corner of a square shape to the centerFolding all the cornersFlip over and fold one corner to the centerfolding all the corners and turning over to the other sideFolding one corner to the centerFolding all the cornersOpen the mouth of one sideOpen the mouth of its opposite sideDecorate with shellsDecorate with sequencesHang the finished lantern over
A square sheet of paper
A square sheet of paper | Source
Fold vertically
Fold vertically | Source
Fold horizontally
Fold horizontally | Source
Unfold the paper
Unfold the paper | Source
Fold the corner of a square shape to the center
Fold the corner of a square shape to the center | Source
Folding all the corners
Folding all the corners | Source
Flip over and fold one corner to the center
Flip over and fold one corner to the center | Source
folding all the corners and turning over to the other side
folding all the corners and turning over to the other side | Source
Folding one corner to the center
Folding one corner to the center | Source
Folding all the corners
Folding all the corners | Source
Open the mouth of one side
Open the mouth of one side | Source
Open the mouth of its opposite side
Open the mouth of its opposite side | Source
Decorate with shells
Decorate with shells | Source
Decorate with sequences
Decorate with sequences | Source
Hang the finished lantern over
Hang the finished lantern over | Source


  1. Take a square sheet of paper.
  2. Fold it twice vertically and horizontally on the middle as in the picture.
  3. Now, unfold the paper. You can see lines formed on the folds made earlier making four square pieces.
  4. Fold the four squares to get a triangular shape and flip it.
  5. Again fold from the corners up to the center and turn over again. Now, the folded sheet may have four squares equally partitioned.
  6. Folding the corners and opening its mouth (middle fold) of a pair of opposite triangular folds would give you the finished lantern.


Decorating this lantern is the next step. Here I’ve glued some sequences and shells to give it a traditional outlook.

2. Christmas

Even if there are so many crafts spun during this festival, making a Christmas tree is the common craft associated with kids. Reindeer, Santa Cloze, gifts, crib, hanging stars and greeting cards are some of the characteristic crafts homemade during Christmas.

Christmas tree

Christmas tree craft
Christmas tree craft | Source

Making a Christmas tree

A Christmas tree is built using many methods. This tree is built by the use of green paper and a stand. Let’s look at its step by step construction.

Click thumbnail to view full-size
clay ballpencil standgreen circular papers each of 1cm diameter differenceFold the paper diametricallyFold it againFolding repeatedFoldUnfold the paper and make it standPierce the paper over its center through the standSecond paper after unfoldingPierce the second paper through the standPierce the third paperPierce the fourth onePiercing the entire papers that make up the treecut paper starStar being fixed to the topDecorated Christmas tree
clay ball
clay ball | Source
pencil stand
pencil stand | Source
green circular papers each of 1cm diameter difference
green circular papers each of 1cm diameter difference | Source
Fold the paper diametrically
Fold the paper diametrically | Source
Fold it again
Fold it again | Source
Folding repeated
Folding repeated | Source
Fold
Fold | Source
Unfold the paper and make it stand
Unfold the paper and make it stand | Source
Source
Pierce the paper over its center through the stand
Pierce the paper over its center through the stand | Source
Second paper after unfolding
Second paper after unfolding | Source
Pierce the second paper through the stand
Pierce the second paper through the stand | Source
Pierce the third paper
Pierce the third paper | Source
Pierce the fourth one
Pierce the fourth one | Source
Piercing the entire papers that make up the tree
Piercing the entire papers that make up the tree | Source
cut paper star
cut paper star | Source
Star being fixed to the top
Star being fixed to the top | Source
Decorated Christmas tree
Decorated Christmas tree | Source
  1. Take a small ball of clay and fix a pencil on it. This acts as the stand for the Christmas tree.
  2. Take some circular pieces of green paper each with 1cm difference in diameter. Here, I’ve taken 5 pieces with diameters 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2cm respectively. Folding these papers serve the purpose of branches of the tree.
  3. Take the big paper and fold it diametrically. Now you get a semi-circled piece.
  4. Fold gently on its middle and shorten the piece. You can fold this small piece as much as possible so that several frills are formed when you unfold it.
  5. Now, pierce this folded paper piece over its center through the stand until it reaches the bottom.
  6. Fold the other pieces also like this and insert on the top of the previous one.
  7. When the entire stand gets covered, place a star on its top.

Decorate the tree and Christmas tree is almost done!!

Snowman

Snowman craft
Snowman craft | Source

Making of Snowman

Snowman is another theme of Christmas that each kid likes to craft. The snowy white color of his body is what attracts them.

This snowman has his body made of cotton, black dots (bindi in Indian language) as the eyes and a small paper cone as the nose. A small ribbon is wrapped over its neck to make it complete “Snowman”.

3. Ganapathy

Ganesha Chaturthi is the Hindu festival celebrated on the birthday (rebirth) of Lord Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati. Vibrant idols of Lord Ganapathy fill the streets for devotees to buy. Kids can be taught to make Ganpathy using paper as well as clay.

Ganapathy

Ganapathy craft
Ganapathy craft | Source

Making Lord Ganesha from Origami

This Lord Ganesha is a join of two paper shapes.

Click thumbnail to view full-size
 A square sheet of paperPaper folded horizontallyPaper folded till its midlinethe two corners folded down from the topThe two arms folded upwardsAnother square sheet folded diagonal-wiseStep folding near the mid lineFolded cornersFix the first sheet of paper over the top of second. Lord Ganesha made from Origami.
 A square sheet of paper
A square sheet of paper | Source
Paper folded horizontally
Paper folded horizontally | Source
Paper folded till its midline
Paper folded till its midline | Source
the two corners folded down from the top
the two corners folded down from the top | Source
The two arms folded upwards
The two arms folded upwards | Source
Another square sheet folded diagonal-wise
Another square sheet folded diagonal-wise | Source
Step folding near the mid line
Step folding near the mid line | Source
Folded corners
Folded corners | Source
Fix the first sheet of paper over the top of second. Lord Ganesha made from Origami.
Fix the first sheet of paper over the top of second. Lord Ganesha made from Origami. | Source


  1. Take a square sheet of paper.Double fold it horizontally.
  2. Again fold it till the mid-line of the paper.
  3. Fold both corners through its midpoint from the top.
  4. Fold upwards the two hanging arms as shown in the picture.
  5. Pull outwards the fold of these arms as they form the ears of Lord Ganesha. Leave it aside.
  6. Take another square sheet of paper.Fold it diagonal-wise in order to form a triangle.
  7. Step fold through two lines near its midline as shown in the picture. This looks like the trunk of Lord Ganapathy.
  8. Fold the two edges inwards to form his hands.
  9. Finally, insert the first piece into the top of second piece.
  10. Then draw the eyes and see how your Ganesha looks!!


Isn’t it looking like the real Lord Ganesha?


Making Lord Ganesha with clay

Lord Ganesha using clay
Lord Ganesha using clay | Source


These art & crafts are not only a pleasuring activity for the kids, but also for the parents to learn something new. Celebration of festivals may not be complete without the participation of kids who are the naturally lit lamps of God.

Which festival crafts you like the most from this hub?

See results

Diwali diya decoration

How to make Christmas tree

© 2013 Radhika Sreekanth

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