Easy Diwali Crafts for Kids: Ideas for Home and School Activities

Easy Diwali Crafts for Kids: 6 Simple Ideas for Home and School 

Want your child to really feel Diwali, not just hear about it? Give them something to make.

Want to enjoy a fun quiz?

Click here: Diwali for Kids: Meaning, Story, Activities, Simple and Fun Crafts Ideas for School

These 6 easy Diwali crafts for kids work at home and in the classroom. Each one includes the right age range, a simple list of what you need, and short steps your child can follow.

Quick answer: The easiest Diwali crafts for kids are:

•  a paper plate diya (ages 2 to 5) 
• a simple diya drawing (ages 3+) 
• a paper lantern (ages 4+)

Older children enjoy diya painting, a paper diya door hanging and a Shubh Labh craft.

From Our Nest: In our classrooms, the week before Diwali was always the brightest week of the year. Children painted diyas, folded paper lanterns and proudly carried their crafts home to show their families and decorate classrooms with their own crafts. 

Want to tell your child why we celebrate Diwali first? 

For the story, meaning and the five days of Diwali in simple words, read our Diwali for Kids: Meaning, Story, Activities, Simple and Fun Crafts Ideas for School

The 6 Crafts at a Glance

Craft	Age	Time
Paper plate diya	2–5	20 mins
Easy diya drawing	3+	15 mins
Paper lantern (kandil)	4+	20 mins
Diya painting	5+	30 mins
Paper diya door hanging	5+	40 mins
Shubh Labh craft	6+	45 mins

Before You Start

• Cover the table with old newspaper. Paint and glitter travel far!
• Keep wet wipes or a damp cloth nearby for little hands.
• Use child-safe scissors and washable paints.
• Let each child choose their own colours. It is their craft, not a perfect one.

What You’ll Need for Most of These Crafts

• Paper plates: Shop on Amazon
• Colored craft paper: Shop on Amazon
• Kids washable paint set: Shop on Amazon
• Safety scissors for kids: Shop on Amazon
• Glue stick and glitter glue: Shop on Amazon

1. Paper Plate Diya Craft (Ages 2 to 5)

The perfect first Diwali craft for toddlers and preschoolers. Big, bright and impossible to get wrong.

You need: paper plates, orange, red or gold paint, a sponge or brush, cotton buds, yellow and orange paper, glue.

Steps:

1. Cut a paper plate in half.
2. Let your child paint it red, orange or gold.
3. When it is dry, add white or yellow dots with a cotton bud.
4. Cut a flame from yellow and orange paper and glue it on top.

Learning bonus: Talk about shapes. The plate is a semicircle and the flame looks like a teardrop.

Tried & Tested: Paint dries faster on the back of the plate, so let toddlers paint the bumpy side. It also looks more like a real clay diya.

2. Easy Diya Drawing for Kids, Step by Step (Ages 3+)

A simple drawing activity that builds pencil control and confidence.

You need: paper, a pencil, crayons or sketch pens.

Steps:

1. Draw a wide “U” shape for the diya bowl.
2. Close it with a curved line on top.
3. Draw a teardrop flame above it.
4. Add dots, zigzags or little flowers on the diya.
5. Color it brightly. Use yellow and orange for the flame.

Teacher’s Tip: For younger children, draw the shapes in dotted lines first and let them trace over them.

3. Paper Lantern for Diwali (Kandil) (Ages 4+)

A classic Diwali craft that looks lovely hanging in a window or a classroom.

You need: colored A4 paper, scissors, glue or tape, a paper strip for the handle.

Steps:

1. Fold the paper in half the long way.
2. Cut straight lines from the fold, stopping about 2 cm before the edge.
3. Open it and roll it into a tube. Glue the ends together.
4. Glue a paper strip on top as a handle.

Make it special: Decorate the paper with glitter or stickers before you cut it.

Tried & Tested: Cutting the slits is the tricky part for under-5s. Draw the cutting lines with a ruler first so they know where to stop.

4. Diya Painting for Kids (Ages 5+)

Turn plain clay diyas into little works of art, just like the ones in the market.

You need: plain clay diyas, acrylic paints, thin brushes, cotton buds, and a paper plate to mix colours.

Steps:

1. Paint the whole diya in one bright colour and let it dry.
2. Paint a simple flower, leaves or swirls inside.
3. Add a row of dots around the edge with a cotton bud.
4. Leave it to dry overnight.

Shop for this craft:

• Plain clay diyas for painting: Shop on Amazon
• Kids acrylic paint set: Shop on Amazon
• Battery tea lights: Shop on Amazon

Safety Tip: For young children, use battery tea lights instead of oil and a wick.

5. Paper Diya Door Hanging (Ages 5+)

A bright, colourful hanging for your door, window or classroom wall.

You need: coloured paper (red, green, blue, orange), gold paper or glitter, yellow paper, ribbon or thread, glue.

Steps:

1. Fold a strip of colored paper back and forth like a fan.
2. Pinch it in the middle and open it into a half circle. This is your diya.
3. Glue a yellow paper flame on top and a gold strip along the bottom.
4. Make 4 or 5 diyas and stick them along a ribbon, with small paper rings in between.

Parent Tip: Younger children can do the folding while an adult does the glueing.

6. Shubh Labh Craft for Kids (Ages 6+)

“Shubh” means good luck and “Labh” means good gains. Many families hang these near the door to welcome Goddess Lakshmi.

You need: 2 paper plates, orange and yellow paint, gold paper or glitter, a red sketch pen, beads, wool pom-poms, thread.

Steps:

1. Paint the plates orange and yellow. Snip around the edges with scissors for a frilly look.
2. Glue a smaller yellow or gold circle in the middle.
3. Write “शुभ” on one plate and “लाभ” on the other in red.
4. Thread a few beads on two strings and add a pom-pom at the bottom.

Learning bonus: A lovely way to learn two new Hindi words and what they mean.

Shop for this craft:

• Wool pom-poms: Shop on Amazon
• Craft beads: Shop on Amazon

Diwali Craft Ideas for School

• Make a class toran where every child adds one paper diya.
• Set up a lantern window with one paper lantern from each child.
• Hold a diya painting corner during Diwali week.
• Make Diwali cards for families or school staff.
• Ask children who celebrate to share their family traditions with the class.

Diwali Craft Safety Tips

• Use battery tea lights for all children’s crafts.
• Keep real diyas and candles out of reach.
• Choose washable, non-toxic paints.
• Supervise little ones closely with scissors, beads and glitter.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the easiest Diwali craft for kids?

The paper plate diya. It needs only a paper plate, paint and paper, and even 2-year-olds can make it.

2. Which Diwali craft is best for school?

A paper diya door hanging or a class toran works well, because every child can add a piece.

3. What Diwali craft can toddlers do?

Paper plate diyas, handprint diya cards and colored rice rangoli are simple and safe for little hands.

4. How do you make a Diwali lantern for kids?

Fold coloured paper in half, cut lines from the fold, open it, roll it into a tube and glue on a paper handle.

5. What does Shubh Labh mean?

“Shubh” means good luck and “Labh” means good gains. Families hang Shubh Labh near the door to welcome good fortune.

Final Thoughts

Diwali is the perfect festival for little hands. A painted diya, a paper lantern or a simple drawing helps children understand its message in their own way: light, kindness and togetherness always win.

Pick one craft this week, make it together, and let your child tell you the story of Diwali in their own words.

Keep exploring: Read our Diwali for Kids: Meaning, Story, Activities, Simple and Fun Crafts Ideas for School

Also learn how to make greeting cards and enjoy a fun quiz.