Create Your Own Indian Rangoli

Create Your Own Indian Rangoli

In India, one traditional way families greet guests, prepare for celebrations, or just add a sign of good luck to their homes is to make an artistic kind of “welcome mat” called a rangoli (pronounced rung-OH-lee). The word means layers of colors, and it stands out for—you guessed it—its bright colors and detailed continuous patterns often made of small shapes. You can see a few in the Media Player at the top of this page.

In the spirit of the festival, we want to invite you to create your own rangoli to welcome the arts and culture of India into your home or classroom.

There are 2 ways you can make Rangoli with us—online or off!

Use our online Rangoli Maker tool

• Before you get started, take a moment to look at the slideshow for inspiration.
• Launch the Rangoli tool by clicking the launch button in the Media Player above.
• Use the drawing tool to create your pattern. You might want to start with simple geometric shapes.
• Typically the patterns are symmetrical, but they don’t have to be. Some rangoli mats show animals or scenes from nature, for example. If you want your design to be symmetrical, connect the dots in a variety of patterns. If not, just use the dots as a guide.
• When you like your design, it’s time to add color! Just like in real-world rangoli, you have to hand color the designs, one by one. Don't worry, if you make a mistake you can use the eraser, or clear your drawing to start over. Take your time, and have fun!

Get your Hands Dirty

If you want to do this project in the “real world,” you just need a few supplies:

• For the mat, use a large piece of cardboard, posterboard, or heavy paper. You can also work directly on the ground, or on a section of sidewalk.
• Tape or small rocks can be helpful if you need to hold your mat in place—especially if you are working outside. If you are working on the sidewalk, it probably won’t blow away : )
• Scissors and a pencil with an eraser are also good to have ready.
• Traditionally, the artistic patterns are made from colored powders, flour, sand, or rice, but you can use whatever art materials you have handy. Chalk, markers, and crayons are all good options—just remember to use bright colors. You can also use collage—cutting shapes from colored paper and gluing or taping to the mat.

Lay out your mat and get started:

• Sketch the pattern you want to use in pencil on your mat.
• It might help to add a grid of dots, like in our online tool, to help guide you. You can make your own grid or download ours from the Media Player above.
• Remember, typically the patterns are symmetrical, but they don’t have to be. Some rangoli mats show animals or scenes from nature, for example. It’s up to you.
• When you are done, let it dry (if it needs it.) If you are working in something loose, like colored sand or rice, either secure it, or just take a picture so you can keep your rangoli design that way.