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DLTK's Countries and Cultures - India
Diwali Diyas (candles)
Sunita, one of our viewers, writes: The Indian New Year is Diwali and we celebrate good over evil by lighting rows of lamps or
'diyas'. Thanks Sunita!
A Diwali Diya is a small lamp that is lit especially at Diwali (New Year's in
India). Diyas are typically made of clay with Ghee or oil used as the fuel and
cotton wool as the wick.
Materials:
 | Clay |
| Acrylic paint |
| tealight candle |
Instructions:
Choose and prepare one of the clay recipes (or use store bought clay such as
Sculpey clay). All of the recipes work fine and depend on the ingredients
you have on hand. I prefer the last version
Show the children the tealight candle and remind them that their pot must be
large enough for the candle to fit inside.
Form the clay into a Diya using one of two methods (option 1 is easier than
option 2):
Option 1: Pinch Pot method
| Roll the clay into a ball
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| Stick thumbs into the center of the ball, pinching the sides to make
a hollow (you're making a bowl shape, not a donut)
 | It should not be too deep (the flame of the candle should stick
up over the top of the diya
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| Flatten out the bottom of the ball to make a nice flat surface for
the Diya (so it will sit sturdily on a table without risk of it
falling)
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| Let air dry or bake dry depending on the type of clay you are using.
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| Use acrylic paint to decorate the pot however you like. Some
inspiration:
| the colors of India's flag are green and deep orange |
| typically, Diyas were earthen pots so any brown, orange, yellow
colors would be appropriate
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| Let dry
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| Add tealight candle which you can actually light (make sure the
flame doesn't touch the edges of the pot)
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roll clay into a ball
pinch hole into the
center to make a bowl
I didn't paint mine,
but you get the idea
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Option 2: Coil Pot method
| Make a flat "pancake" of clay that's larger in diameter
than the tealight candle. This will be the bottom of your diya.
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| Roll remaining clay into long snakes
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| Coil the snakes around the pancake of clay, building up the pot as
you go.
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| You'll need to squeeze the snakes onto the pancake and onto each
other a bit so they stay together when the project dries
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| Let air dry or bake dry depending on the type of clay you are using.
|
| Use acrylic paint to decorate the pot however you like. Some
inspiration:
| the colors of India's flag are green and deep orange |
| typically, Diyas were earthen pots so any brown, orange, yellow
colors would be appropriate
|
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| Let dry
|
| Add tealight candle which you can actually light (make sure the
flame doesn't touch the edges of the pot) |
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roll a snake from the clay
I didn't paint mine,
but you get the idea
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