Diwali craft - How to make a simple salt dough diva for Divali

I decided that Harry is now old enough to start learning a little bit more about his cultural heritage, customs and traditions. He already understands a little bit about geography, different countries and languages, and so I thought that now was the perfect time to teach him what I can about Diwali.

Diwali is one of the largest festivals of the year for Hindus, and is also celebrated by Jains and Sikhs. It is commonly known as the Festival of Lights. The Diwali legends vary across different areas of India, but in its essence it is about celebrating the triumph of good over evil.

In 2012, Diwali will be celebrated on the 13th November. The date is set by the Hindu calendar and changes every year according to the position of the moon - it usually falls in October or November in the English calendar. You can find future dates for Diwali here.

I'm going to be doing a series of posts on my blog covering the various different Diwali crafts and activities that we'll be doing which are suitable for young children. I'll also be collecting these and other resources together over on my other blog, Toddler Things, so pop over there if you want some more detailed information about Diwali aimed at little ones.

Our first craft was making a salt dough diva. A diva (also called diya or diwa) is a small lamp, traditionally made from clay and containing oil and a wick. The lamps are lit to celebrate the triumph of light, and along with leaving open doors and windows, they are also lit to help the Goddess Lakshmi (the Goddess of Wealth) find her way into people's homes.

We made our divas from salt dough, making them large enough to hold a tea light or votive candle.

My simple saltdough recipe: 1 part salt, 2 parts plain flour, 1 part water, mixed together to make a dough.

I used about half a cup for each measure and this made enough salt dough for two divas. I divided the dough into two and made it into a ball. Then we flattened the balls and used our fingers to mould them into a small bowl. I pinched at one side to make a spout. They can be left to air dry naturally for a couple of days, or cooked at a low heat in the oven (about 100 degrees) for an hour or so, just keep an eye on them so that they don't burn.

When fully dry, we painted them. They can be any colour that you like, as long as it is nice and bright. When the paint was dry we covered them in glue and added plenty of glitter and sequins.

If you are looking for some more Diwali crafts, then you might like these pages:

Diwali crafts round-up
How to make Rangoli using dyed rice
Homemade Diwali cards

If you are teaching your young children about Diwali, here are some books that they might enjoy:

Diwali (Bright Baby Touch and Feel)- A wonderful very first Diwali book for babies with bright colours, textures to touch and simple Diwali images.

Lighting a Lamp: A Divali Story (Festival Time)- A first introduction to Diwali for very young children, following a family as they prepare for and celebrate Diwali.

Diwali (Holidays and Festivals (Heinemann Paperback)) - A more informative book about the Diwali festival, with more educational resources.

Diwali (Celebrations)Aimed at slightly older children, lots of photographs and ideas for Diwali activities.

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