It’s the festival of lights – and sweets, and new clothes and of course, gifts!!! I can’t help it, I get as excited as my kids when it comes to Diwali gifts – and they know it too!

Diwali gifts are different from birthday gifts. There’s something more festive about them, something that birthday gifts can’t match! And when everyone’s gifting each other all around, it’s a true case of ‘the more the merrier’!

But buying gifts for everyone can be heavy on the pocket, not to mention the environment. And it can also be pretty boring, especially when you get identical sets of the same thing from different people.

So why be boring when you can stand out – with easy DIY Diwali gifts that you can make yourself! Yes, we’re talking about going handmade, and we’ve rounded up 15 of the easiest ideas, that are also useful and don’t take too much time or money to make. And yes, the kids can certainly include these in their Diwali activities, especially if you’re having a special kids Diwali party!

15 Easy DIY Diwali Gifts to Make Yourself

1. Diwali Dry Fruit Crackers

Crackers are synonymous with Diwali, but these dry fruit crackers from The Craftables are the safe kind! With a quick trip to the craft store, you can easily make these colorful crackers. You could stuff them with candy or sweets, but I’m sure you’ll agree that dry fruits and nuts are way healthier!

2. Homemade Rangoli Powder

Everyone needs Rangoli powder on Diwali, so why not gift them a homemade version that’ll keep everyone happy – even the environment? This Rangoli powder recipe from Fun Littles is easy to make, and you can use vegetable food colors to get the desired shades.

3. Paper Cube String Lights

Regular string lights are boring, don’t you think? You can see them everywhere and they’ve become kind of a cliche. Make things interesting by making these paper cube string lights as shown by Wit and Whistle. And since they’re paper, you’re not introducing more plastic into your Diwali celebrations!

4. Pistachio Tealight Holder

Now this is true recycling!! If you’ve got cardboard boxes lying around after your online purchases, don’t toss them away. And if you’ve just had a movie or Netflix marathon while munching on pistachios, don’t throw the shells either! Follow The Crafty Angels and put them together to literally create treasure out of trash!

5. Eco Friendly Diyas

No Diwali celebration is complete without lighting a few (or many) diyas, usually made of earthenware or clay. Here we have a recipe to make diyas out of – wait for it – chapathi dough! Yes, your regular roti dough can turn into cute little diyas which you can decorate before gifting! You can also check out an edible chocolate diya here.

6. Upcycled Tin Jewelry Box

Here’s another upcycled project that actually looks pretty expensive!! Turn an ordinary tin box with a lid into a gorgeous jewelry box that makes a great gift for any occasion and not just Diwali! The best part is you can customize it to your heart’s content! Get the instructions over at Artsy Craftsy Mom.

7. DIY Pressed Flower Candles

Lights and diyas are around every nook and corner this Diwali, but how about gifting someone something a little closer to Nature? Check out BLDG 25 to see how to make these pressed flower candles, with beeswax and real flowers. They’ll both look and smell amazing!

8. Homemade Masala Chai Blend

As the cold weather approaches, one thing is for sure – there’s going to be an increased demand for chai, especially the masala versions! So this homemade ready to use masala chai blend is going to be a much-loved gift, especially since it takes out the hassle of grinding and mixing the spices from scratch. Since winter is coming, you may also like to fill these pretty jars with a healing turmeric milk masala.

9. DIY Mithai Hamper

Yes, there’s nothing new about gifting mithais for Diwali, but it will be when you do so in a custom made mithai hamper! Do Crafts has made a beautiful box with compartments for different kinds of homemade sweets. You can either fill each one with a different color, or go for a theme, like dry fruits or khoya.

10. Madhubani Style Bookmark

Got a friend or family member who loves reading? Then gift them this Madhubani style bookmark from Artsy Craftsy Mom, that celebrates the traditional Indian art form of Madhubani. The fun part is that you can download the template and then color it any way you like – just make it pretty!

11. DIY Jute Coasters

This is such an easy to make gift but it looks so good that your friends will never believe you made it yourself! HGTV shows us how easy it is to turn something as basic as jute rope into cute, eco-friendly coasters that’re perfect to hold all those glasses as drinks are being passed around!

12. Henna Hand Dish

This henna hand dish from My Poppet is so pretty and perfect for Diwali! So once you’re home, tired after all the partying, you have a place to put your jewelry and trinkets into! And when the kids make it with their own hands, it becomes that much more special!

13. DIY Glycerin Gem Stone Soap

Gift these glycerin gem stone soaps and watch the look in the recipient’s eyes!! They’ll be amazed that you’re giving them actual jewels! Well, these soaps are surprisingly easy to make, and you can check out all the details at Mr. Printables. If you’d like 100% natural handmade soaps untouched by chemicals, you can also check out this range.

14. Mandala Clay Magnets

Mandalas are very similar to Rangolis, and these Mandala magnets would make a great gift for Diwali. You need polymer clay and magnets, and the full tutorial is available at Create Along. This project is better suited to older children and adults.

15. Homemade Natural Kajal

Kajal is something no Indian woman can do without, no matter which part of the country she’s from! And our eyes being among our most delicate parts of the body, you want to make sure that whatever is applied on them is all natural. So try making your own kajal out of almonds – this is a gift everyone will love!

I’m sure you’re pretty thrilled with all the ideas, from personal care to home products. It’s unbelievable what all we can make ourselves, right? And that’s exactly how your friends and loved ones will feel too – disbelief that you actually made all this yourself! You can either give these gifts individually, or make a hamper of like items, like a skin care basket, for example. Or you can mix it up with other things, like Diwali books for kids, or check out our suggestions for Diwali gift ideas for babies and toddlers. Wrap it all up pretty with all the bells and whistles and have a safe Diwali with everyone!

Happy Diwali!

This post is part of the annual Diwali for Kids blog hop from Multicultural Kid Blogs! See the posts below for great ideas on celebrating Diwali with children. You can find even more ideas from last year’s blog hop, 2016, and on our Diwali Pinterest board:

 

Growing Up Gupta on Multicultural Kid Blogs:
Diwali Almond Joy Bites Recipe
My Little Moppet
Kid World Citizen
Maple and Marigold
Creative World of Varya
Ketchup Moms