Diwali Lamp Crafts

Tea-Light Holder

• Use air-drying clay and a tea-light candle to make a simple Diwali lamp. Mold the clay into a small shallow bowl shape slightly larger than the candle -- use the bottom of a cup to help. Press some sequins, flower petals or other decorations into the clay to decorate. You can also decorate the lamp by painting it with acrylic paint after the clay has dried. This craft can also be made with homemade salt dough.

Glass Jar Lamp

• Decorate a glass jar to put a tea-light candle inside. Use glass paints and stickers to create patterns on the jar. A traditional Diwali pattern is known as "rangoli" and involves lots of colorful shapes in a symmetrical pattern. Alternatively, glue shapes of tissue paper onto your jar to create the patterns. Make a handle shape out of craft wire and wrap a separate piece of craft wire tightly around the neck of the jar. Attach your handle by winding the ends around the wire on the jar.

Paper Lamp

• Take a piece of card stock, about 10 inches by 8 inches, and decorate. Create Diwali rangoli patterns on the card by drawing lots of colorful shapes in a symmetrical pattern, or stick on paper shapes or stickers. Cut slits all along the long length of the card, about 1 inch apart and 1 1/2 inches from the top and bottom. Fold the card in half so the two long edges are together. Open out again and roll the card into a cylinder shape and join the two short edges together by gluing or stapling. Stand your cylinder up and push down slightly on the top to make the slits puff out. Take a strip of card stock, about 1 inch by 7 inches, bend over into a handle shape and attach each end to the top of your lamp with glue or staples.

Cup Candle

• Decorate a paper cup with traditional Diwali rangoli patterns by drawing colorful shapes in symmetrical patterns. Take a piece of card stock about an inch shorter than your cup and about 5 inches long. Roll to make a tube shape and glue or staple the short ends together. Make a flame with squares of red, yellow and orange tissue paper, about 5 inches by 5 inches. Place 5 squares on top of each other and pinch together in the center. Glue the pinched end into the top of your tube and glue the other end of the tube to the bottom of your decorated cup.