DIY Rainbow Diwali Diyas: Brighten Up Your Festive Decor
You know when you plan something in your head and it looks perfect, but when you finally do it, it doesn’t quite match the vision? That happens to me all the time. Dreamers, we plan, we fall, we make mistakes, and then we try again.
But sometimes, every once in a while, an idea turns out even better than what you imagined.
That’s exactly what happened with these DIY Rainbow Diwali Diyas. I’d been dreaming up this idea for ages, and when I finally tried it, they came out even more magical than I expected!
I shared the process on my Instagram stories, and so many of you messaged asking for a tutorial — so here it is. I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying all our Diwali preparation activities with Little Mirchi. You can see more of our festive fun here, here, and here.
What You’ll Need:
How to Make Rainbow Diwali Diyas
Step 1: Line your baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 2: Take small equal amounts of clay — about one inch of each color. Start with white, then add two or three vibrant colors.
Step 3: Mix and marble the clay to create playful patterns. You can layer, roll, or twist them like we did for our Rainbow Rotis! Roll into a ball (around ladoo-size).
Step 4: Flatten slightly and shape into a small bowl.
Step 5: Pinch one end to form the classic diya tip.
Step 6: Repeat for all your clay balls and arrange them on the tray.
Step 7: Bake in a preheated oven at 275°F for 30–35 minutes.
Step 8: Let cool completely, then paint the rims with gold liquid gilding.
Step 9: Once dry, place a tea light inside and there you have it, your glowing, colorful Diwali diyas!
Why Polymer Clay Works Best
Play-Doh may seem easier, but it dries, cracks, and isn’t waterproof. Polymer clay, once baked, becomes sturdy diyas.
These rainbow diyas add such joy to our home every Diwali, they’re colorful, creative, and beautiful. ✨
How are you preparing for Diwali this year?
Oh wow, these are so pretty!!! Very different from the usual wooden painted diyas we see around. The marbled effect is looking okay but the gold is adding such an amazing and classy finish to it. 🙂
Uhoh, not wooden diya, lol. I meant the brown clay diya. I’m still sleepy this morning haha.
Hi Nisha! I just saw these on your Instagram stories and they look beautiful! One question, did you add the gold to the inside of the diyas after you painted them?
Yes after it was all cured we painted the gold!
This is so cool I will try and do this at Nirwaans school for Diwali presentation.. is ok if the kids did the gold paint before baking.. I am guessing they will do the baking once they go home..? Any other solution I could use?
So sorry I just saw this but baking would be the only solution for this clay
Hi Nisha! These look so pretty. Just a couple of questions. How many Diyas did that batch of clay make? And, can these be reused ? Thank you and wish you a wonderful Diwali season
Hello it made about 15-20 diyas – you use tea lights in these so you can reuse
lovely work
Hi Nisha, I saw these on instagram. I am saving this for next year for sure.