We all get mesmerized and entertained by the lights of the crackers. But the sad fact is that we don’t pay any attention to the bad effect of loud noise and pollution on the environment. After successful initiatives such as Water Free Holi and Eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi now we are marching towards “Green Diwali”.
This Green Diwali is a way to celebrate the festival with minimum consequences to the environment. Want to know how? Then get ready and dive into our Workshop on “GREEN DIWALI” with our speaker Sanchita Rath who is an agricultural student, public speaker, biker, and art and decor enthusiast. You can learn more about her through her Instagram page “plant.up.with.sanchi”
Sanchita and her DIYs to decorate your home in Diwali:
“Hello, everyone. Today we have with us Sanchita Rath, who is a public speaker and also a gardening enthusiast, and a person with a decor hobby. So, let us start without any further delay,” said Akanksha.
“Hello, all. I have been in the agriculture field for the past three years, and that is where this zeal for gardening comes from. I focus mainly on indoor gardening, especially vertical gardening, hydroponics, etc. Today’s theme is Green Diwali. The first DIY we will talk about is a DIY Diya stand. Mostly, we purchase these things outside for a hefty price of 2000-3000. I will show you how you can make them at your home in an affordable way. The materials required for this purpose include:
- A piece of cardboard.
- Some circles support the diya.
- The inner part of aluminium foil.
- Some thermocol of any shape just for support.
The size of the circle depends upon the diyas you’ll be using. You have to take a wide base so that it is supported. You can use any cardboard; you just need to make sure it has enough strength to support the diya,” said Sanchita.
“Can we use ply as a base?”
“Yes, sure. For stronger and bigger diyas, you can use ply.
You just have to apply glue and fix the thermocols next. You will have to colour it all later. You can make any pattern you want,” said Sanchita.
“What color do you use?”
“I use acrylic paint, but any water-resistant paint would do. After that, you need to apply varnish to it.
So, fix a circle atop the thermocol and then put another thermocol on it. We will continue the process of the design that I am making. I am using a hot glue gun to stick them. We can alternately use fevicol as well,” said Sanchita.
“We can use any glue for this?”
“Yeah, hot glue gun, feviquick, fevicol, anything works.
So, after that, we just need to paint it and place a diya on it. That is all; it is ready.”
“Amazing, it looks very pretty,” said Akansha.
“Next, during Diwali, we worship goddess Laxmi, and we put stickers of Shubh laabh in front of our houses. So, I’ll show you how you can make them. You’ll need cardboard for this. We will start by painting it,” said Sanchta.
“While you are doing this, how did you start your gardening journey?”
“I was in the field of agriculture. That is where I developed an interest in gardening. However, due to a lack of ample space, I searched for ways to grow them indoors at home, and as you can see in the background, I have resorted to vertical gardening,” said Sanchita.
“Do you propagate your plants, or do you buy them?”
I buy them in the first instance, the mother plant, that is. Then, I propagate from that.
So, the coloring is done. I will attach some stones for designing purposes; you can get them from any stationery. After that, you just need to stick a shubh laabh sticker, and it’s ready.
Next, we will look at some DIYs using plastic bottles. You can cut a plastic cold drink bottle, and then on the top part, we will attach a lace to make it more attractive. We will again use hot glue for the purpose. So, I’ll grow plants on the lower part of the bottle hydroponically. You can put colored pebbles to make it look prettier. Else, just add water, and put the plant in it. Now, the upper part of the bottle can be used as a cover for diyas.
The third one is about coconut shells: how we can use them to make interesting things. You need to have the shells in proper shape. Then, scrub with sandpaper to remove the husk. You can use it for decoration like you can put flowers in it simply. You can also use them for making planters. I do not prefer growing succulents in these shells. Then again, you can put glitter in them. Then you can put it in a net and hang it somewhere after putting a lighted diya in it.
Many people are interested in macron planters. So, I’ll show you how you can use them in DIYs. You can wrap them around a potted plant, and it is done already. You can add some beads and stones for an extra Diwali touch,” said Sanchita.
“We can also use transparent jars are decoratives. I will attach some laces to it. You can also use glitter on it. Hot glue works here too, but not for the glitters. You can use fevicol for glitters,” said Sanchita.
“How did you develop this hobby of art and craft?”
“I owe it to the pandemic. Having nothing to do, I resorted to it as a pastime and also to learn something new.”
“Okay. That’s great,” said Akansha.
“Now, I will put some neon lights in the container. Make sure the container is dry before you do so. This will look very attractive if you are keeping it on a table, etc.
The last one we have for today is how you can use ply as a décor. Things needed include ply or wooden planks for bigger things. You’ll need thread or wool as an alternative,” said Sanchita.
“We can use cardboard as the base?”
“No, there are heavy chances that it will break.
So, then you need to make two simple knots with the thread. You need to put the ply in the thread from both sides and see if both sides are the same or not. Then, stick the ply to the threads using hard glue. That is it; the hanging board is ready. You can keep various different things on it, based on their weight, and your décor is ready. That is all for today,” said Sanchita.
“These DIYs were indeed beautiful. Thank you for joining us today.”