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Activities / Terracotta / Painted Diya

Painted Diya

Painted Terracotta Diya: A Festive Craft for Diwali

Level
Beginner
Duration
30 - 60 mins (plus drying)
Budget
₹437 – ₹920
Age
5+ (an adult lights the flame)
State
Pan-India

Materials

  • Plain terracotta diyas
  • Acrylic paints with white, red, yellow, blue, green and orange
  • Round brushes, sizes 2 and 6
  • Gold paint pen
  • Clear varnish for the outside (optional)
  • Pencil, jar of water, plate for paint, newspaper and an old shirt
  • Craft glue and sequins (optional)

Steps

  1. Cover your table and gather four plain clay diyas
    Spread newspaper over the table, wear an old shirt or apron, and set out 4 plain terracotta diyas, your paints, brushes, a pencil, a jar of water and a plate for mixing. A typical diya is about 7 to 8 cm (3 in) wide. Put a pea-sized drop of each colour on the plate. Common mistake: squeezing out a lot of paint at the start. It dries on the plate before you use it.
  2. Wipe each diya clean and let it dry
    Wipe the outside of each diya with a slightly damp cloth to remove dust, then let it dry for 10 minutes. Clay soaks up water, so do not drench it. If the surface feels rough or gritty, rub it lightly with your thumb until it is smooth. Keep the inside bowl clean and bare, because the oil and wick will go there.
  3. Paint two thin white coats on the outside walls
    With the size 6 brush, paint the outside wall of each diya white, going round in one direction. Stop 1.5 cm below the rim and do not paint inside the bowl. Wait 15 minutes, then add a second coat. Clay drinks the first coat, so it looks patchy at first, and the white base then makes the other colours bright. Common mistake: one thick coat, which dries cracked.
    Tip: Hold the diya by the inside of the bowl or stand it on a jar lid while you paint, so your fingers stay clean.
  4. Pencil the pattern: petals, dots and triangles
    Wait 15 minutes for the white to dry. With a light pencil, mark a ring of 8 petals around the upper wall, each about 1.5 cm wide and 1.5 cm tall, like a flower seen from above. Under the petals draw a row of small dots about 1 cm apart. Around the base draw a band of small triangles, each about 1 cm wide, pointing up. Press lightly so the lines do not show later.
  5. Paint the petals in alternating bright colours
    Use the size 2 brush. Paint the first petal red, the next yellow, the next red, and so on around the ring. Fill each petal with 2 thin coats, waiting 5 minutes between coats. Keep your hand steady by resting the diya on the table. Paint every other petal first and come back to the in-between ones after 10 minutes, so wet colours never touch and blur.
    Tip: Use the same two or three colours on all four diyas so they look like a set.
  6. Fill the triangles in a contrasting colour
    Paint the triangles around the base in a colour that contrasts with the petals, such as blue or green if the petals are red and yellow. Use the size 2 brush and two thin coats. Let the paint dry for 10 minutes. The triangles act like a border at the bottom and make the diya look finished.
  7. Dot the gaps with the end of a brush handle
    Dip the round end of a brush handle into paint, wipe off the extra on the plate, and press it straight down on each pencilled dot. Lift it straight up, without sliding. Each dot should be about 3 mm wide. Use a different colour from the petals, such as white or orange. Re-dip every 2 or 3 dots so the dots stay the same size.
    Tip: Practise on spare paper first. The first dot is always the biggest.
  8. Add a gold line and optional sequins, well away from the rim
    Use the gold or white paint pen to draw one thin line round the diya, 1.5 cm below the rim, steadily in one go. Test the pen on scrap paper first, because the first mark can blob. If you like, glue small sequins onto the wall with a dab of craft glue, keeping them at least 2 cm from the rim. Never put paint, glue or sequins on the rim or inside the bowl.
  9. Dry for 24 hours, seal the outside and light it with an adult
    Leave the diyas to dry for 24 hours. Then brush one thin coat of clear varnish on the outside walls only, and let it dry for another 24 hours. Only an adult should fill a diya with oil, add the wick and light it, and it must be kept away from curtains and children. If you are unsure about the paint near a flame, use a small LED tea light inside instead.

Sustainability

Medium - reuses a terracotta diya that can last for years; acrylic and glitter are plastic-based

Safety

Paint stains clothes; an adult must light the flame; keep the lit diya away from curtains and children; use only fully cured, heat-safe paint on the outside of the diya