Navratri or the festival of nine auspicious nights kickstarts the festive season for Hindu homes. Surroundings are adorned with colour and ethnic decor, homes are cleaned and rituals are observed among fun, frolic and lots of tasty treats. Navaratri decoration at home helps everyone get in the festive spirit and brightens up your space for the festivities.
Dainty torans, vibrant rangoli and an embellished mandap are just some Navratri decoration ideas that you can easily create by yourself. So get the family together and try out these Navratri decoration ideas at home.
Unique Navratri Decoration Ideas
1. Origami Torans
Toran is a traditional Indian decor piece that used to adorn doorways, which we often ignore while decorating. To anyone coming over, it shows your effort in making them feel welcomed and is sure to flatter them.
To make yours stand out from the plastic flower ones available in the market, you can make a string of beautiful origami. You will need thin colourful paper, a strong but thin thread and a design that you can make easily. It can be birds, flowers or even abstract shapes. If you want to add something extra, you can put small trinkets or bells in between two origami pieces. It is sure to make for a promising Navratri decor item.
2. Crafts For Kids
A sure-shot way to help the kids fall in love with the festivities is to include them in making the Navratri decor. You can get them:
- Colourful craft paper
- Crayons
- Glitter
- Sequin in different shapes
With these, kids can make Navratri-theme crafts like:
- Ravana, Ram masks
- Cutouts of firecrackers decorated with glitters
- Cardboard swords decorated with silver and gold craft paper
3. Mandap Decoration For Navratri
While the rest of the home is a place for fun, frolic, and high energy, the puja mandap or the prayer space is a place of calm and meditation. It is here that all the Navratri rituals are performed and it helps us take a moment to reconnect with our traditions. So Navratri puja decoration at home would be incomplete without adorning the mandap.
- If you practice golu puja, you can jazz up the dolls by glueing on glitter and small mirrors
- Use fresh flowers not only as an offering, but also to decorate; arrange flower petals on the floor of the mandap to make a fragrant base for the idols
- Paint earthen diyas in bright colours and use them as containers for prashad, flowers and other things in the mandap
- Add torans or fairy lights to brighten up the space
4. Thaali Decoration
Attention to detail is what will set apart your decorations this Navratri. An essential detail of Navratri puja is the thaali or ceremonial plate. Here are some easy-to-do ideas:
- Line the base of your thaali with a bed of fresh flowers and put painted diyas on it
- If you are up for some creativity, you can glue glass beads, cutout glitter paper and anything else that you like; you can also line the rim of the thaali with gota patti to complete the look
- Feeling lazy? Get a printed rangoli sticker in the size of your thaali and stick it on for a quick fix
5. Earthen Pots and Lamps
You can add a rustic and traditional look to your Navratri decor by placing earthen pots and lamps as showpieces. Depending on the space you have you can place them:
- Under the staircase or on sides on stairs
- In a corner of the living room; it is best to get pots of different sizes or shapes for this one as it makes for a distinctive decorative piece
- Place tea lights inside and use them as lamps; for this, you can get pots with cutouts. You can also make your own diyas. If you are looking for some inspiration, explore these 10 DIY diya decoration ideas that are perfect for Diwali.
6. Samai
You can incorporate regional Navratri decor ideas in your plan to make your decoration stand out. One such idea is to include a samai. This a traditional metal lampstand, prevalent in southern parts of India. You can get it to adorn the entrance of your home, place it near your mandap or as a decorative piece in your living. While it looks magnificent on its own, you can enhance its beauty by adding a rangoli at its base.
7. Flower Rangoli
If you are tired of toiling over rangoli with powder colours that never seem to sit right, the solution is right here. This year, make your rangoli with flowers! They are much easier to work and fill up your house with fragrance. You can use them fresh or dried and as petals or whole flowers. You can even include leaves of different shapes to suit your design.
8. Potpourri
Fragrance should be an essential element of your Navratri decoration ideas as it sets the tone for the occasion. It can be soothing, calming or uplifting depending on the aromatics you choose. To include fragrance in your Navratri decoration, make some potpourri. It is a mix of dried up natural aromatics. You can put them in a mesh bag, glass jar or lay them out in a decorative tray. To make potpourri that smells heavenly you can use the following:
- Fragrant spices like star anise (chakra phool) and cinnamon sticks (dalchini)
- Dried flowers like rose, jasmine, raatrani and more
- Thin and dried slices of orange or lemon
- Few drops of essential oils to enhance the fragrance
9. Traditional Prints For Upholstery
Using handicraft weaves for upholstery fits in perfectly with your Navratri decoration ideas. It will be a welcome change from your usual covers and match perfectly with the traditional theme. Plus, you will be supporting an indigenous artisan by buying traditional prints and weaves. These are some of the best ones you can opt for:
- Rajasthani patchwork
- Kalamkari
- Bagru
- Ajrakh
10. Goddess Feet
Drawing the feet of Laxmi is a traditional practice in North Indian homes during Navratri. It is believed to guide the Goddess of luck and prosperity inside your home. To make this, blitz some rice to a fine powder to make a watery paste. Now ball up your fist and dip it in the paste on the side of your pinky finger. Press it on the floor to make a resemblance of a small footprint. Then add toeprints with your fingers. You can also add a small red dot at the centre of these with roli.
Creating and collecting these beautiful decoration pieces with your family or by yourself can be a rewarding experience. It helps you feel more involved in the festive spirit and gives you time to bond with family and friends. Bonus is the pride and joy you feel seeing your home decorated with your creations. So this festive season, ditch the generic decor and switch to making Navratri decoration at home!
