Mehndi Hands Diwali Craft

Dressing up for Diwali is a cherished tradition of the Festival of Lights. To celebrate the holiday, many people paint beautiful patterns on their hands (and sometimes feet!) with mehndi, also known as henna.

For a fun kids activity at Diwali, try this mehndi hands craft! Use it as a supplement to your family’s “getting-our-mehndi-done” tradition. If you don’t like the mess (or smell_ of mehndi, this can be a great substitute activity to still honor the tradition and join in on the festivities. 

This mehndi hands craft is also a great group, or classroom craft, using just a few materials but lots of creativity! For example, if you’re having dinner with extended family or friends, lay out the materials for this craft at the kids table to keep them busy and entertained. 

After kids are done making the craft, consider adding a magnet to the back and tacking it to the fridge. Or, hole punch the top of the craft, loop some ribbon through and hang it as an ornament. (Grandparents especially love kid made ornaments as sentimental gifts!). 

If you’re making a bunch of mehndi decorated hands (such as with multiple kids), consider using the completed craft as decor. Hole punch each of the hands and string them through some ribbon - and you have a festive Diwali garland to hang!

Craft Supplies

• Foam sheets (we’ve opted for a range of skin color shades but you can choose whatever color you like)
• Pencils
• Scissors
• Kid Made Modern Arts & Crafts Supply Library

Directions

1) Have kids trace their hands onto the foam sheets.

2) Cut out hand shapes.

3) Have kids pick out various items from the kit that are in shades of red and orange (to resemble mehndi).

4) Use the items to make mehdni patterns and glue them down onto the foam hands. The key here is to just have fun with it and let creativity soar!

To help get you started, get inspired with these mehndi pattern ideas made with Kid Made Modern’s Arts & Crafts Supply Library. Used here from the kit, pipe cleaners, colored googly eyes, various shaped sequins, pom poms, wooden beads and a wooden disc. And glue of course (which is also included in the kit!)

Psst - Kid Made Modern’s glue is actually now my go-to glue since I started using their kits. The nozzle and drip pressure are truly perfect for a wide arrange of crafts. With other glue bottles, I always found that either too much glue comes out all at once and I had to be really careful -  or that I couldn’t get the glue out - at least evenly anyway.

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Manal Aman is a founder of the blog Hello Holy Days where she shares fun DIY and craft ideas for Ramadan, Eid and Hajj. She loves homemade parties and borrowing books from the library. On a Sunday afternoon, Manal can probably be found taking long walks in the woods, listening to Oprah’s podcast and snacking on French patisserie (hello macrons!)

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