Diwali 2021: Give your home decor an eco-friendly twist

Given the crisis where a large part of the country is suffering from air pollution , celebrating an eco-friendly Diwali is the way to go to enjoy the true spirit of the festival. So, if you have already started decorating your home and wondering how to go about the preparations without marring nature, we‘ve got you covered.

We present to you five eco-friendly ideas to upscale your home decors using waste papers, plastic, old clothes and old CDs. So, bring out all the ‘raddi’ of your house and brighten up your home with a creative tinge by re-using the waste items in innovative ways that are  super easy, not time-consuming and pocket-friendly too.
Bonus Tip – It might be a good way to engage your kids who are “high-on festival sweets, over-energetic and super-excited” during the  Diwali holidays.


1. Newspaper wall hanging

Vibrant wall hangings made of waste material can add colour to your room and make your wall come alive. Most houses have an abundant supply of newspapers and magazines and with little effort, these can be transformed into a gorgeous wall hanging.

Method:
• Make newspaper rolls and then make coils of different size
• Colour the coiled pieces with desired colours
• Decorate them with beads
• Paste them together and hang


2. Diwali Torans/ Bandanwaars
 

Place it at the entrance of your house to welcome guests and set the perfect festive mood with a traditional touch.
Method:

• Reuse old greeting cards
• Cut the portion you want
• Glue them on a ribbon or a string
That’s it! Your colourful and vibrant toran is ready.

3. Refurbish your home with vintage sarees/bedsheets

Have old worn out sarees or bedsheets lying at home which you once totally adored but can’t use anymore? Use your creativity and reuse them as curtains, cushion cover, table spreads, and even as quilt covers. Refurbish your home with a dash of traditional opulence.

Method:
• Select a contrast sarees and stitch these into cushion covers to match with your couch
• Use a soft cotton bedsheet or saree as a fancy window blind by simply attaching it to the curtain rod- measure your window length and the diameter of your curtain rod. Keep extra four-inch while sewing/glueing the hem so that you can move it easily. Fold one inch of the hem at the bottom to stop it from laddering.
• Cut out the heavily embroidered borders and use them as table runners.

4. Recycled CDs Lamps

While cleaning the study area in your house, you must have found stacks of CDs that have no use anymore. Well, take this festive season as an opportunity to breathe some life into these by upcycling these into glorious lamps. The best part- you don’t even have to bear the  hassle of breaking the CDs and assembling the pieces.

Method:
• Just glue the CDs together in the form of a globe
• Put a light bulb inside the globe and you are good to go!

5. Plastic Candle/Diya holder

Transform the single-use plastic cups lying in your house into  creative candle/diya holders and use these for any occasion.

Method:
Use acrylic colours to paint plastic cups and put one smokeless tea  light candle/diya inside each cup and it’s done! Fill-up again when  needed.