Making rangoli/kolam patterns
Explore designs, patterns and materials this Diwali
Rangoli/kolam patterns are bright and colourful designs used by Hindus throughout Diwali, the festival of lights. These patterns can be small or large - in parts of India, there are competitions where teams of people work together to produce large designs for the public to enjoy. Why not set up a competition in your classroom this Diwali?
In this activity, learners will make a rangoli/kolam pattern for use in the Diwali celebrations. They will first consider the purpose and characteristics of rangoli/kolam patterns. They will then create their own pattern using sand, adding colour and detail.
This is one of a series of resources designed to allow learners to use the theme of Diwali to develop their knowledge and skills in design and technology, and art. This resource focusses on understanding the characteristics of, and making patterns using sand and other materials.
Download the free activity sheets below.
And don’t forget to share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETEducation or via email at IETEducation@theiet.org. Your submissions will be shared in our online gallery!
Available Downloads
Related resources
We’re upgrading our systems, and this includes changes to our customer and member account log in, MyIET. It’s part of our big picture plan to deliver a great experience for you and our wider engineering community.
Whilst most of our websites remain available for browsing, it will not be possible to log in to purchase products or access services from Thursday, 17 April to Wednesday, 30 April 2025. Our Member Relations team is here to help and for many of our services, including processing payments or orders, we’ll be able to support you over the phone on +44 (0)1438 765678 or email via membership@theiet.org.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.
For further information related to specific products and services, please visit our FAQs webpage.