Simple and easy rangoli designs

Shapes a child knows at a glance, each built round one centre or one line, in two rounds of colour. The last three are a step up, for when you have drawn one or two.

• Butterfly

  Simple

  A butterfly at the door is a small joy for children, and a sign of a garden in bloom.

  You’ll need Saffron, magenta, deep blue, yellow and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one upright line.

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  Step by step4 stages

  1. Chalk guide. Draw an upright chalk line for the body and a circle round its middle to keep the wings the same size.

  2. Outline. Draw two large wings at the top and two smaller ones below, then a long oval body, a round head and two feelers.

  3. First colours. Fill the big wings with saffron, the small wings with magenta and the body with deep blue.

  4. Finished. Draw an inner wing of the other colour in each, then add yellow spots, white dots and dots at the ends of the feelers.

• Pinwheel

  Simple

  A pinwheel spins in every breeze; drawn at the door, it wishes the home a year that keeps turning to joy.

  You’ll need Deep blue, saffron, yellow and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one circle and a cross.

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  Step by step4 stages

  1. Chalk guide. Draw a small circle and a large one round the same centre with chalk, and four lines through the middle to make eight parts.

  2. Outline. In each part draw a blade that curves the same way, wide at the rim and narrow at the hub.

  3. First colours. Fill the blades deep blue and saffron in turn, and the hub yellow.

  4. Finished. Add a saffron heart to the hub, rings of white dots and a yellow dot at the tip of each blade.

• Heart flower

  Simple

  Five hearts make one flower, a welcome drawn with love for everyone who comes to the door.

  You’ll need Magenta, saffron, green and yellow colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one circle and five lines.

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  Step by step4 stages

  1. Chalk guide. Draw a small circle with chalk and five lines out from it like a star, evenly spaced.

  2. Outline. On each line draw a heart with its point at the circle, then a leaf between each pair of hearts.

  3. First colours. Fill the hearts with magenta and the centre with yellow.

  4. Finished. Draw a smaller saffron heart in each, colour the leaves green and add yellow dots in the middle and round the edge.

• Rings of colour

  Simple

  Rings spreading out like ripples on a pond carry good wishes from the home to all around it.

  You’ll need Yellow, magenta, saffron, green, deep blue and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: five circles round one centre.

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  Step by step4 stages

  1. Chalk guide. Tie chalk to a string, hold one end at the centre and draw six circles, each a little wider than the last.

  2. Outline. Turn the second widest band into sixteen round scallops and the outer band into twenty-four small ones.

  3. First colours. Fill the outer scallops with yellow, the band inside them with deep blue and the middle with saffron.

  4. Finished. Colour the green scallops, the magenta band and the yellow centre, then add rings of white dots.

• Leaf wreath

  Simple

  Fresh green leaves in a ring stand for life that keeps renewing itself, year after year.

  You’ll need Green, magenta, yellow and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one circle.

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  Step by step4 stages

  1. Chalk guide. Draw one large circle with chalk, a small one in the middle and a cross to mark the four flowers.

  2. Outline. Draw pairs of leaves all along the circle, all pointing the same way round, with four five-petal flowers on it and a small flower in the middle.

  3. First colours. Go over the circle and fill the leaves with green, and fill the flowers with magenta.

  4. Finished. Give the flowers yellow centres, dot the stem between the leaves with yellow, and add rings of white dots.

• Diamond chowk

  Simple

  A chowk, a square of colour, marks a clean and blessed place, ready for a lamp or a puja.

  You’ll need Magenta, deep blue, saffron, yellow and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: a square and a ruler.

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  Step by step4 stages

  1. Chalk guide. With a ruler and chalk, draw a large square and its two diagonals.

  2. Outline. Join the middles of the four sides to make a diamond, draw a smaller square inside it, a flower at the centre and a small flower at each corner.

  3. First colours. Fill the big square with magenta, the diamond with deep blue and the small square with saffron.

  4. Finished. Colour the flower magenta and yellow and the corner flowers yellow, then add white dots along the sides.

• Sky lantern

  Simple

  The akash kandil, a star lantern hung high at Diwali, lights the way home for all who are travelling.

  You’ll need Yellow, magenta, saffron, deep blue and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one upright line and a cross.

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  Step by step4 stages

  1. Chalk guide. Draw a long upright chalk line from the top, a short line across it and a circle round where they cross.

  2. Outline. Draw a four-pointed star in the circle, a round middle, the string above and five tassels hanging below.

  3. First colours. Fill the star points magenta and saffron in turn, the middle deep blue and the string yellow.

  4. Finished. Draw a yellow flower in the middle, colour the tassels and add white and yellow dots.

• Pair of fish

  Simple

  A pair of fish is one of the eight lucky signs: plenty, and freedom to swim through life.

  You’ll need Saffron, magenta, yellow, deep blue and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: two upright lines.

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  Step by step4 stages

  1. Chalk guide. Draw two chalk lines from the top, leaning a little apart at the bottom, and a line across below them for the water.

  2. Outline. On each line draw a long fish, round at the head and narrow at the tail, with a forked tail and two fins, and two wavy lines of water.

  3. First colours. Fill the fish with saffron, the tails and fins with magenta and the water lines with deep blue.

  4. Finished. Add yellow scale dots, a small deep blue eye near each head and white bubbles rising above them.

• Swan

  Simple

  The swan, the hamsa, is said to part milk from water: a sign of wisdom that keeps the good and leaves the rest.

  You’ll need White, deep blue, saffron, yellow, magenta and green colours, and chalk. No dot grid: an oval and one curved line.

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  Step by step4 stages

  1. Chalk guide. With chalk, draw a long line low down for the pond, a line above it for the swan’s back, a circle on the right for its chest and a slanting line for its neck.

  2. Outline. Draw a long flat oval on the low line for the pond, the body as a drop pointing left, an S-shaped neck up the slanting line, a round head, a beak and a lotus bud.

  3. First colours. Fill the pond with deep blue, the swan with white and the beak with saffron.

  4. Finished. Add three yellow feathers on the wing, white ripples, a magenta bud with a green leaf and a ring of yellow dots.

• Peacock

  Medium

  The peacock is India’s bird of joy and rain, and a favourite welcome at festival doors.

  You’ll need Green, deep blue, yellow, magenta and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: a fan of lines.

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  Step by step4 stages

  1. Chalk guide. From a point a little below the middle, fan six chalk lines out and up, like the spokes of a half wheel.

  2. Outline. Draw eleven long feathers on the fan, narrow at the middle and round at the ends, then a drop for the body, a round head and a beak.

  3. First colours. Fill the feathers with green and the body and head with deep blue.

  4. Finished. Give each feather a blue eye with a yellow heart and a white quill, then add the wing, beak, crest, feet and a row of yellow dots.

• Sun wheel

  Medium

  The wheel of the sun turns the days and seasons; drawn bright, it asks for a year full of light.

  You’ll need Yellow, magenta, deep blue, saffron and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: four circles.

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  Step by step4 stages

  1. Chalk guide. Draw four circles round one centre with chalk, and a cross through them to keep the rays even.

  2. Outline. Draw twelve long pointed rays round the outside, a short ray between each pair, and twelve spokes inside.

  3. First colours. Fill the long rays and the hub with yellow, the rim with magenta and the wheel with deep blue.

  4. Finished. Colour the short rays saffron, go over the spokes in white and add rings of white and yellow dots.

• Paisley swirl

  Detailed

  The paisley, the mango shape, is an old sign of plenty and new life; turning in a ring, it keeps good fortune moving.

  You’ll need Green, magenta, yellow, deep blue and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: three circles cut into eight.

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  Step by step5 stages

  1. Chalk guide. Draw four circles round one centre with chalk and four lines through the middle, giving eight equal parts.

  2. Outline. In each part draw a paisley, its round head on the third circle and its point curling in, then a flower in the middle and a scalloped edge.

  3. First colours. Fill the paisleys with green, the edge with deep blue and the flower with magenta.

  4. More colours. Give each paisley a yellow heart, and colour the middle of the flower yellow.

  5. Finished. Dot each paisley’s head with magenta, set a white drop between each pair and ring the flower with white dots.

Saffron, magenta, deep blue, yellow and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one upright line.

1. Step 1 · Chalk guide

   Draw an upright chalk line for the body and a circle round its middle to keep the wings the same size.

2. Step 2 · Outline

   Draw two large wings at the top and two smaller ones below, then a long oval body, a round head and two feelers.

3. Step 3 · First colours

   Fill the big wings with saffron, the small wings with magenta and the body with deep blue.

4. Step 4 · Finished

   Draw an inner wing of the other colour in each, then add yellow spots, white dots and dots at the ends of the feelers.

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