Simple yet fun DIY craft ideas for your kid to try this Republic Day

January 26^th is one of the most important days on the national calendar. This is the day when the Constitution of India formally came into effect. This year, India will be celebrating its 73^rd Republic Day. However, due to new COVID-19 variants looming around, most celebrations around the country will be low-key. However, it does not mean that kids can’t celebrate at home in their own unique (and artistic too!) ways. Here are some quick and fun DIY craft ideas for your kid to try out this Republic Day. 

Tricolour tea coasters  
Time: 10-15 minutes 

What better way to start the Republic Day than with a cup of tea on a special tricolour coaster? 

What you will need 

• Ice cream sticks 
• Paints (orange, white and green) 
• Paintbrushes 
• Glue 
• Pencil 
• Ruler 

Step-by-step guide 

• Take 4 ice cream sticks and apply a dot of glue at one end of each stick. 
• Place them in a square formation and stick the ends with the glue together. This will create a square frame. 
• Apply glue all over the square frame. 
• Start pasting more ice cream sticks horizontally till the entire frame is covered. 
• Divide the covered square frame into three equal parts using a pencil and a ruler. 
• Paint the upper part in orange, the middle one in white and the last one in green. 
• Let it sit for a while to dry. Your tea coaster is ready! 

Tricolour badge  
Time: 10-15 minutes 

This badge is extremely easy to make, and is a unique accessory which can be pinned onto clothes.   

What you will need 

• Coloured paper strips in orange, white and green (30 cm x 3 cm) 
• 3 paper circles (2 cm in diameter) 
• Ribbons in orange, white and green 
• Glue 
• Silicon glue 
• Scissors 
• Pencil 
• Ruler 
• 1 safety pin 

Step-by-step guide 

• First, apply glue on one of the longer sides of the orange-coloured paper and stick the white paper onto it. Now, apply glue on the longer side of this white paper and stick the green one on it too.  
• Trim the edges to make the lengths of the pasted colour strips equal. 
• Make 1 cm marks vertically along the paper using a pencil and a scale. 
• Now, fold one edge (using the 1 cm mark) and then flap it over in the opposite direction. Repeat this folding process until the end of the paper. This will form a paper coil. 
• Apply glue on one end of this coil and stick it to the other end. It will leave you with a circular coil. 
• Help your child to carefully apply silicon glue to the centre of either side of the coil. Paste one paper circle on each side. You can also draw onto these circles to make it look like the chakra of the Indian tricolour. 
• Put a pin through the third white circle and paste it on one of the sides using silicone glue again. 
• You can attach tricolour ribbons to the bottom as a finishing touch.  

Tricolour paper fan  
Time: 5 minutes 

This is an easy and breezy craft idea for Republic Day. It can be made using basic materials. 

What you will need 

• Chart paper in orange, white and green (5cm squares each) 
• Glue 
• Ruler 
• Pencil 
• Cardboard sticks 

Step-by-step guide 

• Attach the orange and green chart paper to either side of the white one using glue. 
• With the orange side on top, make 1 cm marks across it horizontally using a pencil and ruler. 
• Start folding it inwards and outwards from the left side. 
• Attach one cardboard stick at each outer end of the flag with glue to make it sturdy. Voila, the tricolour paper fan is ready! 

Bookmarks with patriotic quotes  
Time: 10-12 minutes 

Bookmarks are a thoughtful gift for those who like to read. This is the best way to combine knowledge and patriotism- (artistically!).  

What you will need 

• White chart paper (thick) (12cmx 3cm) 
• Sketch pens 
• Additional decorations like glitter, sequins, etc. if preferred 
• Scissors 
• Pencil 
• Ruler 
• Punching machine 
• Golden ribbon 

Step-by-step guide 

• Using a ruler, measure the chart paper for 12 cm in length and 3 cm in breadth. Mark the measurements with a pencil. 
• Carefully cut it out in the above measurements using a scissor.  
• Using sketch pens, can create tricolour designs all over the book mark. 
• Write a patriotic quote or saying written at the centre of the bookmark.  
• Punch a hole in the middle of the top end of the bookmark. Pass a golden ribbon through it and tie a knot. The bookmark is ready to be gifted! 

Tricolour wrist band  
Time: 5 minutes 

This is yet another tricolour accessory that can be sported this Republic Day. The only thing required is wool! 

What you will need 

• Strands of wool in orange, white and green (varying lengths) 

Step-by-step guide 

• Take one wool strand in each of the three colours. Place the orange to the left, white in the centre and green to the right. 
• Tie the top of the three strands together. 
• Start braiding them - orange over the white, then green over the white. Keep braiding till the desired length is achieved. (This will change depending on the wearer’s wrist.) 
• Tie the end similar to the top. Leave a couple of centimetres of wool towards the end. Now, make a loop and tie the bottom end with the top using the extra strands. It’s that simple! 

Indian flag with fingerprints  
Time: 10 minutes 

Here is a slightly messy but fun twist to make flags more artistic. 

What you will need 

• White chart paper pieces (20 cm x 15 cm) 
• Orange, white, green and blue paint 
• A thin paintbrush 
• Ruler 
• Pencil 
• An ice cream stick 
• Glue 

Step-by-step guide 

• Lay a piece of white chart paper on a flat surface. Divide it into three equal parts using a pencil and a ruler. 
• Then, draw a chakra in the centre using the pencil. Use the thin paintbrush and blue paint to outline it. 
• Now, it’s time to a little get messy! Ask your child to dip her fingers into the orange paint and imprint them onto the top section. Do the same with green paint in the bottom section. 
• After it has dried, flip it over and stick the bamboo candy stick to at the edge. There it is- a unique, personal tricolour! 

Lotus, the national flower  
Time: 15 minutes 

This craft can be a sweet, thoughtful yet patriotic gift this Republic Day. 

What you will need 

• Coloured paper (pink and green) 
• Scissors 
• Glue 
• Toothpick/ wooden skewer 
• Green paint 
• Paintbrush 

Step-by-step guide 

• Cut out petals using the pink coloured paper and scissors. Start off with smaller ones (around 3 cm) and increase the size gradually.  
• The toothpick/ wooden skewer will function as the stem. Paint it green using a paintbrush. 
• Starting with the smallest petals, start stacking them in the shape of a lotus. Using glue, stick the ends of the smaller ones together first and then move on to the bigger ones. Thus, the smaller petals will make up the centre, while the others will form the outer sections of the lotus.  
• Pierce the centre of the flower with the green stem. That’s it, the lotus is ready!