Diwali is around the corner and we are all spring-cleaning our homes, thinking of gifts and clothes.. and some new Diwali decoration ideas for our homes. So this post is not about diyas and rangoli.

We all do those every year and we’ll find hundreds of images on Google for designs. This post is for you if you are looking for something ‘different’, a wow factor. Something that will catch your eye and make you say, ‘Hey.. Nice!’ Inspiration for ideas can come from anywhere. For example, you could use a gorgeous arrangement at a church wedding in a traditional Indian one by changing the colours from white to red.

Here are some ideas I found inspiring and would love to try out in my home. I obviously can’t do them all together… maybe 1 new one every year?  😉 Let’s go!

Diwali Decoration Ideas With Lights:

Diwali is the festival of lights. So the most obvious way to decorate is with lots of twinkling lights. Though I love diyas I use them less than I would like to, mostly only during the pooja. I’m a little cautious about using them inside the house, what with kids running around constantly. And on the outside they don’t last too long. Mumbai is usually breezy and we’re in a high rise. So they last only a few seconds outside our window before being blown off.

Diwali decoration means lots and lots of string lights for me. Once our Diwali lights are up, we don’t need to use the regular lights at home. We have the string lights all over and they give off enough light to the whole room.

(1) Drape string lights around doors and windows:

We all usually hang up our string lights outside our windows. That’s great for the outside, but I also like to get Diwali INSIDE my home. So drape them around your doors and windows inside your rooms. The twinkle and soft glow is mesmerizing.

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(2) Drape string lights around your furniture:

This works especially well with mirrors because of the twinkling reflection.

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You can find the DIY to make this gorgeous, twinkling screen right here. Else, weave your fairy lights through an existing screen you have. It looks stunning!

You can also drape them around your bureaus and side units or line them along shelves.

(3) Drape string lights in your curtains:

This looks especially pretty with sheer fabric. Hang strings of light behind your sheer curtains and watch your room transform into a fairy land.

What if you don’t have sheer curtains? Then this is what I would do. Pull your solid curtains to the sides and hook them loosely like done in this picture below. Then take any kind of sheer fabric you have, like a dupatta or a sari. It could either match your curtains or be a striking contrast to them. Hang the sheer fabric from the curtain rod above, behind your hooked solid curtains. Hang strings of light behind the dupatta.

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Similarly, you can use your sari or dupatta to make a swag like in the picture below. You could do this on your window, or above your sofa or on any painting / wall you want to highlight. Then hang your string lights through your swag.

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(4) Drape string lights AS your curtains:

Have an empty space you don’t know what to do with? Whether it’s a blank wall, a large opening or above your plants, hang string lights like a curtain to make it look festive.

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(5) Make a string light chandelier:

You can find this really easy DIY to make a chandelier from a hula-hoop right here. Hang this in your foyer, above your dining table or in a decorative corner.

(6) Make a string light table lamp:

Do you remember how we converted a glass vase into a table lamp for our Ganpati decoration last year? You can get this easy DIY right here. Again, it’s really easy and you can make many of these in glass vases of different shapes / sizes / colours and put them all around your home.

We also have a DIY to make these pretty glass lanterns using your empty glass jars. Place tea-lights in them and watch them shine like jewels.

Once you’re done with the lights and your home is sparkling and twinkling with festivity, the next thing is obviously the flowers. Flowers are not only pretty, festive and fragrant, they are also considered auspicious, and you can’t celebrate an Indian festival without them.

Diwali Decoration Ideas With Flowers:

Flowers are a must in our festivals and we’ve grown up decorating our homes with flowers. Bored of doing the same thing every year? Let’s check out these new diwali decoration ideas with flowers.

(7) Decorate with marigold flowers:

Most poojas and festivities cannot do without the marigold flower. We have an entire post dedicated to marigold flower decoration ideas here, so head right over for some amazing and unusual ideas.

(8) Make a simple flower garland curtain:

Nothing too heavy, just single flowers strung together at a distance makes a delicate and pretty flower curtain. You can use your favourite flowers in colours that match your decor. Reds, oranges, yellows and pinks will naturally be festive favourites.

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(9) Use flower garlands to make a focal point:

You could hang these garlands behind your pooja idol. It could be a corner you want to decorate with your brassware and lamps, or an empty wall you want to make festive. A few strings of flowers can make the area your focal point and the center of your festive room. I love the way different colours of flowers have been used asymmetrically to make the beautiful screen below.

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(10) Make a wall hanging with flower garlands:

If you want to keep it even simpler, string a few garlands on a branch, a stick, a steel rod, or even a couple of hangers to fill up empty walls. I would use bright red and orange flowers with maybe a few golden paper flowers or golden balls strung in between to make the hanging bright and festive.

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(11) Add ribbons to your flower garlands:

I’m loving the way the bright red and pink ribbons make these flower garlands look so much prettier and brighter. I would love to drape these on my windows or behind my sofa.

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(12) Hang flower garlands from balloons:

Just tie your flower garlands to the strings of your balloons and let them float up to the ceiling. Simple, isn’t it? Make the garlands of different lengths so that they are suspended at different levels from the ceiling. Again, for Diwali I would use colours like red and gold rather than white balloons.

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(13) Drape flower garlands on the edges of your curtains:

Isn’t this so, so pretty? It declares ‘festival time’ loud and clear!

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(14) Use flowers on your curtain tie backs:

Again so simple and so pretty. Pull back your curtains onto the side and pin flowers on the tie-backs. You can choose the colour of the flower depending on the colour of your drapes.

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(15) Use fake flower garlands:

If you are not too enthusiastic about getting real flowers in and stringing them up, there are lots of paper and fabric flower garland options available online. I’ve just ordered myself some strings of marigold. If you are connected with me on Instagram or Facebook, you’ll be seeing them soon!

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(16)  Make flower chandeliers:

You can find step by step instructions to make this pretty flower chandelier here. Hang a few of these at different heights to make a pretty corner in your room.

Your chandelier will take on a whole different look depending on the colour and type of flowers you use.

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(17) Hang flowers FROM chandeliers:

Do you have a chandelier at home? Make your garlands or string your flowers and hang them from your chandelier for a completely new Diwali look in your home!

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Diwali Decoration Ideas With Paper Lanterns:

‘Kandils‘ or paper lanterns are another essential at Diwali and we can’t write a post on Diwali decoration ideas without including them. I especially associate my childhood Diwalis with a colourful ‘kandil‘ hanging outside every home.

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I clicked this pic last year while shopping for Diwali goodies at Dadar Circle. Loads of red lanterns hanging off a tree in the middle of the road.

So let’s take a cue from these and make our ‘kandil’ decoration different.

(18) Hang paper lanterns in rows:

Don’t do just 1 paper lantern. Get a bunch of them and hang them in a row. You can use coordinated colours to go with your scheme…

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… or different colours to brighten things up.

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(19) Hang paper lanterns in bunches:

Take lanterns of various sizes and colours and hang them in a bunch from different heights. You can do this in the centre of the room or in a corner you want to highlight. When you’re doing a bunch odd numbers usually work best. For example, hanging them in a bunch of 3, 5 or 7 lanterns. Again, you can use a single colour for a softer, more sophisticated look…

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… or different colours to make it bright and happy.

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So that’s our list of Diwali decoration ideas for you. We also have personal tips and ideas from my favourite decor bloggers right here. A dozen of them.. the best of the best.. share with us how they decorate their homes. Don’t miss this one!

Once your home is Diwali ready, the next thing to aim for is your table. We have a beautiful Diwali tablescape right here to make your Diwali meal not just a treat for your stomach, but a treat for your eyes too!

You can also click here to check out how I decorated my home for a Diwali party.

So many ways to beautify your home.. hope you have great fun doing it! Wishing you all a safe and very happy Diwali!

Until next time,