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Dot rangoli, step by step

In a dot rangoli you first lay a grid of dots, then join them or curve around them. The dots do the measuring for you, so even a first attempt comes out even. Here are three designs, from very easy to medium.

Star in a square (7 by 7 dots)

Seven rows of seven dots give a four-point star in the middle and a small square at each corner, joined by stepped lines. Almost every dot is used, and all the lines are straight.

  1. Place the dots: 7 by 7 dots, in straight rows with equal gaps. A hand-width between dots gives a medium-sized design.

  2. Join the middle dot of each side to the dots one step diagonally from the centre. This makes a four-point star. Fill it with orange if you are using colour.

  3. Inside the star, join the four dots next to the centre to make a small diamond. Fill it with yellow.

  4. At each corner, join the four corner dots into a small square. Fill the squares with green.

  5. Join each tip of the star to the next corner square with a stepped line: along, in, along, in. The five dots left inside the star stay as decoration.

Nested diamonds (1-3-5-7-5-3-1 dots)

The dots are placed in rows of 1, 3, 5, 7, 5, 3 and 1, which makes a diamond. Three diamonds, one inside the other, join them. It is the usual first lesson in dot rangoli.

  1. Place the dots: 1-3-5-7-5-3-1 dots, in straight rows with equal gaps. A hand-width between dots gives a medium-sized design.

  2. Join the four outermost dots (top, right, bottom, left) through the dots between them. This is the large diamond. Fill it with red.

  3. One row in, join the dots into a second diamond and fill it with yellow.

  4. Join the four dots around the centre into the smallest diamond and fill it with green. The centre dot stays white.

Four petal flower (5 by 5 dots)

Five rows of five dots and curved lines that go around the dots instead of through them. Four petals point to the sides and four leaves point to the corners.

  1. Place the dots: 5 by 5 dots, in straight rows with equal gaps. A hand-width between dots gives a medium-sized design.

  2. From the centre dot, draw a petal to the middle dot of each side, curving around the dot in between. Fill the four petals with pink.

  3. From the centre, draw a narrow leaf to each corner dot, curving around the diagonal dot. Fill the leaves with green.

  4. Join each corner to the next with a curve that bows outward past the side dots. This closes the design.

Why dots work

A grid of dots is a ruler laid on the floor. Once the dots are evenly spaced, every line you draw between them is the right length and at the right angle without any measuring. This is why the dot method is the daily habit in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka, where a fresh design is drawn at the door each morning.

Practise on paper first

Tap Outline, then Print, and trace each design a few times with a pencil. When your hand knows the order of the lines, the floor is easy.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between kolam and rangoli?

Kolam is the line-and-dot tradition of Tamil Nadu and nearby states, usually drawn in white rice flour every morning. Rangoli is the wider word used across India, and often means designs filled with colour. The two overlap a great deal.

How do I keep the dots straight?

Draw the middle row first, then add rows above and below it. On tiled floors, use the tile lines as a guide. Some people use a dotted stencil or a perforated roller.

What do "5 by 5" and "7 to 1" mean?

"5 by 5" means five rows of five dots, a square grid. "7 to 1" means the middle row has seven dots and each row above and below has two fewer, down to one, which makes a diamond.

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