Holi colour wheel rangoli

How to draw it, step by step

Sweep the floor and wipe it with a damp cloth so the powder grips. Mark the centre with chalk. Then follow the pictures. Each one adds one part.

1. Draw a large circle and divide it into eight equal slices, like cutting a cake. Fill each slice with a different colour.

2. Cover the centre, where the slices meet, with a neat white circle.

3. Place eight white dots in a ring, one in each gap. Drop a pinch of powder and press lightly for each dot.

4. Draw a thin white circle around the design. A string held at the centre, with chalk at the other end, keeps it round.

Tip: Put colours that contrast next to each other, such as yellow beside purple, so that each slice stands out.

Where it works best

It is made for the morning after Holi, when half-used packets of gulal are lying about, and for any group of children. A veranda or the society lawn path is ideal. Indoors, lay newspaper around the edge first, because gulal is finer and lighter than rangoli powder.

What usually goes wrong, and the fix

Neighbouring colours bleed into each other where slices meet. Draw the dividing lines in white first, a finger wide, and fill each slice up to the white, not over it. Gulal blows away easily, so make this one out of the wind. More fixes are on rangoli problems and fixes.

Make it your own

• Change the colours to what you have at home. Any two strong colours and white are enough.
• Make it smaller for a puja thali or a table, or repeat it three times in a row along a wall.
• Print the outline and let children colour it first. It is good practice before the powder comes out.

New to rangoli? Read how to make rangoli and colours and materials first.

More designs like this

• Eight petal flowerEasy
• SunburstEasy
• Marigold rings pookalamEasy
• Crescent and starEasy