Fabric dying is popular in many creative sectors of India, being represented in everything from fashion to artistic displays. Silk fabric is hand dyed to ensure that each piece is different than the next, becoming a unique piece of art. You can dye your own fabrics in a simple way at home. Boil some dye in hot water on the stove. Wearing gloves, dip different portions of your fabric into the dye, letting it soak. You can move the fabric around in the dye to achieve different designs. Use various colors of dye until the entire piece has been covered. Once the dyes have set, rinse off the fabric and allow it to dry for your own one-of-a-kind, India-inspired piece.
India is known for its tradition of kite making and flying. In India, kites are skillfully manufactured for beauty and agility. You can decorate a kite of your own. Purchase a kite with minimal coloring. Go outside and use spray paints of varying colors to decorate the kite creatively. You can also choose to use acrylic craft paints. Once the paints are dry, cover your work with a paint protectant. You may fly your kite to show off your work or hang it up as a piece of art.
Miniature and highly detailed paintings are an admirable skill and art form in India. They were originally used to depict everyday life and occurrences in early culture. Purchase a small canvas or simply take a small piece of paper and create a drawing in graphite. Once the graphite drawing has been perfected, go over it with an acrylic or watercolor paint using a tiny paintbrush. You can also use fine point pens. This is a great way to portray scenes from modern life using a traditional Indian art form.
Mandalas are intricate drawings that represent the containment of life's essence. They typically feature an array of shapes contained inside one another, starting with a square and working their way down to a circle---the essence. In India the creation of mandalas serves as a meditative process as well as an artistic one. They can be created on a blank piece of paper using a black fine point pen or a quill with black ink. Experiment and draw whatever shapes and designs come into your mind following the traditional mandala form.