I am not religious. I don’t have a mandir in my home, I don’t know a single ritual and I have never fasted in my life for religious purposes. But I am, from the soul of me, an ardent festivalist. Durga Puja? Yes. Ganpati? Yes. Christmas? Yes!!!!!! OMG YES! Eid? Yup, Yes! Nowruz? Alright, bring it on patrani macchi. I love to celebrate festivals, mainly- and quite selfishly- because of the decor and food possibilities each one of them brings with it.
Every year, during ganpati festival- and up until Diwali- I do little bouquets and simple things around my home with local flowers, foliage and materials that find significance in our tradition but keeping with my knack for not following rules, I do them very non-traditionally. And believe me you, they look absolutely stunning!
Some of you wrote on our instagram QnA about festive decor – and frankly I am still quite unsure about putting this out here given how simple this is- and yet, I thought of sharing a few innovative ganpati decor ideas and festive decor ideas with you that you might find handy.
P.S. they are all 100% Trumatter approved!
Fairy Lights & Lanterns
My #1 trick to make your home look super festive is fairy lights. And lanterns. Hang them in your balcony with tealights, Keep them lined on your entryway, place them atop your centertable- its a winner. As for fairy lights, oh, fill the whole house with it. Except for your bed. You’d want to avoid it on your bedsheet because you know…shock and all! However, if you have a bed canopy, feel free to add them in there. Last year during ganesh chaturthi I hung up these lanterns in our balcony and only took them down in January!
Do marigold. But do them differently
“Almost always seen in a garland, marigolds have a way of making bouquets gorgeous, something which is rarely explored. This festive season, drop the garland and use marigold in a bouquet instead. Group them with succulents for a modern display or pair them up with hibiscus and roses in pink for an incredibly festive colour pop.” – I wrote in IndiaToday, in their festive issue in 2019, and the trick still holds true.
Add terracotta through fabric and rugs
Festive doesn’t necessarily have to be a color and glitter convention. You can very well do classy-festive keeping with the change in season. Incorporate colors like Scarlet, Terracotta and “mitti” or warm browns in your decor through fabric. A terracotta cushion in slub cotton, a scarlet cushion in velvet, a floral rug with earthy colors- they work beautifully in encapsulating the beautiful, festive feeling in your home.
TIP: Whenever you are decorating for a festival, try to imbibe the colors and the vibe through your decor. For example, if you are looking for innovative ganpati decoration ideas, look for what it stands for. A beautiful idol in marble or your ganpati collecetion with an “urli” of mogra on your coffee table, a tapestry, a painting, or a bouquet made with hibiscus- Ganesh ji’s fav flowers. All of the above can work fabulously as festive decor for Ganesh Chaturthi
Do Brass like a boss
Make cute bouquets with our local flowers
Rose, hibiscus and vinca or “nayantara” together make the most exceptional arrangement: go ahead and add them in an enamelware jug. Don’t like how that looks? Swap to brass vintage flower vases!