Make a Rakhi for Your Brother this Raksha Bandhan: 9 Simple Handmade Rakhi Ideas You Will Love to Give Your Brother

14/08/2018 Newest

Made a round of the local markets and came home without a rakhi for your brother? The rakhis all look the same, nothing really stands out or is special enough for your brother and when you do spot one with potential, the price makes you balk. Get a little crafty and use our creative ideas with step by step instructions and video tutorials to make a special rakhi at home. These beautiful homemade rakhis will make you glad you skipped the rakhi stall this year.

Table of contents

Handmade Rakhis: Make a One-of-a-Kind Rakhi for Your Brother
4 Tips to Make a Handcrafted Rakhi by Yourself
Personalised Handmade Rakhi Ideas to Charm Your Brother
Rakhis Kids Can Make
Simple Sweet Rakhis Anyone Can Make
Simple DIY Designer Rakhis
Bonus: Beautiful Rose Puja Thali

Handmade Rakhis: Make a One-of-a-Kind Rakhi for Your Brother

Rakhi is an important day for siblings in India. That's the day sisters tie the sacred thread to their brothers and pray for their health, happiness and well-being. In return brothers promise to protect them for life. It is a day for family celebrations as sweets and gifts are exchanged between the siblings.

Days before the festival, the market gets filled with gorgeous rakhis of all kinds. Sisters like you spend hours looking for the perfect rakhi to tie their brother. But this year, why not make a handmade rakhi? It may not match up to the jazz of the store-bought rakhi but it will surely be cherished by your brother.

Adds a Personal Touch

Source www.mybirthdaysupplies.in

A handmade rakhi adds a personal touch to the festival. Making something by hand adds a little bit of you into the rakhi which cannot be matched by store-bought ones. Your brother will appreciate the time and effort put in by you to design and make a rakhi. Indeed rather than the rakhi itself, it is the thought you put into it that makes it special.

Shows Creativity

Source www.pinterest.jp

Rakhis are not very hard to make. It is a great opportunity to show your creativity and make a rakhi using materials you can find in nearby craft stores. All you need is a little bit of time, imagination and creativity. Creating a rakhi is particularly a great idea for young kids. It can spur creativity in young girls and they will get the unique joy of hand crafting something beautiful for their brothers.

4 Tips to Make a Handcrafted Rakhi by Yourself

Keep it Simple

Source deeps-creativity.blogspot.com

You may be tempted to mimic the glamourous options available in the market but remember the traditional rakhi is just a simple silken or cotton red or yellow thread. So instead of getting stressed about attempting an intricate design, opt for something uncomplicated but colourful and elegant that can be made with easily-available materials.

Look Up Online Guides

Source buzzingbubs.com

It is pretty easy to get tips and guidance on making rakhis today, thanks to the plethora of online guides. Several bloggers share step -by-step guides on making attractive rakhis. Similarly there are several videos hosted on sites like YouTube that give visual instructions on making a rakhi. Go through these resources to get inspiration for your rakhi’s design. Look for those that fall within your skill levels and also your style preferences. Deciding on your design ahead of time is also helpful in planning your purchases at the craft store.

Plan it Out Ahead of Time

Everything handmade takes time, particularly if you are not a very crafty person to begin with. That's why if you decide to make a rakhi this year, start at least a few days before Raksha Bandhan. You will need time to decide on the design, to buy supplies from craft stores and then actually make it. Having some buffer will also ensure that you have the time to buy a rakhi if your attempt at handmade rakhis does not go as expected.

Personalised Handmade Rakhi Ideas to Charm Your Brother

DIY Photo Rakhi

What you need:

1 Printed photo
Thick plain chart paper
Jewellery wire
Kundan or beads
Gold ball chain
Stone chain
Woollen or silken thread
Glue gun
Fabric glue

Instructions

1. Cut out two circles shape out of the chart paper - this will be the central medallion portion of your rakhi.
2. Cut out another smaller circular piece - this should fit inside the larger circle you cut earlier
3. Now take the photo of your bro and cut out his headshot in a circular shape.
4. Use the glue to stick the photo onto the smaller chart paper circle
5. Once that has dried, take the gold ball chain, cut out the appropriate length and glue it such that it encircles the headshot
6. Take the stone chain and do the same
7. Keep add more in any pattern you choose
8. Prune the edges so the medallion looks neat
9. Now take the thread (make two strands) and cut out a desired length
10. Next place the photo medallion so that it is in the middle of the thread and glue it
11. Place the other plain chart paper circle on the other side of the thread and glue. Let dry
12. Since there is a gap between the two circles, we will use the stone chain to cover it. Cut out the appropriate the length and glue it onto the medallion's open edge
13. Now to decorate the thread of the rakhi, add the jewellery beads and pearls in any pattern you wish on both sides

Personalised Name Beads Rakhi

Source www.kidsstoppress.com

What you need:

1 packet of Alphabet beads (available at craft stores)
Woollen thread or coloured satin cords
Gold, pearl beads (optional)

Instructions:

Cut out a multi strand thread of desired length
String together the alphabet beads to make your brother's name
Make a knot with the string at both ends to keep the beads in place
To add some jazz to your rakhi, you can add a few beads on both sides in any pattern you choose and knot it again

Rakhis Kids Can Make

Cartoon Sticker Rakhi

Source artsycraftsymom.com

An extremely easy rakhi, these can be made using readymade stickers so you can pick out characters that are loved by the brother.

What you need:

2 sheets of felt paper - pick 2 different colours
Sticker of your choice
Thin satin ribbon
fabric glue
Scissors

Instructions:

Cut out 2 circles from the 2 felt paper (1 each) - one should be slightly larger than the other.
Affix the sticker on the smaller felt paper circle
Now cut the satin ribbon to the desired length. Seal the edges using a thin layer of fabric glue
Place the felt paper with the sticker on top of the ribbon in the middle
Keep the larger felt sheet circle on the other side and glue together the thread and the sheet.

Cute Button Rakhis

Source artsycraftsymom.com

What you need:

Thin Satin ribbon in the colour of your choice
Felt paper in any colour
Fabric glue
Scissors
Needle and thread (pick colour contrasting to felt paper)
1 large coloured button

Instructions:

Decide on the design of your rakhi medallion - it can be a flower, star or heart (keep the size to that of a large coin)
Draw the design with pencil onto the felt paper and cut out the shape
Thread the needle and stitch the button onto the middle of the felt paper you have cut out
Next cut the satin thread to the length needed, and seal the edge by applying a thin layer of clear nail polish or fabric glue
Place the cut felt paper in the middle of the ribbon and glue it.

Simple Sweet Rakhis Anyone Can Make

Elegant Thread Rakhi with Embellishment

Source radhika-hobbycrafts.blogspot.com

What you need:

Cotton thread (Anchor brand is suggested)
Silk thread in same colour
1 small embellished stone bead or pendant
Scissors

Instructions:

Wrap a fair length of the cotton and silk thread around two fingers. It should form a somewhat thick layer before you stop and cut the thread
Now cut a small length of the cotton thread and tie it tightly in the middle of the thread bunch (in between fingers) making a knot.
Remove from your fingers and cut both edges of the thread bunch
Spread it out fully to make it round(it should look like a pom pom), and trim the edges to remove irregular threads
Now take the embellished stone bead and secure it to knot in the middle with another length of cotton thread leaving enough on both sides
Cut out the cotton thread for the length you need for the rakhi and Make a braid. As you braid, add the loose thread you have behind the embellished stone so it gets secured. Another option is to make a braid of desired length and glue to the thread bunch.
Seal the edges of the braid with a thin layer of glue

Zari Motif Rakhi

Source artsycraftsymom.com

This is an extremely simple rakhi design that uses zari motifs that are readily available in tailoring supplies stores. You can choose from traditional designs like peacocks, or geometrical patterns, or even floral patterns.

What you need:

Any motif of your choice
Thin gold lace ribbon
Felt paper
Glue
Scissors

Instructions:

Cut the gold lace to your desired length and seal the edges with fabric glue
Cut out a circle from the felt paper such that the motif will fit on it.
Glue the motif onto the middle of the lace
Now glue the motif onto the felt paper keeping the thread in the middle

Simple DIY Designer Rakhis

Stunning Designer Rakhi for Bhaiya-Bhabhi

Make a beautiful Lumba Rakhi set that you can gift your bhaiya and bhabhi.

What you need:

1 Glitter Foam sheet of any colour of your choice

White Stone chain

Diamond stones (loose)

Gold Ball chain

2 different coloured ball chains

1 large Kundan stone

White Pearls of different sizes

Woollen thread in same colour as the foam sheet

Glossy white card paper

Fabric glue

scissors

Instructions:

Rakhi

Cut out a circle in the foam sheet to the size you want the rakhi to be
Glue the large kundan stone in the middle
Start encircling the kundan stone with the stone and gold ball chains to make a pattern
Add the diamond stones around the edges and trim out any excess foam sheet
Cut out the length of thread you need
Cut out the glossy white card paper to the same size as the rakhi medallion
Keep the medallion in the middle of the thread and glue it. On the other side, place the glossy white paper circle and glue

Lumba

Cut out a circle of similar size as earlier from the foam sheet. Now cut it into half
Fold the straight edges to make a cone. Glue it properly and let dry completely
Now glue the stone chain all around at the bottom edge of the cone
Start adding diamond stones, gold ball chains and coloured chains one by one in any pattern you choose
Once you decorate most of the cone, cut the top pointed edge
Now ensure your decoration goes right to the top.
Cut out a length of the thread and seal one edge fully with glue. Start adding a few of the pearls and gold beads
Take the thread through the decorated cone such that the portion of the thread with pearls hangs through the open bottom portion
Now start adding more pearls and beads such that it sits atop the decorated cone.
Add a knot in the thread to keep the peals in place and seal the edge of the thread.

Environment-Friendly Upcycled Ganesha and Gota Rakhi

Source www.shishuworld.com

It is not necessary to spend a lot of money in craft stores to make a rakhi yourself. Here is a simple way to reuse existing material you have with just some small purchases.

What you need:

1 Gota or zari flower
Glitter foam sheet in the colour of your choice
Ganesha embellishments from any wedding invitation
White glossy paper
Satin ribbon
Glue

Instructions:

Cut out a small circle from the glitter foam sheet. To Make sure your circle will fit into the gota flower let it be a little smaller.
Cut out a similar circle from the white glossy paper
Glue the foam sheet circle on top of the gota flower
Next take the Ganesha embellishments and glue it onto the center part of the foam sheet circle.
Cut out the length of satin ribbon you need and seal the edges with a thin layer of glue. Take the medallion you have created and glue it onto the middle of the ribbon
Glue the white paper circle on the other side of the medallion (on the ribbon) to create a backing

Bonus: Beautiful Rose Puja Thali

With a little effort, you can make the puja thali used during the Raksha Bandhan puja to look festive and grand.

What you need

1 silver decorative plastic tray or plate
Few foam or fabric roses of different sizes (available at craft stores)
Glue
Glittery foam sheet

Instructions

Glue the roses at both corners of the tray
Cut out 2 small circles from the felt paper
Glue the felt paper circle in the middle - you can keep the diya on it

From our editorial team

Trial and error can help you make more complicated rakhis

If you're not content with making a very simple and basic rakhi for your brother, yet you haven't made crafts in a while or are simply not confident enough, a little practice can come to you rescue. The good part about experimenting with rakhis is they can be made with a wide array of inexpensive material, and use very little of each so even if you mess up a few at the beginning, starting all over again will not pinch.