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Gifting Tips to Strengthen the Brother-Sister Bond on Rakhi

Source in.pinterest.com

Every year, the festival of Rakhi comes along reminding brothers and sisters of the special relationship they share. It is a time to pray for wellbeing and happiness of each other, and to celebrate the unique bond of siblings.

If you are looking for ideas to make Rakhi extra special this year, our tips can help you find the right one.

Make Something Handmade:
Handmade gifts are a class apart! They are a symbol of your affection - reflecting the time, effort and love poured by you into it. Even with flaws, handcrafted gifts are understandably treasured. Don’t worry if you are not crafty by nature. It’s easy today to find simple DIY (do it yourself) ideas thanks to online resources like YouTube videos.

Make it Personalised:
Rather than something off-the-shelf, a personalised gift shows the effort taken by you. There are a whole lot of options for customising a gift. Several online and offline stores offer services by which you can add a photo or a meaningful message to items like mugs. For a truly exceptional gift you can consider rakhi jewellery bearing his initials or name.

Spend Time Together:
The most precious gift to your brother is quality time together. As years pass by, we often lose ourselves in our hectic lives. So take time out on this festival and schedule a day of togetherness and fun with him. It will bring back warm memories and strengthen your bond even more

10 Ideas to Make Rakhi Unforgettably Special for Your Brother

Looking to make Rakhi rocking this year? Do something unusual this year to make the day stand out for your brother and your family. We have put together several interesting ideas for making Rakhi special. Make your choice depending on your convenience and your brother's preferences.

Unique Ideas for Rakhi

In its original avatar, rakhis were silken or mauli threads signifying the sacred bond between the brother and the sister. While the sentiment remains the same, today there is no dearth of choice in innovative and creative rakhi concepts, so try something different this year.

Handmade Rakhi

Your brother will feel a special joy in flaunting a rakhi made by you. It is not very difficult to make one. All you need is a visit to the crafts store, your creativity and some time! Here is a simple rakhi you can make in no time; follow the steps below or watch this video.

What you need

  • Silken or woollen thread in a colour of your choice
  • 1 Foam sheet
  • Large and small pearls
  • Gold ball chain
  • Stone chain
  • Large kundan stone or 1 craft round mirrors (1 cm or so)
  • Glue
  • Scissors

What to do

  • Cut the foam sheet so that you get 2 circles in the size you want the rakhi medallion to be.
  • Take one of the circles and glue the large kundan or mirror circle in the centre.
  • Now cut the stone chain and the gold ball chains to the length needed for encircling the central stone fully.
  • Glue the chains alternatively around the centre so that it makes for an attractive design. Repeat as necessary
  • Now cut the thread for the desired length but make sure the thread has multiple strands (as it needs to be strong).
  • Place the decorated foam circle such that it sits at the middle of the thread length and glue.
  • Take the other foam sheet circle and glue it atop the thread (the thread should be in the middle of the 2 foam sheet circles).
  • Press it firmly so it sticks well. Let dry.
  • Now you have the rakhi medallion in the middle with thread on both sides.
  • Take one side of the thread, and carefully add the large and small pearls in any chosen pattern
  • After you have strung all the pearls tie a knot to seal the end. Repeat on other side
  • Your rakhi is ready.

Personalised Rakhi

Source www.excitinglives.com

One of the most exciting trends is of custom-made rakhi. It will be a unique thrill for your brother to wear a rakhi that has been made especially for him. Personalising rakhis can be done in different ways - pick whichever your brother will appreciate best.

Photo rakhi: Several websites can make you a custom rakhi featuring a photo of your brother. An example is the decorative rakhi available at excitinglives.com for Rs.299.

Engraved rakhi: You can get either a special message or your bro’s photo engraved on the rakhi. For example, giftsmate.net offers rakhis that have engraving on MDF wood starting at Rs. 299.

Custom designed gold rakhi: For a truly standout rakhi, you can get a one made of gold/gold plating bearing his initials or name. Try orosilber.com for a gold plated name plate at Rs.1,260. Pure gold initials cum pendant rakhi can be purchased at malabargoldanddiamonds.com at prices starting at Rs. 3,094.

Rakhi Special Sweets

Occupying a prime spot in the puja thali, sweets are an integral part of Raksha Bandhan celebrations. After the rakhi is tied, sisters do aarti to ward off evil and pray for the brother's prosperity and well-being. The ritual ends with the brother and the sister giving sweets to each other, an exchange to symbolize sharing of the happiness. Instead of sticking to regular sweets why not try something different this year?

Ecstatic Celebration Rakhi Photo Cake or Rakhi Special Cupcakes

Source www.bakingo.com

A photo cake or a plate of cupcakes is an unusual choice that can be a lovely surprise for your brother.

Take the Rakhi celebrations to the next level with a photo cake having one of your favourite photos of him or you both. Available from bakingo.com at prices starting at Rs.1,050. Yet another delightful option is cupcakes. Yes, cupcakes are usually associated with birthday parties but they can be a lovely treat for Rakhi too. Order in your brother’s preferred flavours at a local bakery or sites like wishacupcake.com where prices start at Rs.1,100 for a set of 6 cupcakes.

Handmade Besan Ke Ladoo

Handmade sweets always add a special touch to festivals. If you are an experienced cook, take the opportunity to make your bro's favourite dish. If you are an inexperienced cook, try one of the simpler recipes like Besan Ladoo, which is also a highly popular sweet.

What you need

  • 2 cups besan or gram flour
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar (adjust to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp powdered elaichi or cardamom
  • 1/2 cup ghee
  • 1/4 cup almonds and/or cashews, blanched or roasted.

What to do

  • In a kadai melt the ghee. After keeping aside 2 tablespoons of ghee, add the gram flour. Stir-fry over low heat until it turns aromatic and has a light golden colour.
  • Remove from heat and let it cool a little
  • Add the powdered sugar and elaichi, mix well
  • Check if the flour is binding well, else add a little more ghee.
  • Take small portions of the mix and roll into firm balls. Ensure you press hard at every stage so it retains shape.
  • Roll the balls some more for the outer surface to turn smooth
  • Decorate each ladoo with roasted or blanched dry fruits

Rakhi Special Gift Hampers

Gift hampers are a basketful of happiness when they come filled with your favourite things. This Rakhi delight your brother with a hamper filled with delicious goodies. There are endless options in gift hampers - flowers, cakes, sweets, dry fruits and other things, so can choose whatever fits best.

Goodies to Relish: Sweet and Savoury Rakhi Gift Hampers

Source www.giftalove.com

Fill your brother's heart with joy with a hamper filled with scrumptious treats. The An Affectionate Surprise
hamper from giftalove.com has a mind-blowing collection of exciting snacks and sweets packed into a beautiful basket. Available for Rs.1,080 it includes a savoury treat, a sweet box, two chocolate bars, along with a gorgeous designer rakhi, a cute idol of Lord Ganesha, and of course the essentials of roli and chawal.

Special Bonds Bhaiya Bhabhi Hamper

Source www.archiesonline.com

Make your Bhaiya Bhabhi feel special with a Lumba rakhi gift pack. The Celebrations Chocolate With Lumba Rakhi Hamper for Rs.688 from archiesonline.com comes with a beautiful lumba rakhi set, plus a box of Cadbury Celebrations along with the mandatory roli chawal.

Rakhi Special Gift Ideas

Gifts are an essential part of the rakhi rituals. Brothers and sister exchange gifts after the rituals to express their affection. Cash gifts, clothes, jewellery are all the norm but this year, impress your brother with a gift that is unforgettable .

Handmade Photo Collage

A photo collage is a creative gift that'll beautifully capture some of the best memories and reflect the affection between you.

Easy Photo Collage

  • Step 1: Collect 6-8 of your favourite photos(digital)
  • Step 2: Use any of the free online photo editing websites like picmonkey.com, ipiccy.com to make a collage (choose A4 dimensions)
  • Step 3: Finalize collage design adding your special messages etc. Let your creativity and imagination run loose here.
  • Step 4: Ensure the final file is saved in high quality resolution
  • Step 5: If you have access to a colour printer you can now print it out on glossy paper (buy at any stationary shop). But it is advisable to get it printed professionally using printing services like Printo or photojaanic.com
  • Step 6: Get a cute frame for it!

Short of time? You can buy a ready-made collage frame like the Handmade Collage frame available at giftsmate.net for Rs.899. You also make one from scratch but you'll need physical photos as well as cardboard, design paper and chart paper.

Bhaiya Ho To Aise Mere Jaise T-Shirt

Source www.giftsmate.net

A humorous t-shirt that tickles your bro’s funny bone is an adorable gift idea. This Bhaiya Ho To Aise Mere Jaise T-Shirt from giftsmate.net is not only quirky but also shows your regard for him. Available for Rs.599, this t-shirt is made from premium quality cotton and has colour choices of black and white. You can also get a hoodie with the same message.

Rakhi Special Celebration Ideas

The Rakhi rituals, the puja, the prayers are over. Why not extend the fun? Celebrate Rakhi by organising something fun and exciting to make the day memorable!

Throw a Siblings Party

How often do all your siblings, cousins and family friends get together? Weddings and family functions or certain festivals are the only times when this happens, and even then many cousins are missing from the gathering. And when you do get together it is such a blast for everyone, so why not do that on a festival that celebrates siblings?

On Rakhi throw a party for all siblings you know. Not just your own but invite your cousins and perhaps even your friends and their siblings. The party can be organised as a fun get-together at your house. Or you can make it into an exciting evening out with drinks and dinner.

Spend the Day Out Together

Make the day all about you and your brother. Plan a simple outing for just the two of you for some quality time. It could be a trip to the mall, a movie, a picnic. It's a lovely way to really deepen the bond and make treasured memories. Have close friends that are almost family? Ask them to join you and spend a day out together.

Bonus Raksha Bandhan Idea: DIY Rakhi Special Puja Thali

The Rakhi puja thali has a special place in the festival. Sisters lovingly prepare a beautiful thali with all the essentials for doing the puja. Add a dash of colour and vibrancy by handcrafting an attractive puja thali.

What you need

  • A plain silver-coloured plate(steel or plastic)
  • Coloured dori or cords(cotton, jute, plastic, size 3-4 mm) in 3 different colours
  • A pearl chain or stone chain
  • 1-2 artificial flowers (paper or plastic)
  • 1 Aluminium foil sheet

What to do

  • Cut the aluminium foil such that it fits the inner flat portion of the plate
  • Glue the sheet to the plate
  • Glue the pearl or stone chain around the edges of the aluminium sheet
  • Now make a loose plait of the coloured dori to the length needed(the circumference of the plate)
  • Glue the plaited dori onto the round edge of the plate
  • Once it dries, glue the flowers onto the plate edge as per your preference
  • In the middle of the plate, draw a circle and glue a gold ball chain onto the foil, or a star cut out from decorative paper . This is where you'll keep the diya.

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Add your own personal touch

Raksha Bandhan celebrates the special bond between a brother and a sister, and though it is observed by people across the country, you can find ways to make it your own. Traditions and rituals aside, make it a day both of you can look forward to. Just like sisters often make special requests for specific gifts for Rakhi, ask your brother what he would like and if there's something he'd like to do. Go for a meal, a cup of coffee or for a movie, just the two of you (or more if you have other siblings), and make this day your own.