Lotus Mandala

This Lotus Mandala was designed for creative likhita japa. With the first image, the child can write their mantra tracing the lines and then color it in with crayons — or better yet, design and color it with likhita japa! (The second image was drawn with ऊँ and OM.) 

For a finishing touch — don't forget to add sequins and gems for decorations.

This lotus is abstract enough that it can also be used as a Sun.

Another idea for an art project, is to print this on card stock paper. Once the lotus is completely decorated and colored in, cut around the circle and glue onto a greeting card. Make sure you reduce the image to your desired size before printing.

Tip: If you want the outlines to be extremely faded, just adjust the lightness on your printer and then print.

Ganesha Mandala

This page was designed for creative likhita japa. With the first image, the child can write their mantra tracing the lines and then color it in with crayons — or better yet, color with likhita japa! (The second image was drawn with ऊँ गं गणपतये नमो नमः OM gam gaNapataye namo namaH.)

For a finishing touch — don't forget to add sequins and gems for decorations.

Another idea for an art project, is to print this on card stock paper. Once Lord Ganesha is completely decorated and colored in, cut around the circle and glue onto a greeting card. Make sure you reduce the image to your desired size before printing.

Tip: If you want the outlines to be extremely faded, just adjust the lightness on your printer and then print. 

To print the page below, click on the image and then print.

Rangoli (Drawn in OM)

The Rangoli pattern was created with likhita japa (ऊँ and OM). This page is for children to practice their creative likhita japa with. If the child is going to write in colors, it is suggested that they have at least 4 colors to start with. For black and white likhita japa, we suggest having different sized Black pen widths available to create tones.

Another idea for an art project, is to print this on card stock paper. Once the Rangoli is completely decorated and colored in, cut around the pattern and glue onto a greeting card. Make sure you reduce the image to your desired size before printing.

Materials
• Writing pens in different colors (or black) and sizes. (005, 01, 03 and 05 are recommended sizes to begin with. Most of these pens can be found in a good quality stationary or art store. We use Prisma Color, Staedler and Sakura brands.)

The colored image below was done with Prisma Color pens (size 005).

For ideas on different pattern techniques, visit the label "Likhita Japa" (on the right side of this page.)

 To print the page below: Click on the image and print.

Diya (Drawn in OM)

This diya coloring page was created by OM likhita japa. This is a perfect page for young ones to practice their creative likhita japa with. They can color and decorate this page by writing ऊँ in many different colors and sizes — or they can just plain color.

Another idea for an art project, is to print this on card stock paper. Once the diya is completely decorated and colored in, cut around the circle and glue onto a greeting card. Make sure you reduce the image to your desired size before printing.

Materials:

Colored writing pens in different nib widths. (Ultra Fine, Fine, and regular are good sizes to begin with.)

To Print the page below. Click on the image and print.

Lord Ganesha Pop-Up Card

This project is dedicated to Gurudev
©jmg 2008 For personal use only
Summer Camp 2009, 2010

Click on picture to view enlarged.

This card is not difficult to make at all – don't be discouraged by the number of assembly steps listed below.  Balavihar summer camp students (of all ages) made oodles of these. Adult supervision, however, is needed for cutting with an exacto knife.

Materials

• 1 Cream color greeting card (and envelope) 5 x 7*

• 1 Cream colored card (for pop-up structure) 4 1/4 x 5 1/2*

• Light color cardstock (for printing template image below)

• Gold foil

• Glue stick

• Scissors

• Exacto knife (adult supervision)

• Rhinestones, sequins, etc. (for decorating Lord Ganesha's crown)

• Gold gel pen
• Markers or colored pencils

* Fold a piece of sturdy cardstock for the card. Cut size to measurements listed above.

Directions

1. Print the image (below) onto a light colored cardstock.

2. Cut out the head, ears and pop-up template.

3. Fold the ears and head on the lines where indicated (dotted lines.)

4. With the 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" card stock (in the folded position) , place the pop-up template on top. Make sure to carefully line the template onto the fold of the card.)

5. Trace the solid lines onto the folded cardstock. These lines determine the crown and head of Lord Ganesha.

6. With a pair of scissors, cut on the solid lines. Do not cut on the dotted lines.

7. Once you have made your cuts, fold the two shapes on the dotted lines. The top shape is the crown, and the bottom shape is Lord Ganesha's head.

Open the card and push the shapes in. Click here to see how it is done with a traditional pop-up card.

8. With the exacto knife (and adult supervision) you will be making 3 slices into the folded cardstock:

a)  The first two will be vertical cuts on either side of Ganesha's head — these cuts are where the ears will be placed. Make sure that your cuts will be long enough to insert each ear into.

b) The next cut will be horizontal, positioned about 1/5 to 1/4  down from the top of his face. This cut is where the trunk goes.

9. Once you have your cuts made, insert the ears and the trunk. Make sure to securely glue each flap on the back side of the card.

10. The trunk will create a natural fold when you close the card for the first time. Once the trunk has been folded, you can glue the tip of the trunk to the inside paper where it touches when the card is in the closed position.

11. Now you are ready to glue the inside folded card (4 1/4 x 5 1/2) to the outside card (5 x 7). Position the pop-up card inside the larger folded card, making sure that it is centered nicely. Open one side of the outer card and glue the inner card. Make sure to not glue the cut out areas, otherwise your card will not pop-up. Gently lay the outer card down on the inner card and rub thoroughly with your hands. Turn the card over and do the same to the other side. Click here to see pictures of gluing the folded papers together.

12. Decorate your Lord Ganesha — and then make another!

Solid lines represent cutting lines.

Dotted lines represent fold lines.

Click for full-page view. Print on cream colored cardstock

Heart Pop-Up Card

This project was used to accompany "L is for Love" in our Kindergarten class. Pop-Up cards are always a big hit ...

Materials
2 Greeting Cards — 1 larger and 1 smaller in size.*
Glue Stick
Scissors
Markers, Crayons, and/or stickers for decorations

*If you prefer to cut your own cards to size, make sure you use a card-stock weight paper. The larger card should have a margin of 1/4 to 1/2 inch on all 3 sides. This will make it easier for the children to glue the inner card (pop-up structure) to the outer card.

Directions
1. On the fold of the smaller card, draw two lines that resemble 1/2 the side of a heart. See Picture A for example.

Picture A


2. With scissors, cut on the two lines.
3. Fold the heart down. (This will the pop-up easier to work with.) See Picture B for example.

Picture B


4. Open the card and pop the heart up. See Picture C.

Picture C


5. Decorate the heart with crayons, stickers, etc.
6. Center the pop-up card inside the larger card.
7. Working with one side of the card only, glue the entire surface of the smaller card — making sure to not glue the cut out region. See Picture D for example.

Picture D


8. Lay the outer card down gently and smooth with your hand.
9. Turn the card over and repeat steps 7 and 8.

Diya Cards

© 2008 This project is dedicated to Gurudev.
For use in Balavihar classrooms (or personal use) only.

Click on image to view enlarged.

Materials

• Blank greeting card and envelope

• Variety of decorative paper scraps (wrapping paper, magazines, scrapbooking – anything with color/texture)

• Gold and red foil (wrapping paper is good)

• Scissors

• Glue Stick

• Sequins or rhinestones (for decorating diya)

1. Print diagram on good card stock paper and cut out. (These are now your template pieces.)
2. Trace the templates onto decorative papers.
3. Cut out decorative pieces.*
4. Glue pieces onto a greeting card.
5. Decorate your diya with sequins or arcylic gems.

*Gold foil works beautifully for the flame – it reflects the light.  Cut out a smaller flame in red foil to place inside the gold flame.

We like to use this project for Diwali.

Click on drawing to get a full page view. Print.

Ganesha Card

© 2008 This project is dedicated to Gurudev.
For use in Balavihar classrooms (or personal use) only.

Click on image to view enlarged.

Materials

Light colored card stock (for printing image)

Decorative Paper (Scrapbooking paper works really well.)

Scissors

Glue Stick

Blank greeting card and envelope

1. Print image onto card stock to make your template. Cut out.

2. Trace Template onto decorative paper. Cut out.

3. Glue pieces onto greeting card.

Click on image to get a full page view. Print

Lord Shiva Stand Up Card

© 2008 This project is dedicated to Gurudev.
For use in Balavihar classrooms (or personal use) only.

Click on image to view enlarged.

Materials

Blue poster board

Lighter blue card stock

Black card stock

Brown cardstock

Orange cardstock

Silver gel pen

Black marker

Scissors

Glue stick

Double sided tape

1 small googly eye

Blue cellophane (craft store, in the party section)

Directions for Assembly

Print out templates onto lightly colored card stock. Cut out. Trace pieces onto colored card stock (as indicated on drawing) and cut out.

1. Fold the stand on the dotted lines and place the double sided tape where indicated. Peel and stick together the posterboard so that it stands upright. This is the body for Lord Shiva.

2. Draw Lord Shiva's face with black marker. Decorate with silver gel pen.

3. Glue black hair onto head.

4. Decorate the hair with silver gel pen.

5. Glue the head to body (top of the stand).

6. Draw black lines on the orange paper. Glue to the bottom of the stand.

7. Decorate snake. Stick googly eye on.

8. Peel the double sided tape and place the snake through the body, so that the tape sticks to the inside of the stand.

9. Glue moon onto the hair.

10. Cut thin strips of blue cellophane and glue them to the back of the hair so they cascade over Lord Shiva's face.

Click on image for full view. Print.

Goddess Durga Stand Up Card

© 2008 This project is dedicated to Gurudev.
For use in Balavihar classrooms (or personal use) only.

Click on image to view enlarged.

Materials

Red posterboard

Black cardstock

Beige (or tan) cardstock

Gold foil

Sequins and/or rhinestones

Glue stick*

Elmer's Glue

Scissors

Black fine point marker

Directions

Print diagram below. Cut out pieces and use for templates. Trace the templates onto the colored cardstock, as indicated. Cut out.

*Use glue stick as much as possible. Elmer's glue will cause the card to "buckle" as it dries, because of the high water content.

1. Draw Mother Durga's face with a fine marker. Glue the face on the hair.

2. Decorate her face with jewels, rhinestones, etc.

3. Glue the gold band onto the red posterboard.

4. Glue the hair and head onto the posterboard.

Click on diagram for full-page view. Print.

Pop Up Cards

© 2008 This project is dedicated to Gurudev.
For use in Balavihar classrooms (or personal use) only.

Click on image to view enlarged.

This is a fun project to do, using only stickers, paper and glue. The fish pop-up cards are a nice, quick project to go along with the Panchatantra "Tale of the Three Fish." This would also make a really cool project if you have a Ganesha or OM sticker to use.

Materials

Stickers

Card stock

Scissors

Glue Stick

One colored card stock 5 x 6 (folded) This is the outside paper.

One colored card stock 4 3/4 x 5 1/2 (folded) This is the inside paper.

Directions

1. Place sticker (pop-up image) onto cardstock. Cut out and decorate.

2. With the inside paper (4 3/4 x 5 1/2) make two parallel cuts. (Photo A) Do not cut this completely out. The rectagular shape (bar) remains attached to the paper.

3. Fold this bar forward. Crease. Then fold it backwards. Crease. Open the card and push the bar into the card. (Photo B and C)

4. Glue the sticker (pop-up image) onto the face of the bar.

5. Glue the inside paper onto the outside card - one side at a time. (Photo D) Make sure that you do not glue the cut out area. Otherwise, your image will not pop-up.

Photo A

Photo B

Photo C

Photo D

OM Pop-Up Card

© 2008 This project is dedicated to Gurudev.
For use in Balavihar classrooms (or personal use) only.

Click on image to view enlarged.

Materials

1 Greeting card 5x7 (and envelope) - cream color

1 Greeting card 4x6 - cream color

2 sheets of Cardstock cream color

1 sheet of gold foil

1 gold gel pen

1 red rhinestone or sequin

Glue stick

Directions

1. Print the image below onto cardstock.

2. Glue sheet of gold foil onto piece of cardstock. This will make a very solid backing for the OM image.

3. Color the OM with gold gel pen and decorate with rhinestone.

4. Cut the OM out -- in a rectagular shape.

5. Glue the OM onto the gold foil.

6. Trim the Gold foil so that there is a border of at least 1/4" around the image.

7. Glue the OM onto the pop-up hinge.

Click here for instructions on how to make the pop-up structure.

Click on image for full-page view. Print onto cream-colored cardstock.