Bro, this one's for you

In Mumbai, buying a rakhi is always a ritual given that you'll spot rows of them hanging by stores along the street pavements. That isn't something we'll get to look at this year. But if there's anything 2020 has taught us so far, it's that not everything needs to be bought, some can be made by you, and from scratch - a loaf of banana bread, a bar of soap or even a rakhi. So, make this Rakshabandhan extra special by tying a handmade rakhi.

Floral rubber band rakhi

• Rajkot-based Dharika Pabari started her online craft venture Greeneshia Art House, where she posts DIY tutorials, as a hobby before making it her profession. An easy-to-make rakhi idea she shares involves the good ole' "rubber bands" we have lying around. The idea, she says, takes 20 minutes to execute.
• Insert a fine thread into a needle. Take a rubber band and fold it into half. Make a stitch at the end and cut the thread. Repeat the process with five other rubber bands. Run your needle through all of them at the end, assembling it all together like flower petals.
• Cut out a circle from a canvas paper sheet or any fabric sheet that you have and glue it to the middle of the flower. On the sheet, stick a pearl embellishment or any variety that is available. On the unfinished ends, rope in a diamond studs - a chain of it would work best.
• Paste a thick thread or yarn on the back of the flower and seal it with the circular piece of canvas/fabric so that the rakhi can rest well on the wrist after you tie it.
• After covering the ends of the thread with a paper tape, insert five embellishments on either side and make a knot so that the beads don't fall out.

More DIY rakhis to try

Blogger Radhikka Karkare made cute rakhis with her two-year-old daughter. On her blog, she provides a simple step-by-step picture tutorial on how to make a car- and a ladybug-themed rakhi.

Log on to mymomjourney.in

If you wish to get innovative with your DIY experiments, the website Flower Aura has got you covered with six fun tutorials for adults - one is a matchstick-themed rakhi, so do exercise caution.

Log on to floweraura.com

The rakhi-making tutorials on Slurrp Farm closely resemble the readymade variants you'll find at stalls. They include rakhis made of clay, quilling, cotton swabs and paper.

Log on to slurrpfarm.com

Watch this video to learn how to make your own rakhi:

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