How to make a rangoli with your family name for Diwali

Updated October 8, 2026 · Diwali 2026 is on Sunday, November 8

A name at the door turns a rangoli from decoration into a welcome. It also is the hardest part to get right by hand: letters drift, spacing runs out, and the last word ends up squeezed. Here is how to plan it so it comes out clean.

1. Pick the words

• Short wins. "Sharma Parivar", "The Iyers", "Flat 402" or a society name read well from 2 metres away. Aim for 6-16 letters on the main line.
• Optional second line in smaller letters: "Happy Diwali", "Shubh Deepavali", "Swagatam".
• Decide the script first. English capitals are the easiest to keep even; Devanagari looks beautiful but needs more space for the shirorekha (top line).

2. Plan the size

For a doorway, a name block about 45 cm wide and 15 cm tall fits in front of most flat doors. Letter height of 3.5-5 cm is readable when standing. Mark the centre of the space first and work outwards, so the name stays centred even if your spacing is off.

3. Lay the letters

• By hand: draw faint guide lines with chalk (a top line and a bottom line), then write the letters in chalk before any colour goes down. Count letters, put the middle letter at the centre mark, and fill outwards.
• With a stencil: place the stencil flat, weigh the corners down with small coins, sprinkle powder over the open letters, tap gently, and lift straight up.

4. Build the design around the name

Put the name at the threshold side (closest to the person walking in) and the pattern behind it, towards the door. A lotus or a diya on each side of the name balances it. Leave a 5 cm gap between the name and the pattern so neither smudges the other.

5. Colour choices that read well

• Dark floor (granite, tiles): white, yellow or pink letters.
• Light floor (marble, vitrified): deep red, magenta, blue or green letters.
• Keep the name one colour; use the extra colours on the pattern.

Ideas for housing societies

For a lobby or gate, repeat the society name in the centre and let each wing or floor add a pattern around it. A reusable name stencil lets the same team redo it on every festival in minutes, and different families can borrow it for their doors.

Want your name done for you? RangoliName laser-cuts a reusable stencil with your family or society name, plus 3 pattern stencils, for ₹699 with free shipping in India. You see a proof before we cut.

More guides: Rangoli with your family name · How to use a rangoli stencil