3 Eco-Friendly Ganesh Idols You Can Make at Home With Your Kids

With Ganesh Chaturthi around the corner, households across India are buzzing with preparations to welcome Ganapati Bappa. In recent years, many families have turned to eco-friendly idols, choosing clay, paper, or natural materials over plaster to protect the environment.

What makes the tradition even more special is when children join in the process — learning, creating, and celebrating with their own hands. From simple paper folds to clay modelling, here are some creative and sustainable ways to craft your own little Ganapati Bappa with joy.

Bappa with potter’s mud

Ujvala Kumari, a 32-year-old mother of two from Jharkhand, involved her children in making their own Ganesh idol this year.

Here’s how she did it:

1. Buy some clay or mud from a local potter.
2. Mix the mud with water until it becomes smooth and workable.
3. Shape the idol with your hands.
4. Give the idol a strong base for stability.
5. Insert a stick at the back to support the structure.
6. Keep the idol in open air (but not under direct sunlight) for a few hours to dry.
7. Once dry, paint the idol in bright colours.

Ujvala’s pro tip: While shaping the idol, don’t let the air dry out the clay. Always keep a damp cloth handy and dab the idol as you work to maintain moisture.

The one made out of turmeric and maida

This method is simpler than you might imagine. With just three ingredients — turmeric, maida, and water — you can make an idol that’s ready for puja. The best part? It can even be prepared on the very day of Chaturthi.

Lejnaskitchen on Instagram shared this technique:

• Mix equal quantities of turmeric and maida with water to form a sturdy paste.
• Shape the idol using this mixture.
• Insert toothpicks or thin sticks to support the structure.
• Use water as a binding agent to attach different parts of the idol.
• Once the idol is ready, paint it in bright colours for a beautiful finish.

This idol holds good for about two days after the festival.

Pro tip: Children can also use flour, salt, and water to make a simple version.

Origami Ganesha

For children with stacks of unused sheets in their stationery racks, this festival is the perfect chance to put them to use. Parents can encourage children to bring out the papers and fold them into charming origami Ganeshas.

Origami Ganesha (one 15×15 cm square; coloured works best; no glue, paint, or tools):

1. Make guide creases: Fold the square diagonally corner to corner; open. Repeat the other diagonal to get an “X”.
2. Make a smaller triangle: Fold the bottom corner up to the centre (where the creases cross).
3. Bring the top down: Fold the top corner down to the same centre point. You now have a diamond.
4. Fold side to side: Fold the left and right corners in to meet the centre crease — this forms big “ears”.
5. Make the trunk: From the bottom, fold a thin strip downward like a long nose. Add a tiny reverse fold to curve it.
6. Shape the head/crown: Fold a small part of the top point down.
7. Finish the ears: Gently pull and angle the side flaps outward so they look like Ganesha’s large ears.
8. Add details: With a black pen, draw eyes, a tilak, and simple patterns on the trunk and crown.

Here is a video tutorial reference.