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Paper Thoranam Door Hanging for Pongal, Ugadi & Onam

Ages 7�10 Paper Garlands Easy ⏱ 1 hour

Cut a reusable paper thoranam with mango leaves and marigold flowers for Pongal, Ugadi, Onam, Diwali and housewarming. Easy paper cutting craft with step-by-step guide.

Paper Thoranam Door Hanging for Pongal, Ugadi & Onam

What you need

  • 2 sheets of green chart paper (one light, one dark green)
  • 1 sheet each of orange and yellow colour paper or crepe paper
  • Jute twine or ribbon, about 1.5 metres (a little wider than your door)
  • Scissors (child-safe scissors for younger kids)
  • Glue stick or stapler
  • Pencil and a dark green sketch pen

How to make it

  • Dashed line: fold towards you
  • Dash-dot line: fold behind
  • Blue arrow: move the paper this way
  • Turn the paper over
  • Orange line: cut here
  • Letters mark corners and points
  1. Step 1: Green chart paper marked into 6 cm by 10 cm rectangles

    Cut the green chart paper into rectangles of 6 cm 10 cm along the orange lines. Eight to ten leaves are enough for a normal door.

  2. Step 2: Rectangle folded in half with half a leaf drawn on it

    Fold one rectangle in half along the dashed line. Against the folded edge, draw half a mango leaf: a small tab T at the top, wide in the middle, pointed at the bottom.

  3. Step 3: Half leaf cut out and opened into a full leaf

    Keep the paper folded and cut along your pencil line. Open it: both halves match because you cut on the fold. Use this leaf as a template to cut the rest.

  4. Step 4: Leaf with veins drawn using a sketch pen

    Draw a centre vein and a few side veins on each leaf with the dark green sketch pen.

  5. Step 5: Orange strip 30 cm by 4 cm folded in half lengthwise

    For each marigold, cut an orange or yellow strip of 4 cm 30 cm. Fold it in half along its length (dashed line).

  6. Step 6: Fringe cuts along the folded edge of the strip

    Snip small cuts along the folded edge, about 3 mm apart. Stop 1 cm before the open edge so the strip stays in one piece.

  7. Step 7: Strip rolled up and fluffed into a marigold

    Roll the strip up tightly from one end and glue the end. Fluff the fringe open with your fingers: your marigold is ready.

  8. Step 8: Leaf tab T folded over the twine, leaves 6 cm apart

    Lay the twine on the table. Fold each leaf's tab T over the twine and glue or staple it. Leave about 6 cm between leaves.

  9. Step 9: Leaves and marigolds hanging alternately on the twine

    Tie a marigold on a short piece of twine between every two leaves: leaf, flower, leaf, flower.

  10. Step 10: Finished thoranam across the top of a door

    Tie the thoranam across the top of your main door or pooja room door.

Tips

  • Cutting on the fold is the secret of paper cutting: every shape comes out symmetrical.
  • Laminate the leaves or use sticker paper to make the thoranam last for many festivals.
  • Older children can cut small patterns inside each leaf, kirigami style, before opening it.

A reusable thoranam for every South Indian festival

Fresh mango leaves (maavilai thoranam) over the door are a sign of welcome in homes across South India. They go up for Pongal and Sankranti, Ugadi, Tamil Puthandu, Vishu, Onam, Diwali and every gruhapravesam. This paper version is a great school art and craft activity, a fun festival project with children at home, and a lovely decoration for flats in Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad where fresh leaves are hard to find.