While making the Rangoli, the most important ingredient is the powder. The powder with which you make the Rangoli could be gulal/aabir. Gulal is the powder which is generally used during the time of the festival of Holi. The powder is a thin pigmented powder which is usually made from rice but could also be made from other cereals as well. You may get the powder from any local departmental store in the neighborhood. The shops that sell fire crackers at the time of Diwali and also sell the colours during Holi are the ones where you may get the powder.

The powder comes in a large number of colours. Red, yellow, green, white, purple, orange, blue and many others. Earlier, the colours used to be natural colours which were derived from natural sources like the bark of a tree, leaves and the flowers. But these days the synthetic colours are easily available and most of the people use them. Before you begin making the Rangoli the most important thig to have in mind is the design of the Rangoli being made. This design can be found in many booklets, magazines and even online. The border of the Rangoli is made using a chalk or a pencil.

Once the Rangoli is done, people generally place Diyas(Lamps) at the corner or at the centre of the Rangoli. For decorative purposes, flower petals, leaves, pulses and grains can also be used. You can also use moulds or stencils to get ready made Diyas or Swastikas. You just need to sprinkle the powder of the colour of your choice on your mould and the design will be ready immediately