Diwali phone case insert ideas

We do not have Diwali designs in the gallery yet, so every idea here uses tools you already have in the insert maker: a photo, the text tool, stickers or the Draw tool. Check the camera corner of your phone first, because it hides part of the top of any insert.

What Diwali is, in a few lines

Diwali, also called Dipavali, is known as the Festival of Lights. Wikipedia describes it as a festival celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Newar Buddhists in Nepal, and says it falls in the lunisolar months of Ashvin and Kartika, roughly mid-October to mid-November. Wikipedia gives the name as coming from the Sanskrit dipavali, meaning “a row or series of lights”. (Sources at the end, checked 21 October 2026.)

The meaning depends on who you ask. According to Wikipedia, many Hindus remember Rama’s return to Ayodhya or Krishna’s victory over Narakasura, and honour Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity; Jains mark the nirvana of Mahavira; Sikhs observe Bandi Chhor Divas, remembering Guru Hargobind’s release from prison. Both sources describe lighting small oil lamps called diyas and decorating floors with rangoli patterns, and Wikipedia also mentions feasts with sweets and greeting cards. The Western University blog says the festival takes place over five days, with the main celebrations on day three. This is a summary, and families and regions differ a lot, so use it as a starting point and not as a rulebook.

Pick an idea by effort

Times are rough estimates, not measured.

8 Diwali ideas

1. Family photo with a greeting. A tall crop, faces in the lower two thirds, and “Happy Diwali” in the handwritten font below the camera area. Make a photo insert.
2. Your own lit diyas. A photo of the lamps you set out, taken at dusk. A steady hand or a prop helps in low light.
3. A hand-drawn diya. A simple lamp shape with a flame, in warm colours on a dark blue or cream insert. See drawing ideas.
4. A rangoli-style pattern. Dots and petals in a repeating pattern, drawn with a ruler. Wikipedia mentions rangoli floor designs as a Diwali custom; draw your own pattern and do not copy someone else’s artwork.
5. A card made by a child. Photograph a handmade card flat in daylight and crop it to the phone shape.
6. The five-day layout. Five small boxes, one per day of the festival (see the diagram below).
7. A simple greeting. Large text on a plain warm background, such as “Shubh Deepavali” if that is a greeting you use. Check the spelling with someone who writes it.
8. A gift for a friend. If a friend celebrates, make an insert with their photo and a greeting, and give it with a note. Check their phone model first. See gift ideas.

A five-day layout

Wikipedia lists five days for 2026: Dhanteras on 6 November, Naraka Chaturdashi on 7 November, Lakshmi Puja on 8 November, Govardhan Puja on 9 November and Bhai Dooj on 10 November. It also notes that regions count and name the days differently, and that the festival lasts five or six days depending on place. If your family follows other dates, change the labels. The insert below has one box per day, so a child can colour a box each evening.

Draw a dot-and-petal pattern in four steps

Wikipedia mentions rangoli floor designs as a Diwali custom, and the Western University blog says they are colourful ground patterns, often at the entrance of a home. A simple pencil version for an insert uses a grid of dots. This method is ours: it is a drawing exercise, not a traditional recipe, so change it freely.

On a tall insert, repeat the pattern two or three times down the page, or use one large pattern at the bottom and keep the top clear for the camera.

Colours, symbols and care

• Keep it simple. Lamps, flames, dots and petals are easy to draw and look good at phone size. Warm oranges, golds and deep blues print well on photo paper.
• Use your own artwork. Do not copy another artist’s rangoli or card. Draw your own, or photograph something you made.
• Be thoughtful with sacred images. If you are not sure whether an image or text is appropriate on a phone case, ask someone who celebrates, or choose lights and patterns instead. We do not include images of deities.
• No licensed characters or brand logos.
• Avoid real flames near the insert. Paper burns. Photograph the lamps; do not put the insert near them.

Paper, printing and timing

• Use glossy photo paper for photos and the warm colours of Diwali. See the paper guide.
• Print at 100%. If it comes out too small, read how to print at true size.
• Cut around the camera hole with care; see how to cut the camera hole.
• Make the insert a few days ahead, so you can fix the size before the festival.

Questions