Create Your Own Hanging Mandala

Similar to hanging mobiles, a hanging mandala can be a great accessory to brighten your home and help you feel calm when you are feeling nervous! Mandalas are simple, symmetrical geometric patterns that symbolize the universe in Hinduism and Buddhism. Most mandalas are made of circles and squares and tend to move the eye towards the center of the design. It is thought that looking at a mandala will center ones mind and body, rewarding you with total tranquility. Here you can see an example of an ancient mandala, that resides at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and an example of a modern mandala made by contemporary artist Polly Apfelbaum to give you an idea of what these symbols look like. As you create your very own mandala, keep that idea of ultimate tranquility in mind. Think of a pattern and get to making!

Suggested Connected Activity:

Mandalas are often used to help guide yoga and meditation practices. Once you’ve successfully created your mandala, perhaps roll out your mat and do some simple yoga (downward facing dog, happy baby, tree pose) and see if you feel more connected to your mind and body. After doing some yoga, move on to meditation. Begin by taking a deep breath and look at the first layer of your design. What do you see? Move onto the next layer and so on and so forth. Do you feel more at ease?

Want to know more about mandalas? Check out this website.

Suggested materials:

-Wooden dowel

-8 x 8 piece of fabric (muslin is great for this)

-Fabric Markers (or any other drawing material you prefer)

-Hole punch (to make two holes on either side of your muslin to attach to your dowel)

-Twine (to tie your muslin to your dowel)

Check out both the ancient and modern mandala as well as my hanging mandala below!

Happy Making!

“Wonder (beauty): to begin to wonder at the subversive and critical possibilities of the beautiful, the excessive, the fantastic" 

Polly Apfelbaum, 1992