DIY Golu display stand with Cardboard boxes

Navarathri is incomplete without the traditional, yet beautiful Golu displays that bring with them hundreds of tales from folklore. There is just something about Navratri that converges festive spirit and familial love. Each day, a new prayer is said, seeking blessings of wisdom, health and wealth.

The Golu arrangements are the highlight of Navratri, each house adding a personal touch to their displays. The festival starts with unpacking the yesteryear’s dolls, from wooden statuettes to ceramic figurines that are cleaned and dusted. In the meantime, the display stand is put together or customised and set up with the preferred number of steps. Golu displays always have an odd number of padis or steps. Then, the decorating begins. The stand is covered in vibrant fabrics and drapes, and the dolls are set up on each level. The highest doll tier is occupied by the Marapachi dolls, the king and the queen.

Last-minute Golu arrangements are the most difficult, especially if you do not have a DIY tutorial to guide you. But fret not, for we have the perfect solution for that! We have come up with a simple and easy tutorial on how to make Golu padi stands this festive season.

Let’s get right to it then.

Step 1:

To start off with, take a large cardboard box and cut it into manageable pieces. We suggest that you use corrugated cardboard to provide the right amount of support for the doll arrangements.

Step 2:

Measure out the sides and divide the length and breadth of the cardboard piece into three equal parts. This piece of cardboard is measured out for a 3 tier arrangement and hence, has been marked off into three parts measuring 5 inches in height and 5.8 inches in width.

An easy way to achieve this would be measuring each side into three parts and drawing lines to mark them off. Once complete, you’ll have a grid that you can use to cut out the steps.

Step 3:

Cut the demarcated area into a frame for the steps with a sharp cutting blade. Secure the cardboard using your free hand or weights to avoid accidents. We also recommend using a wide stainless steel ruler to ensure safety and even lines for the frame.

Step 4:

Use the first cut out as a stencil to cut the other side of the step frame. Again, secure the cardboard piece with your hand or weights to avoid accidents.

Step 5:

Use the remaining pieces of the cardboard box and cut out a baseboard and a backing board for the steps. This will hold the frame upright and provide some structure. Label all the sides with a marker to ensure that there are no mix-ups. This tends to happen when you are using boards of different dimensions. Using the same cardboard box for your cutouts will make it easier to scale and assemble the piece.

Step 6:

Bring all the pieces together and assemble them as shown. Secure all edges with cellophane tape and line the inside edges with newspaper for additional support.

Step 7:

Cut out the top of the steps with the remaining cardboard and fix them with some more cellophane tape as shown in the image.

Step 9:

You can stop here or add two more steps to make a taller display stand. Remember that Golu stands always have an odd number of steps.

Step 10:

To continue with making extra steps, cut the cardboard into a 2 by 2 grid. Follow the steps as mentioned earlier and ensure the stand is assembled and secured well with cellophane tape.

Step 11:

Take a cardboard box of approximately the same size used to make the stand and push it up against a wall. Line up the three-step display stand against the box and place the additional two tiers on the top of the cardboard box.