Got an urli and wondering what to do with it? Here are some tips to use an Antique Urli in Decor, so you can enjoy your traditional piece in its full glory!

One thing I love about antique home decor is the way we can use some traditional pieces. Many such pieces have been around for generations, and as lifestyles change, the use of these items also change. One such traditional piece we’re talking about today is the urli!

The Urli, also known as urli, is a wide mouthed, shallow, round vessel found in South India, particularly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The urli can be made of many materials, the most popular being brass, bronze and clay although you can also find urlis in copper, steel, aluminium, stone and ceramic.

Urlis can be plain, as shown above, or they can be quite decorative. Some urlis are also studded with stones and have intricate carvings on them. In many South Indian families, urlis are given to brides, stuffed with other antique treasures.

Source : Sirisha

Urlis were originally used in cooking, with a large urli also being known as a ‘varpu’ in Kerala. The structure of the vessel makes it ideal for slow cooking, by spreading the heat evenly and retaining flavors. Payasam and ghee rice are some of the popular dishes cooked in urlis, and they’re even used today during festive occasions.

Besides cooking food, urlis are also used in making Ayurvedic medicines, for the same reasons mentioned above. Massage oils and other herbal concoctions are made in these urlis and left to brew in them for several hours. With so many uses, it’s only natural that the urli is associated with prosperity and good health! That is one of the reasons it is featured in the ‘kani’ for Vishu, the Malayalam New Year.

Besides being utilitarian, urlis are also a sought after piece in Indian decor, especially in homes featuring an antique theme. Urlis filled with water are a common sight, and this is believed to have special benefits according to Vastu Shastra. Water is known to be cooling and it signifies the flow of wealth towards you. For this reason, many Indian homes have an urli in their entry way filled with water and other elements like flowers.

I’m sure you’re intrigued enough now and can’t wait to set up an urli in your home too? But how do you do it right, without downplaying the magnificence of this antique piece? We’ll show you how with our tips on using an antique urli in decor, along with tips on where to place it!

7 Tips to use an Antique Urli in Decor

1. Flowers

Source : The east coast desi

This is probably the most common kind of urli decor you’ve seen! This style, as illustrated by Sirisha above, is a well loved way of styling urlis, and even five star resorts and hotels have a large urli in their lobbies or entrances, filled with flowers or petals floating on water. Saffron and Silk has done this and matched the color of the flowers with the surrounding furnishings.

Source : Saffron and Silk

Other than flowers floating in water, you can also fill your urli with fresh flowers, as the East Coast Desi has done. They look beautiful, spread a lovely fragrance, and you don’t have to deal with the mess of water. This may also be a better option if your area is prone to getting infested by mosquitoes. Another option is to opt for dried flowers or pot pourri, which is a great way to spread some fragrance, like this setup from Berger Paints.

Source : Berger Paints

2. Rangoli

Source : Sirisha

While flowers and petals randomly floating in the urli look good on their own, you can take this a step further by creating a pattern with them – your very own urli rangoli, as Sirisha has done here!

You can add any flowers of your choice, and also includes leaves of different types as well. Homemakeover has may ideas for arranging flowers in a rangoli pattern on water.

Source : Sirisha

Take your creativity to the next level and make your own patterns, like this floral Om – perfect for festive occasions!

Source : Sirisha

3. Candles

Source : Faux Pas

After flowers, this is probably the next best way to style your urli! Faux Pas shows us how pretty floating tea lights look in some water in an urli, and you can always dress it  up further with flower petals.

Source : Maud Interiors

If you don’t have tea lights, but the larger pillar candles, no problem – they’ll work! Maud Interiors shows us how plain white pillar candles in a copper urli give that elegant, understated look. You can use pillar candles of any color and you can also choose ones with fragrances.

This is a look that fits well in a contemporary or mid-century design system as well as a South Indian traditional theme. The choice of urli can make a difference – copper looks better for a modern theme, while brass is traditional all the way.

4. Idols

Source : the east coast desi

One of the easiest ways to style your antique urli is to place an antique idol in it. The idol will add some height and dimension to the uruli, while the uruli will give it a beautiful base. Check out how the East Coast Desi has done it with her Ganesha idol.

If the idol already has a wide base, it might be enough to place it directly inside the urli and leave it at that. If not, you can fill up the blank space with flowers – if you can’t find fresh ones, even silk flowers will look good. If you have a large urli, you can put in multiple small idols, like Pinkz Passion has done.

Source : Pinkz Passion

If you don’t want to place your idols inside the urli, here’s another hack from Sirisha – place a decorated plank or board across the mouth of the urli and place your idols on it. This also gives you the freedom to fill your urli with whatever you like!

Source : Sirisha

5.  Manjaadi Seeds

Source : Whats Ur Home Story

Manjaadi seeds or Manjaadikuru are part of Kerala childhoods, and most kids who grew up in Kerala know what these are! If you have a small urli, you can fill them with these bright red seeds – the color will offer the perfect pop against the shiny metal! This idea is from Vidya of Whats Ur Home Story – genius!

You can place a small lamp in the middle if you think only seeds will be too plain. However, you may want to avoid this if you have small children and pets – or at least place it at a level that they can’t reach. Fill to the brim, but make sure the seeds don’t fall off the edges.

6. Moss

Source : Desi DIY

Urli and moss? This may sound weird, but Desi DIY shows us that this is a combination that works quite well! Regular garden moss from your nursery is all you need, and the bright green pops beautifully against a shiny brass urli.

You can either stuff the urli with moss and leave it as it is, or you can insert a small brass lamp in the middle. This is something that’s easy to do for everyday decor, and not necessarily for festivals.

7. Plants

Source :  LA Times

Here’s a great uses of your urli – as a planter! You can use the urli to plant any houseplant of your choice (check out these faux orchids from LA Times), and they also make great succulent holders. You can also fill up the empty space with moss. Check out this image here from Real Simple that shows how pretty succulents look in the urli.

Source :  Real Simple

Where to Place your Urli

One of the most popular places to place an Urli is the entrance, since it is immediately welcoming to whoever enters your home. It also tends to give off an air of abundance and good luck to all who enter. If your urli is large, you can either place it directly on the floor, or on a stand, like this image from Pinterest.

Source : Pinterest

If you don’t want to put it on the floor, you can place it on your console table. Check out this idea from Urban Company, that has an urli flanked by brass candle holders on either side.

Source :  Urban Company

If you don’t have a spot in your entryway, your coffee table is another ideal spot. The Key Bunch features a home that creates a pretty centerpiece with a flower vase and a candle – simple but welcoming!

Source :  The Key Bunch

An obvious location for the urli is the pooja room, where you will most probably have idols and flowers already. This makes it easy to create a beautiful arrangement using the urli along with everything else, like this setup from Rang decor.

Source :  Rang decor

Urlis with dried flowers or pot pourri are a great addition to a guest room or a bedroom. It is much less maintenance than fresh flowers, but adds color and fragrance all the same. Crafts n Chisel features a brass urli with flowers on a nightstand

Source :  Crafts n Chaisel

In the garden, like Villa Jacaranda has done, adding in fresh flowers.

Source :  Villa Jacaranda

The Key Bunch uses a large earthen urli to group together other planters, creating a cozy nook in the garden.

Source :  The Key Bunch

For festivals, you can go crazy with your urli decoration! Go ahead and mix things up – this is the opportunity for it! For instance, you can do what Half Samosa has done, and add tea lights along with fresh flowers in a large urli for a gorgeous festive centerpiece.

Source :  Half Samosa

The best part about urlis is that you can combine it with other decor elements, and not just traditional South Indian ones. For instance pair up your urli with some lucky bamboo, or go the Japanese route by filling it with cherry blossoms, like Pinkz Passion has done!

Source :  Pinkz Passion

The Key Bunch shows us that urlis go just as well with Moroccan style brass lanterns and candles.

Source : The Key Bunch

And if you have a bunch of urlis of different sizes, group them together – like this cute display from Madhurya.

Source :  Madhurya

As you can see, there’s a lot you can do with an urli – besides cooking in it! Whether you have one urli or many, whether it’s tiny or huge – I’m sure you can find a way to bring out its true beauty in your decor!