Mindfulness

The Art of Motif-Making

By Meera Ramanathan, posted on Dec 10, 2025

Motifs are an integral part of textiles. Growing up in India, I always marveled at the beautiful sarees with woven, embroidered, and printed motifs. The elephant signifies royalty and wealth, while the peacock symbolizes beauty and love. While pursuing textile design for my master’s degree, I had the opportunity to visit handweavers in Tamil Nadu and see firsthand how they created sarees with intricate motifs. My passion for motifs continues as I create and teach my third-grade students a lesson on motif-making each year.

View this article in the digital magazine.