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Shah Family’s Fifth-Year Ganesha Statue Crafted from Tic Tacs
By Drooid · · How we work
Family Tradition of Handmade Ganesha Statues
The Shah family emigrated from India to the United Kingdom in 2004, first settling in Luton before moving to Nottinghamshire. To keep their children, Nisarg and Shlok, connected to Hindu culture, the family began an annual tradition of creating their own Lord Ganesha statues. Early efforts involved decorating ready-made figures, then progressed to sculpting in clay and incorporating edible materials such as rice, grains, coloured flour, potatoes and biscuits.
This Year’s Design: Tic Tacs as a White, Attractive Medium
For the fifth consecutive year, the Shahs chose an unconventional material: mint-flavoured Tic Tacs. After discarding the idea of non-biodegradable pearls, they sought a “white and attractive” option, ultimately selecting the small, glossy candies. Thousands of halved Tic Tacs were hand-attached to a clay base, creating a sparkling white surface.
Creation Process and Challenges
Bhavini Shah coordinated the project, recruiting family friends and their children to assist. The team first modeled the statue’s shape, then experimented with cutting the Tic Tacs in half to achieve the desired visual effect. The process required frequent trips to local shops for additional candies, especially when stores closed early on weekends. A glue gun was used to affix the candies, resulting in occasional burns and a messy workspace.
