do-vs-makegrammaticality-in-contextword-choiceword-usage
Which one is more correct?
She made this painting for a friend.
She did this painting for a friend.
I performed a websearch and it seems both are used. When I was learning English at school, I was told that make should be used in case something is produced. Does that make sense?
I'm afraid the only general distinction is the one you have already named: do = perform and make = create.
But that is no more than a general tendency; as your examples show, in any specific instance either or both may be relevant, and at some point in the history of the language one has earned more favour than the other.
It's often possible to see a reason why one is used rather than the other in a particular situation, and that's useful for remembering which one is used; but it is of no value in predicting which one is used when you encounter a new situation. For instance:
You complete your homework assignments, which included writing down the answers to a series of questions. It seems that should be 'making' your homework, but in fact the proper phrase is doing your homework. You might remember this by considering that sometimes your homework doesn't call for you to 'make' anything: it might be reading a chapter in your textbook. The important thing is you did the tasks that were assigned.
You agree to act as the fourth person in a game of contract bridge. You would think this would call for 'do', since you are performing a role; but in fact you make a fourth. You can remember this by noting that what you are doing is “making” a complete table of players—would that have occurred to you before you encountered the phrase?
There's just no telling. You have to learn the right term case by case.
I assume that you are speaking of the procedure to wash the body. Then if I had to choose between do and make, I would choose do because you are doing actions, you are following a procedure.
I would note that make can also mean to perform.
13 a : to carry out (an action indicated or implied by the object)
<make war> <make a speech> <make a detour>
b : to perform with a bodily movement
<make a sweeping gesture>
So it seems like make Wudu could work too, and it would explain why some say "make Wudu".
However, I would use whatever language the English-speaking practitioners of Wudu use. Meaning, it doesn't really matter what you or I think. If it is well-establish among the people who practice/do/perform Wudu that the expression is "make Wudu", then say "make Wudu". If they often use "do Wudu", then use "do Wudu". If they use both, then use both--though there might be some subtle difference. If you rarely hear/read "make Wudu" and "do Wudu" seems more popular, then use "do Wudu".
As an outsider to the practice, to me the verbs
seem reasonable to use with Wudu.
If make and do Wudu mean the same thing, then do Wudu seems to be more popular.
Best Answer
Both verbs sound fine within this context:
But as Google Ngram shows "make a painting" is more popular:
As J.R. commented you can use painted, sketched, created, produced, crafted, or drew instead. However, each of these words carries a different meaning (see their definitions).
If you are unsure which verb to choose make "painting" the verb: