Swirling Spiral Mandala

Swirling petals spin out from a tiny dot at the center like a pinwheel, each one curling into a spiral at its tip, with smaller curls and teardrops tucked around the edge. The shapes are fairly large and smooth, about 190 in all, so it suits children from 6 as well as adults who want a quicker mandala.

Level

Medium

Areas to color

189

Ages

Ages 6+

Time to color (estimate)

40–60 minutes

Paper

A4 or US Letter, standard printer paper

Turn it into a spinning rainbow: color the swirling petals in turn red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple, then start again, and use a darker shade of the same color for the curl at each tip. The teardrops between petals look good in white or pale gray.

Color from the center outward so your hand doesn't smudge finished areas.

Choose a palette before starting: analogous colors (blue, teal, green) feel calm; complementary ones (blue and orange) feel lively.