Flower Mandala Coloring Page

This flower mandala coloring page looks like a giant dahlia seen from above. Six layers of rounded petals overlap like shingles, from sixteen long petals on the outside down to ten short ones near the middle. Every petal has a smaller petal and a slim leaf inside it. Round seeds fill the center, and a lattice of tiny blooms covers the rest of the page. It suits ages 10 and up, and teens and adults enjoy it most.

The petals overlap, so each layer peeks out from behind the one before it. That makes the design look full and deep. Plan on an hour or more.

Who this page is for

This is a good step up from our easy mandala. The petals are large on the outside and small near the center, so you need to plan a little. Older kids and teens can shade every petal from dark to light. Adults often enjoy it over a few calm evenings.

Art teachers can use it to teach color families, because each ring can be a new step along a color wheel.

Flower mandala coloring page color ideas

Try a pink and purple flower with a red middle ring. It looks like a big dahlia. Move from dark in the center to light at the edges, and the flower will seem to glow.

A rainbow bloom is fun too. Color the inner layers red, the middle layers orange and the outer layers yellow. Then add blue to the background so the warm colors stand out.

A pale blue or cream background keeps things calm. The tiny blooms behind the flower can pick up one color from the main bloom, which ties the whole page together.

Tips for shading petals

• Color each petal darker where it tucks behind the one in front. It adds depth right away.
• Colored pencils work best for smooth shading. Use light pressure and build up the color.
• Work one layer at a time, so the same shade stays even all the way around.
• Keep your pencils sharp. Small tips help you stay inside the curved lines.

Fun facts about flowers and patterns

Many real flowers grow in patterns much like a mandala. Dahlias and sunflowers place their petals and seeds in neat rings and spirals. This kind of repeating turn is called rotational symmetry, and Wikipedia explains it in its page on rotational symmetry.

Plants do this for a good reason. Spacing petals and leaves evenly around a stem helps each one get light, and it packs in as many seeds as possible. Bees also seem to find round, even flowers easy to spot.

Count the petals on real flowers when you get the chance. Lilies often have three or six, buttercups have five, and many daisies have far more. Nature likes certain numbers.

Once you start looking in a garden, you will see these patterns everywhere. They are on pine cones, on daisies and even on the tops of pineapples at the grocery store.

Things to do after coloring

Go on a pattern walk. Look for circles and repeating shapes in plants, hubcaps, manhole covers and windows. Take photos or draw them when you get home.

Cut out the flower and glue it onto a paper plate. Add a green paper stem and leaves, and it becomes a giant bloom for the wall or the fridge.

For math, add up the petals in each layer: 16, 16, 16, 12, 12 and 10. Younger kids can count by twos with a little help.

Try coloring two copies, one in warm colors and one in cool colors. Hang them side by side and ask which one feels calmer.

More mandala pages to color

Find more designs in our mandala coloring pages. For a bold geometric look, try the star mandala coloring page.

Questions