Spring Cottage Coloring Page

Everything on this spring cottage coloring page seems to be in bloom. A thick thatched roof curves over a small timber framed house like a warm hat. Roses climb an arch around the blue door, and two baskets of flowers hang from the eaves. Window boxes overflow on both sides, with a bed of tulips under one and a bed of daffodils under the other. Out by the fence, a striped cat sits watching the path, and a straw beehive stands in the corner.

The page fits kids of about 8 and up, plus adults who love storybook houses. Give it 45 minutes to an hour. Lots of the shapes are small, but the roof, the path and the sky will go quickly.

Small things to find

The door has a heart cut into it, and each flower box has a row of five hearts along the front. A little bird stands on the chimney, looking out over the yard. Two butterflies rest at the edges of the roof. Three bees are heading for the hive, which makes sense, and one of them has almost made it home.

The small arched window is tucked into the straw like a sleepy eye. Stepping stones wind from the front step down past the gap in the fence. Your child can walk a finger along them and decide who is coming to visit.

Spring cottage coloring page color ideas

Golden thatch and cream walls are a classic pair. Then pick one strong color to repeat around the house. Blue is shown here on the door and shutters, and it would look good on the fence too. Soft green shutters with a pale yellow door would feel just as sweet.

• Dark brown beams against cream plaster
• Red and pink roses with deep green leaves
• Soft gray stones with a little tan mixed in
• Pink and white blossoms on the two trees

The chimney bricks look best in two reds. Color all of them one shade, then darken a few at random so the wall looks old and well loved.

Tips for neat results

Finish the small flowers before the walls behind them. A colored flower makes it easy to see where the background should stop, and you are less likely to cover a petal.

The thatch lines are short and spaced apart, so do not fill the roof in one flat color. Short downward strokes will match the lines already drawn, and the straw texture will build itself.

A fine marker or a sharp pencil is best for the window boxes. Crayons will work on the sky, the grass and the big stones in the path.

Why old roofs were made of straw

Thatching is one of the old ways of building a roof, using dry plants such as straw, water reed or heather. It keeps going for a long time. A good straw roof laid by a skilled thatcher can last more than 50 years. Thatch stays dry and packed tight, so it traps air, which keeps a house warm in winter and cool in summer. The UK still has about 1,000 full time thatchers.

Tell the story of the house

Ask who lives here. Is it a beekeeper, a baker or a retired sea captain? Older kids can write three sentences about a day at the cottage and tape them under the picture. For a quick art lesson, have your child draw one more thing in the yard, such as a bench or a wheelbarrow. In class, a row of these pages turns a bulletin board into a small village street.

More little houses

If you like this house, compare it with the fall cottage coloring page, which has a stone front and a wheelbarrow of pumpkins. The cozy cabin coloring page is a log home under the stars, and the garden coloring page keeps you among the flowers.

Questions