Flower coloring pages

Free printable flower coloring pages bloom from one smiling daisy to peonies and orchids.

These free printable flower coloring pages run from a big smiling daisy a toddler can fill in minutes to a peony in full bloom and an orchid branch for adults. Toddlers get easy daisies, tulips and sunflowers. Kids get bouquets, gardens with bees and a puppy among the flowers. Teens and adults get a botanical zentangle, a wildflower meadow mandala and a cottage garden, and seniors get bold baskets and teapots of flowers. There is also a guide to the easiest flowers to color, and to making petals look soft and real.

A single happy daisy is the easiest first page.

Easy flower coloring pages for toddlers show one big daisy, tulip or sunflower.

Start with the Big Daisy, the Single Tulip or the Smiling Flower. Each is one flower with a thick outline and wide petals. The Sunflower and Smiling Sunflower have a big round face in the middle, and the Tulips in a Pot groups three tulips together.

Preschoolers can go on to the Flower in a Pot, Ladybug on a Daisy and Watering Can Flowers. Once one flower feels easy, kids want a whole bunch.

Flower coloring pages for kids gather bouquets, gardens and busy bees.

The Bunch of Flowers ties smiling blooms with a bow, and the Bouquet of Flowers mixes roses, lilies and daisies. The Garden with Bees has bees and a butterfly over a flower bed. In Picking Flowers, a girl fills a basket in a meadow, and the Puppy among Flowers sits in tall daisies.

The Three Little Flowers stand in a row under the sun. The Hibiscus Flower is one big tropical bloom with a long center. The Flower Pattern is the most detailed kids' page, packed with sunflowers, roses and lilies. Older colorers usually want even finer petals.

Detailed flower coloring pages for adults bring peonies, orchids and botanical patterns.

The Peony in Full Bloom fills the page with ruffled petals. The Orchid Branch arches over ferns, and the Botanical Study Zentangle fills a lily with tiny patterns. The Wildflower Meadow Mandala rings poppies and grasses in a circle, and the Magnolia Branch Mandala frames two large magnolia blooms.

The Floral Frame Zentangle is a wreath of roses and lilies with an open middle. The Cottage Garden leads down a stone path past a cat. Street scenes include the Flower Stall and the Bicycle Basket of Flowers. For teens, try the Flower Crown, Flower Heart, Window Box or Flower Friends. For a cozy mood, try the Little Flower Shop, Pressing Flowers or Garden Room, with more like them in our cozy coloring pages. Quick bold pages include the Simple Rose, Flower Vase, Flowers in a Jar and Flower Sun Hat. Big blooms also suit older colorers.

Flower coloring pages for seniors keep petals large and lines bold.

The Flower Garden follows a winding path between flower beds. Watering the Flowers shows a girl with a watering can. The Teapot of Flowers sits on a lace doily, and the Flower Basket is tied with a big bow.

Many people who garden enjoy coloring their favorite flowers. That raises a good question for beginners.

What are the easiest flowers to color?

The easiest flowers have a few big, round petals and one clear center. Daisies, simple tulips and cartoon sunflowers fit that. On the Big Daisy, a child colors the center one color and every petal another, and the page is done.

Roses and peonies are the hardest, because their petals fold over each other. Start with the Simple Rose, which has only a few curls, before trying the Peony in Full Bloom. Lilies and orchids sit in the middle: fewer petals, but more detail inside each one.

How do you color flower petals so they look soft?

Color each petal darker at its base, where it meets the center, and lighter toward the tip. The petal then looks like it curves toward the light. With colored pencils, press harder at the base and ease off as you go.

Give leaves two greens, a lighter one on the top half and a darker one below. For a rose or peony, color the inner petals darker than the outer ones, because less light reaches them. A soft background, such as pale blue or cream, makes bright flowers stand out. Finished flowers then make good gifts.

Flower coloring pages make cards, bookmarks and a paper bouquet.

A colored flower makes a homemade card for a birthday, a thank-you or Mother's Day. Print it on cardstock so the card stands. The single flowers on the easy sheets can be cut out and taped to straws for a paper bouquet. A thin strip from the Flower Pattern makes a pretty bookmark.

For more flowers through the year, see our May coloring pages.

From a smiling daisy to an orchid branch, these free printable flower coloring pages have a bloom for every age. Pick an easy flower or a detailed garden, and color each petal dark to light.