Henna Pattern Coloring Page

Traditional mehndi designs run along a hand or up a forearm rather than filling a square, and this page keeps that shape. One tall motif runs down the middle of the sheet, pointed at the top and bottom like a leaf, with a large lotus rosette at its widest part and two smaller flowers above and below it. Fine curling tendrils spiral off the sides. The rest of the paper is deliberately left empty, exactly as bare skin would be around the real thing. The line work is delicate, so put the markers away and reach for colored pencils or a fine liner. Henna itself is a single reddish brown, and staying close to that family, rust, terracotta, and deep maroon, keeps the page authentic while still giving you range. If you would rather go bright, the design takes jewel colors well because each enclosed shape is small and self contained. Another option is to fill only the rosettes and leave every tendril in outline, which mimics the way real henna varies in density. That empty margin is part of the composition, so resist the urge to fill it.