ARTS & CRAFTS: 15 Blogs to make you LOVE Zentangles!

If you like to doodle then you may love to Zentangle!

 
Zentangling is an art form where you take a basic shape, divide it into sections and then fill the sections with a pattern.

The complexity of the pattern is up to you. This hobby is known for being very relaxing because as you are drawing the patterns the process allows you to zone out, thus the ‘Zen’ part of ‘Zentangle‘.

You can make up your own shapes and patterns or use various templates and books to get ideas of where to start.

These 15 blogs will answer your questions about how to get started and what to do, as well as different patterns to use and projects to make.

 

Basics

Take a scrap piece of paper and put four random dots on the page.

Connect those dots with lines and you have a shape. Divide the shape into sections.

Fill the sections with pattern and you are off and running on Zentangling.
 

These five blog entries will give you the basics of how to get started.

1. Zentangles — The Basic Basics This blogger explains all of the important basics of zentangling, such as that the line you draw when drawing a shape is called a “string.”
2. Zentangle Basics  Thelma shows some examples of the practice work she has done when learning some of the basic patterns.
3. Review: Zentangle Basics and Zentangle 2   Suzanne McNeill If you are looking for a book to help you get started, then this might be the one for you. This contains a comprehensive review complete with examples of the patterns, as well as the blogger’s attempts at Zentangling.
4. It Takes One to Tangle  This beginner takes you on her journey of discovering the art of Zentangling. Reading about how she started can help you get started too.
5. How to Draw Zentangle Eye (Doodles)  This video gives you an idea of how to create zentangles shaped like eyes.

 

Patterns

Figuring out the basic patterns to fill your zentangles with is half the battle.

There are tons of patterns on these blog entries that will give you hours of patterns to zentangle.

There are also patterns to trace to get your starting shape if you don’t feel comfortable free hand drawing a box or eye shape.

 

     These five blog posts are full of different zentangling ideas.

1. Revisiting the Basics  One Year After You can find a bunch of basic patterns on this blog. This blogger encourages you to learn the basic patterns first to help you achieve the ‘Zen’ part of Zentangles.
2. Printable Zentangle Patterns – Get Beautiful Zentangle Patterns! Watch a video on this blog that shows the blogger creating a sampler of many patterns that you can use to fill your sections. The video is sped up and is amazing to watch.
3. Zentangles – My First Pattern  Y-Ful Power A breakdown of the pattern is shown and is simple to follow along with, allowing you to duplicate the pattern if you like it.
4. Zentangle Pattern  The name of this pattern is ‘Mumsy’ and she shows you step by step how she created it.
5. Zentangle Pattern, Enjoy and Create!  ‘Wishbone’ is the name of the pattern on this blog. A final sampler project is shown, as are the steps to create the ‘wishbone’ pattern.

 

Projects

Once you get the hang of Zentangling and you find yourself with a bunch of zentangled shapes, what do you do with them?

You can make a card, a framed work of art, a quilt or even paint your nails to match.
 

These five blog articles will show you how to use your finished work and how to create new work using the same patterns.

1. Creative Exercise: DIY Zentangle Quote in Watercolor  There are many things you can do with zentangle patterns. Create a short quote and zentangle around it for a piece of art worth framing.
2. Beaded Pattern Nails with Tutorial  This blogger used a Zentangle pattern on her fingernails using nail polish. She gives you step-by-step instructions so you can recreate her pattern.
3. A Zentangled Card  Once you create a zentangle design you can cut it out and apply it to the front of a greeting card. See how to jazz up the base of the card too.
4. 52 Week Scrapbook Challenge – Zentangle You can find a scrapbook page filled with zentangles and, once completed, you can add some black and white pictures to your page.
5. Tutorial: Zentangle Mini Quilt  Download the instructions to complete a mini quilt that uses all of your favorite zentangle patterns. You’d love to read more about quilting guide by Sew Kit Kit.

 
It’s a mini work of art.
 

Thanks to Allen Miller