Draw a Personal Mandala - How to Draw a Mandala

The objects we keep in our homes tell stories about us. A favorite piece of jewelry, a little pottery bowl, a stone from a memorable trip—these everyday treasures can hold meaning and spark creativity. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to draw a personal mandala using shapes and memories inspired by things you already own.

You don’t need fancy supplies or drawing experience. Start with a few simple doodles, repeat them around a circle and watch your design grow into something completely your own!

Here at Soul Flower, we love working personal symbols and little hidden details into our hand-drawn designs. It’s interesting to see which objects show through in a finished pattern—and what other people notice first.

Our Boho Headbands offer a little inspiration for the drawing process below.

What You’ll Need

• Five to ten objects that catch your eye or mean something to you.
• Scrap paper for trying out shapes.
• A fresh sheet of paper for your finished drawing.
• A pencil and eraser, if you’d like to sketch guidelines first.
• A drawing pen or marker.
• A coin, cup or other round object to trace. A compass is optional.
• Colored pencils or markers, if you’d like to add color.

Use what you have, buds! The back of a piece of junk mail is perfect for practicing doodles. If you’re using markers, put scrap paper underneath your drawing to protect your work surface.

Step 1: Collect Your Inspiration

Wander around your home and gather a handful of objects. Choose things with interesting shapes, patterns or textures, along with a few that hold a special memory. Aim for five to ten items with a little variety.

Look for inspiration in places you pass every day:

• Your desk and desk drawers.
• Shelves and windowsills.
• Your jewelry box or dresser.
• Your closet—fabric patterns count, too!
• Your bedside table.
• Kitchen cabinets filled with favorite mugs, bowls or dishes.

You don’t need to buy anything or choose objects that look impressive. A chipped bowl or a tiny pebble might inspire your favorite part of the drawing.

Step 2: Turn Your Objects into Simple Shapes

Set your objects in front of you and grab some scrap paper. You’re going to create a small collection of shapes that you can repeat in your mandala. Think doodles, not perfect portraits!

1. Simplify what you see. Sketch the outline of an object, one small detail or a piece of its pattern. A flower can become a few rounded petals. A crystal can become a triangle or a cluster of angled lines.
2. Let one doodle lead to another. Stretch a shape, round its edges or add little dots. Your drawings don’t have to look exactly like the objects that inspired them.
3. Draw the memory behind an object. Maybe a plain pebble reminds you of a weekend swimming in a creek and listening to music with friends. Try wavy lines for the water, music notes for the songs or hearts for your friends.

Step 3: Start Your Mandala

Grab a fresh sheet of paper and choose your pen. A thicker pen can encourage bigger, simpler shapes, while a fine-tip pen leaves room for tiny details. You can also start lightly in pencil and go over your lines later.

If you plan to add color, test your drawing pen and coloring tools together on scrap paper first. Let the ink dry fully and check for smearing or bleeding. Colored pencils are another easy option.

Start near the center of your paper by tracing something small and round. We used a quarter. This gives you a starting circle to build around. Your drawing might get a little lopsided along the way, and that’s okay—it’s handmade!

Choose a Way to Build Your Design

• Build outward from the center. Draw a ring of repeated shapes around your starting circle. Add another layer around that one, then keep going.
• Sketch guide rings first. Lightly draw several circles of increasing sizes around the same center point. Use a compass or trace round objects, then fill the spaces between the circles with your doodles.

Pick a shape from your practice sheet and repeat it around the circle. Imagine each shape is a bead and you’re making a bracelet. Then choose another shape for the next layer.

Turn your paper as you work if that makes drawing easier. You don’t need to squeeze every object into your design—use the shapes you enjoy most.

Step 4: Add Layers and Little Details

Keep drawing until you reach the size you want or the design simply feels finished. If you get stuck, repeat a layer you already drew. Repetition is part of what brings the whole drawing together.

Add dots, lines, tiny leaves or other doodles wherever you’d like more detail. A smaller pen can help with narrow spaces. You can also leave some areas open—every space doesn’t need to be filled.

The Inspiration Behind My Drawing

• The snowflake at the center came from the snowflake pendant.
• A chunky flower shape was inspired by the broken earring, with layers of lines inspired by the dark purple crystal.
• The raw citrine inspired the pointed crystal shapes.
• The pottery bowl inspired wavy lines and leaf shapes.
• The snowflake inspired another layer of branching shapes.
• The heart stone and rose quartz inspired hearts, representing love.
• The facets of the citrine inspired the crisscross shapes.

I tried this tutorial with my sister, who doesn’t work as an artist but wasn’t afraid to give it a go. Thanks, Kari! Her objects included an amethyst bracelet, a blue crystal necklace, wavy rings and a bag of tiny Worry Dolls. She was pleasantly surprised by her finished drawing and hung it in her room.

It’s amazing how a few layered shapes can come together—and how special a drawing feels when it’s inspired by your own possessions and memories.

Make It Your Own

Leave your drawing black and white, add your favorite colors or write a little note on the back about the objects that inspired it. Frame it, tuck it into your journal or turn a smaller version into a handmade card for someone you love.

You can return to this project whenever inspiration strikes. Try a different set of objects, focus on a favorite memory or draw with a friend and compare the shapes you each notice.

Enjoy the process, appreciate the little things that inspire you and let your drawing be perfectly your own.

~Leiah
Soul Flower artist and creator of many of our hand-drawn mandalas.

From Personal Sketches to Wearable Art

These designs from earlier Soul Flower collections show how nature, keepsakes and simple shapes can become wearable artwork. 

Keep the Mandala Inspiration Going

Love bringing meaningful patterns into your everyday life? Explore the Indigo Mandala Boho Headband and Bee Mandala T-Shirt for more mandala-inspired style.

Let your inspiration wander into flowers and celestial themes, too. Take a look at our Lotus Flower Prayer Flags and Mystical Moon Bamboo Dolman Top, then think about the petals, curves and symbols you might explore in your own drawing.

For more designs to make your own, browse our boho headbands and sacred geometry clothing and accessories. Keep noticing the little details, keep doodling and see where your creativity takes you!