Supplies:
• Watercolor paper (I used 9x12 inches)
• Watercolors, watercolor pencils, or markers
• Compass (or a round object for tracing or freehand it)
• Pencil and eraser
Instructions:
1. Set Up Your Mandala Base:
• Find the center of your paper and draw a circle using a compass, leave an inch of room around the circle for the petal shapes.
• Divide the circle in half both vertically and horizontally.
• Draw two lines in each of 4 quadrants to create 12 slices—one for each month of the year.
• Add petal shapes around the outside of the circle. Erase any extra guidelines.
2. Start the Prompts:
• Each petal represents one month of 2025. Use the prompts below as inspiration for each month’s artwork. Think of symbols, shapes, colors, or words that best reflect the prompt’s theme.
• Paint or draw in the petals as you go—feel free to mix abstract designs with personal imagery.
The Monthly Prompts:
January – Wolf Moon (January 13, 2025):
What truths are calling out to be heard? Draw something that reflects your need for authenticity and connection.
February – Snow Moon (February 12, 2025):
What dreams are you nurturing beneath the surface? Use symbols of growth and potential.
March – Worm Moon (March 14, 2025):
What new energy or habits are beginning to emerge? Illustrate signs of renewal or movement.
April – Pink Moon (April 12, 2025):
What parts of your life are ready to bloom? Add bright, playful symbols of joy and growth.
May – Flower Moon (May 12, 2025):
What passions or talents want to be shared? Create art that reflects your creative gifts.
June – Strawberry Moon (June 11, 2025):
What rewards are ready to be enjoyed? Use colors and shapes that show abundance and gratitude.
July – Buck Moon (July 10, 2025):
Where are you experiencing growth or transformation? Include symbols of strength and renewal.
August – Sturgeon Moon (August 9, 2025):
What resources or opportunities are plentiful in your life? Represent abundance and possibility.
September – Corn Moon (September 7, 2025):
What accomplishments are you most proud of? Draw images that celebrate your successes.
October – Harvest Moon (October 6, 2025):
What needs balance and harmony in your life? Use shapes and colors that feel grounding and peaceful.
November – Beaver Moon (November 5, 2025):
How can you create a sense of comfort and stability? Add symbols of preparation and security.
December – Cold Moon (December 4, 2025):
What areas of your life need rest and reflection? Illustrate endings, stillness, and quiet preparation for what’s next.
3. Bring It All Together:
• Once each petal is complete, look at your finished mandala. Notice the patterns, themes, and images that came through.
• Add any final touches, such as decorative borders or dots, to tie the piece together.
4. Reflect:
Step back and enjoy your artwork. You’ve created a beautiful, visual map for the year ahead—a reflection of your intentions, hopes, and creative spirit.
Here are some photos of the process:
I marked the middle of my page and placed the point of my compass on the mark then drew a large circle. The circle was small enough to leave room for large petals to be drawn around it.
Next, I drew a cross from the center of the circle. (Make sure to measure equal distance from the outside edges of your page so your cross is perfectly in the middle of the page. Because my page was 18″ x 18″ that meant I had to measure 9″ in from the outside edges of the page.)
Then, without changing the distance of my compass, I placed the point of the compass on each outside point of the cross and made a mark on both sides of the line.
That gave me marks to guide my ruler as I divided the circle in 12 sections.
All I had to do was place my ruler from one outside point across the center point and over to meet the opposing outside point on the other end of the circle and draw a line. This created 12 sections. The sections pictured here aren’t equal because I made the mistake of forgetting to measure my cross properly but I’m not a stickler for details so I just went with it regardless of the mistake.
Next, I added a larger outer circle and made a dot to mark the center. I didn’t measure this to be accurate. From the dot, I drew a couple curvy lines to give the idea of a petal (or sun ray in this case).
I continued to do that for all 12 sections of the mandala.
I then erased all the lines except the outline so all I was left with was a shape that reminded me of the sun.
Once I had the outer mandala shape I wanted, I painted the background with watercolors. I worked in sections and painted my paper with water before I put down any color and because I wanted to play with cloudy effects with the paint, I made sure there was a lot of water mixed in each color of paint. It was fun to watch the way water and paint danced together to make pretty swirls of color.
I used the same watercolor process to fill in the sun shape.
My last step was to draw the images and include the words and phrases I wanted to remember in each petal of the mandala. I started with January, of course, then continued to work my way around the mandala until I had captured the messages I thought were important to remember for the year ahead.
Here’s the finished piece.
