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How to Draw a Herringbone Pattern
Draw a herringbone pattern in 13 easy steps, about 10 minutes. Free, with a printable worksheet.
Each picture adds one red line. Draw that line, then scroll to the next picture. Rub out any dashed helper lines at the end. First up: the square.
Step 1: The square
In the middle of your paper draw a big square with softly rounded corners, nearly as big as your page.
Step 2: Light lines down
Press softly. Draw 8 light lines from the top edge to the bottom edge, making 9 even columns.
Tip Split the square into 3 first, then split each part into 3.
Step 3: Light lines across
Still pressing softly, draw 8 light lines from the left edge to the right edge. Now you have 81 boxes.
Step 4: First zigzag
Start at the top of the second column. Zigzag down to the bottom, corner to corner through each box.
Tip Press firmly now. Slant left first, then right, then left again.
Step 5: Two more zigzags
Skip 2 columns. From the top, zigzag down to the bottom, slanting right first. Skip 2 more, copy the first.
Tip The middle zigzag is a mirror of the other two.
Step 6: Long slants down
From each right-hand point of the first zigzag, slant down across 2 boxes to touch the next zigzag.
Tip Each slant carries a zigzag line straight on. The last one stops at the bottom edge.
Step 7: Long slants up
From each right-hand point of the middle zigzag, slant up across 2 boxes to touch the last zigzag.
Tip The top one stops at the top edge.
Step 8: Left edge slants
From each left-hand point of the first zigzag, slant down across 1 box to stop at the left edge.
Step 9: Right edge slants
From each right-hand point of the last zigzag, slant down across 1 box to stop at the right edge.
Tip Now every shape is a slanted brick, 3 boxes long.
Step 10: Sparkles
Draw 4 small sparkle stars just off the corners of the square.
Step 11: Yellow sparkles
Rub out all the light lines. Colour the 4 sparkles yellow.
Step 12: Light bricks
Colour light brown every brick that leans down to the right. There are 2 columns of them.
Tip Skip every brick that leans the other way.
Step 13: Dark bricks
Colour all the other bricks dark brown, right up to the edges. Your herringbone pattern is done!
Tip Herringbone is named after the bones of a herring fish.
Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: a herringbone pattern, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
