Tangle Patterns

Print 25 zentangle patterns, step by step: our own tangle patterns under our own names, from grids and auras to crescent rims, over-under bands and petals. Each pattern is drawn in 4 to 6 build-up steps, with the earlier lines in grey and the new lines in black so you can see exactly what to add, plus an empty box to try it yourself. Print a step-by-step worksheet, a one-page reference sheet of finished patterns, or blank practice tiles: 3.5 in squares, 2.5 in and 4.5 in rounds or 2 in squares, with a light border, corner dots and a choice of guide strings. Download a PDF on US Letter or A4, a 300 DPI PNG, or any pattern as an SVG. Nothing is uploaded. Zentangle® is a trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Not affiliated.

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How to draw a tangle pattern

1. Choose what to print: the step-by-step worksheet, the pattern reference sheet or blank practice tiles.
2. Pick a set of patterns (all, the 8 easiest, or one family) and square or round boxes, or a tile size and string for practice tiles.
3. Download the PDF and print at 100% (Actual size) on US Letter or A4.
4. Follow each row from step 1: the new lines in each box are black, the lines you already drew are grey.
5. Draw the pattern yourself in the empty box, then fill a practice tile section by section.

What you can use it for

• A calm, screen-free drawing break
• Art lessons on line, pattern and contrast
• Warm-ups before sketching or lettering
• Patterns to fill letters, borders and journal pages
• A pattern library to colour or trace
• Group activities for clubs, libraries and care homes

The 25 tangle patterns

#	Pattern	Family	Steps	Step 1
1	Basket Grid	Grids and blocks	4	Draw a 4 × 4 grid.
2	Checker Dots	Grids and blocks	4	Draw a 5 × 5 grid.
3	Crescent Rim	Circles and curves	5	Draw three half circles along every edge.
4	Pod Auras	Circles and curves	5	Draw five pods (ovals) spread over the tile.
5	Over-Under Bands	Lines and bands	5	Draw a band (two parallel lines) across the tile.
6	Zig Ribbon	Lines and bands	4	Draw five zigzag lines across, peaks lined up.
7	Scallop Rows	Circles and curves	4	Draw rows of arches, each row shifted half an arch.
8	Diamond Lattice	Grids and blocks	5	Draw diagonal lines one way.
9	Corner Ripples	Circles and curves	4	Draw quarter circles from one corner, evenly spaced.
10	Spiral Seeds	Circles and curves	4	Mark five seed dots.
11	Petal Burst	Petals and leaves	5	Draw a circle in the middle.
12	Stripe Blocks	Lines and bands	4	Draw a 3 × 3 grid.
13	Bubble Cluster	Circles and curves	4	Draw bubbles of different sizes, close but not touching.
14	Wave Stripes	Lines and bands	4	Draw wavy lines across, all in step.
15	Brick Steps	Grids and blocks	4	Draw rows of bricks, each row shifted half a brick.
16	Star Dots	Grids and blocks	5	Mark a grid of dots.
17	Twist Rope	Lines and bands	4	Draw two waves that cross each other, for each rope.
18	Leaf Vine	Petals and leaves	5	Draw a curving stem.
19	Turning Squares	Grids and blocks	4	Draw a 2 × 2 grid.
20	Honeycomb Cells	Grids and blocks	4	Draw a honeycomb of hexagons.
21	Dot Loops	Circles and curves	4	Mark a grid of dots.
22	Fan Shells	Circles and curves	4	Draw overlapping rows of half circles, like shells.
23	Orbit Rings	Circles and curves	4	Draw touching circles in a grid.
24	Chevron Steps	Lines and bands	4	Draw zigzag rows (chevrons), points lined up.
25	Triangle Weave	Grids and blocks	4	Draw evenly spaced lines across.

107 steps in all. Every pattern and every step is drawn by our own code, and our tests render each pattern at each step and check that every step adds new lines.

Practice tile sizes

Tile	Size	Shape	Tiles per Letter page	Tiles per A4 page
3.5 in square	88.9 mm	Square	4	4
2.5 in round	63.5 mm	Round	6	6
2 in square	50.8 mm	Square	12	12
4.5 in round	114.3 mm	Round	2	2

Tiles print with a solid cut line, an optional light border line 6.35 mm (1/4 in) inside it and corner dots. Choose one of 6 strings, none, or a different string on every tile.

Worksheets on a page

Sheet	Patterns per Letter page	Patterns per A4 page	Letter pages for all patterns
Step-by-step worksheet	33	33	5
Pattern reference sheet	20	20	2

Each worksheet row shows the pattern name, every build-up step and a box to draw it yourself, with the steps written underneath.

Tips for clean tangles

• Draw slowly: a calm, even stroke looks better than a fast one.
• Turn the paper as you go so every stroke is a comfortable one.
• Leave some sections plain; contrast between busy and quiet areas makes a tile work.
• Add shading last, with a pencil, along one side of each shape.

More to draw and print: the Mandala Maker for round symmetric designs, Dot Grid Paper for grid-based patterns, the SVG Pattern Generator for repeating backgrounds and the Drawing Prompt Generator when you need an idea.

Paper and pens

Item	Good choice	Why
Pen	Fine black pen, 0.3 to 0.5 mm	Crisp lines that do not bleed
Pencil	A soft pencil (2B)	Light strings and shading
Paper	Smooth printer paper, 80 to 100 gsm	Fine for worksheets
Card	160 to 220 gsm (about 59 to 81 lb cover)	Practice tiles that stay flat

Pound figures are worked out from grams per square metre (1 lb cover is about 2.71 gsm).

Frequently asked questions

What is a tangle pattern?

A tangle pattern is a small repeating design built from simple strokes: lines, dots, curves and circles. You draw it step by step inside a section of a tile, so even a complicated-looking pattern comes down to a few easy moves repeated.

How do you draw a tangle pattern step by step?

Start with the structure, such as a grid, a row of arches or a few ovals. Then add one kind of stroke at a time: auras round the shapes, lines inside them, filled areas, and finally dots. Each row on the worksheet shows one new step per box.

Which patterns are easiest for beginners?

Checker Dots, Basket Grid, Zig Ribbon, Scallop Rows, Wave Stripes, Star Dots, Bubble Cluster and Crescent Rim need only straight lines, arches and circles. Choose the Starter set to print just those eight.

What is a string?

A string is a light guide line, such as an S-curve or a zigzag, that divides a tile into sections. You fill each section with a different pattern. The practice tiles print a string in light grey, or a different one on each tile.

What size is a tile?

The classic square tile is 3.5 in (89 mm) across. This tool also prints 2.5 in and 4.5 in round tiles and small 2 in squares, with a light border line inside each so the pattern does not run to the cut edge.

What pen and paper should I use?

A fine black pen of about 0.3 to 0.5 mm, a pencil for the string, and smooth paper. For tiles, light card of about 160 to 220 gsm (about 59 to 81 lb cover) feels good to draw on and stays flat.

Are these the official patterns?

No. Every pattern here is our own design with our own name, and the step order is ours. They work the same way: simple strokes, one step at a time.

Can I use the patterns in my own art or for sale?

Yes. The patterns are our own drawings: draw them, colour them and use what you make, including things you sell. You do not have to credit us.

Is it free?

Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit.

Is anything uploaded?

No. The sheets are drawn by JavaScript in your browser and nothing leaves your device. Nothing is saved when you close the page.