If the lockdown is feeling endless, then we highly recommend a distraction in the way of printables. Given away free, you simply print them out on your printer and suddenly a whole new creative world is at your fingertips.
If you grew up with the Richard Scarry books like we did, then his website set up by his daughter Olympia Scarry to celebrate 100 years since Richard Scarry’s birth, is wonderfully familiar. Head to the Games section of the site to find drawings of Huckle and friends to colour in plus cars and trucks to stick together.
We were lucky enough to interview Manolo Blahnik regularly for a monthly magazine film review some years ago. We can vouch for his witty, informative and intelligent take on life that, we always felt, came through in his drawings too. Now, you can colour in his drawings by printing out some of his most beloved creations from the Lyonnia (2001) decorated with pink garden roses that both Blahnik and his friend Cecil Beaton adored or 1980, the mens shoe that Blahnik often wore himself that he ‘shrunk’ to a womens style for an Isaac Mizrahi 1993 s/s runway show. See all the styles here.
One of our favourite American stationers Rifle Paper Co has made available a free selection of cards with their distinctive colourful floral motifs that you can download, colour in and send to somebody.
Polar Post has set up a lovely way to join in thanking the NHS for all their hard work, bravery and commitment in the face of Covid-19. Visit the site here and download the Nightingale Postcard to write a note of your own. Then either send a photo to Polar Post or use the hashtag #nightingalepost and they will upload as many as they can to their Nightingale Post Instagram page. The hope is that the Nightingale page will become a place that NHS staff can go when they need to hear just how much we appreciate all that they are doing for us.
Some printables are free and some you’ll need to pay a small fee of two or three pounds for but all of Merrilee Liddiard‘s drawings are beautiful. Choose from swan costumes, animal theatres and paper dolls to mouse masks, there’s a big selection that will keep you going for days.
Designer Emma J Shipley has introduced a Drawing Page onto her site where you can colour in some of her favourite animals and designs such as the Zambezi one below inspired by her adventures in Botswana and Jules Verne.
And finally, if your kids are going mad for the Studio Ghibli films currently showing on Netflix, then you’ll find a great selection of free printables of the main characters such as Totoro and Princess Mononoke here.
