You would think with all the coloring we did as kids that we would have our fill of coloring. But it’s quite the opposite. At least is it with me.

I find the more stressful life gets, the more I want to wrap up in a blanket with some colored pencils and a coloring book and melt away my day. And I’m not the only one, apparently.

There has been quite the coloring crazy sweeping through the adult world and I will admit, every time I come across some new twist on coloring, I get excited, too.

So I have compiled a collection of stuff to color so you have plenty to choose from the next time you get swept up with the urge to unwind.

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Coloring Books

This one goes without saying, coloring books have been around for ages and I don’t see them running out of steam any time soon.

There are so many options to choose from, though. If you can think it, there’s probably a coloring book to match.

Amazon has a pretty extensive list of coloring books to sort through and I like that you can look at a few pages before buying.

But my favorite coloring books of all time will always be Christmas coloring books. Nothing gets me in the Christmas spirit faster!

Printables

Coloring pages have also been around forever and most of the time you can get them for free online.

If, however, you want to support a small business, you can find some beautiful ones on Etsy.

If you prefer to use printables, check out how I print for cheap here!

Cards

This has been a newfound favorite of the girls and me. It’s not only relaxing to do but adding a personal touch to the cards we hand out is fun, too.

We just added some items that you can color in our shop, if you would like to check them out. (They come with coloring bookmarks, too!)

All the Stuff

There are so many things available to color. There are the usual like books, pictures, etc. but people have even added this kind of wallpaper to their walls and filled in with their favorite medium. I saw it done once and was in awe with how cool it looked!

There's so many things to enjoy for those of us who like coloring. Definitely check out these if you like sending postcards or gifting mugs.

What kind of medium should I use?

I prefer using colored pencils and pens like these:

Most adult coloring books have intricate designs that are too narrow for crayons. That’s why I often use pens, they color nicely and I don’t have to sharpen them.

But when I want to use colored pencils, I keep them in a pencil wrap; it keeps everything secure, organized, and portable.

Are there benefits to coloring?

YES!

I am not a crafty person. Trying to create something (other than writing) actually stresses me out. But coloring can be very creative without worrying about how it’s going to turn out.

In fact, when you color, your mind wanders and stress levels lower. I love to color when I need to think over a plot for a story I’m working on. I am being creative without trying too hard or forcing it.

Plus, this is something you can do with your kids. It will thrill them to have you coloring with them!

But I don’t have time to color!

I am a crazy busy person while the kids are in school. I sit at my computer for six hours and work hard while I have things quiet. I’m busy when everyone comes home for the day, too: getting dinner ready, working on homework, etc.

But if the kids have time for a movie after dinner or the kids have had a long day, we’ll pull out the coloring books and relax. Sometimes, we have to make it a priority. Just a few minutes can work wonders!

Then there are times I wait for the kids at school. That’s when I pull out my postcards and pens (which conveniently fit together in the handy little box the postcards come in) and kill some time.

Sometimes, when I’m working on videos, which require a lot of rendering, I’ll keep a book open and color off and on when I have a minute or two to wait. It makes the time go so much faster and I’m not feeling stressed.

If it’s been ages since you have colored anything, let me encourage you to pick up something new to color and try your hand at some “old” techniques of stress release.

Check out my free printables, I have tons to color!

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