29 Calming Adult Coloring Books To Inspire Your Creativity

While coloring books used to be just for kids, there are now plenty of options for adults to get in on the fun too! In addition to being enjoyable, coloring books also benefit brain function and emotional well-being, and studies have even shown coloring to have benefits on anxiety and depression. Regardless of whether you prefer colored pencils, markers, crayons, or pens, coloring provides a calming activity after a long day at work. In fact some of the coloring books on this list were created just for teachers! Other books have illustrations from your favorite sitcoms like The Golden Girls and Friends or beautiful line-art drawings of mandalas and animals. Still others let you indulge in fashion design or tattoo art. Dive into this list of our favorite adult coloring books to find something that’s just right for you!

(Note: WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

1. Teacher Therapy: A Coloring Book for Teachers

This coloring book with hand-drawn designs is perfect for hardworking teachers who want to relax and recharge. The patterns range from beginner to advanced and feature inspirational and witty messages such as “But First Coffee” and “Just Breathe.”

Buy it: Teacher Therapy: A Coloring Book for Teachers at Amazon

2. Art of Coloring: The Golden Girls

Anyone who lived through the 1980s will surely appreciate this coloring book. Relax and unwind while taking a trip back in time with the beloved sitcom characters Blanche, Dorothy, Rose, and Sophia. There is no shortage of variety in these 100 coloring pages, which include character portraits, personal items, and designs.

Buy it: Art of Coloring: The Golden Girls at Amazon

3. Thomas Kinkade Studios Coloring Book

Unlike other adult coloring books, this one features 63 of Thomas Kinkade’s Disney paintings alongside a black line-art rendition of the same painting. Artists can choose to copy the colors of the originals or put their own spin on things. There is something for any Disney fan since there are paintings from The Jungle Book, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, and more.

Buy it: Disney Dreams Collection: Thomas Kinkade Studios Coloring Book at Amazon

4. Stained Glass Halloween Coloring Book

If you know a Halloween fanatic, this unique coloring book might be the perfect gift for them. The intricately drawn coloring pages are made even more beautiful as they are rendered to look like stained glass. So light a pumpkin-scented candle, grab your favorite colored pencils or markers, and get to work!

Buy it: Stained Glass Halloween Coloring Book at Amazon

5. Color Me Blessed

This coloring book might not be for everyone, but if you are religiously inclined, it could be perfect for you. We love the encouraging messages that will certainly help to brighten even the gloomiest of days. Adult coloring books that calm while providing positive affirmations really do make for the perfect gift, even if it is a gift to yourself!

Buy it: Color Me Blessed Inspirational Adult Coloring Book at Amazon

6. I’m Sorry, Is My Teaching Interrupting You?

If you like to laugh while you unwind, this teacher coloring book is for you. There are 49 designs, featuring witty (and often sarcastic) sayings such as “I Became a Teacher for the Fame and Fortune” and “I Can’t Believe It’s Already Time To Work Through Lunch.”

Buy it: I’m Sorry, Is My Teaching Interrupting You? at Amazon

7. Amazing Patterns: Adult Coloring Book

We love that this book provides 50 different individual projects to color while being super affordable too! Pages are high-quality and single-sided so they won’t bleed through onto the next page. Adult coloring books are a good source of relaxation because they allow you to get lost in what you are doing. And the mandalas in this book might even inspire you to try drawing your own!

Buy it: Amazing Patterns: Adult Coloring Book at Amazon

8. Home Sweet Home: Coloring Book

While adult coloring books don’t have to have a lot of reviews to be good, this one just so happens to boast nearly 7,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. If you have a flair for interior decorating, this book will scratch that itch since it includes bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, kitchens, front porches, and even flower-laden backyards.

Buy it: Creative Haven: Home Sweet Home at Amazon

9. Home for the Holidays Coloring Book

Some adult coloring books, like this one, can really get you in the Christmas spirit. Regardless of whether it is December or you’re just missing the holiday season, this book provides over 30 holiday drawings for you to personalize to your liking!

Buy it: Creative Haven: Home for the Holidays at Amazon

10. Enchanted: A Coloring Book

The delightful pages of this coloring book provide plenty of whimsy for the fairy-loving artists in your life. Bring the 37 beautiful and detailed sketches to life with colors of your choosing. Part nature and part magic, this book will calm even the most anxious among us.

Buy it: Enchanted: A Coloring Book and a Colorful Journey Into a Whimsical Universe at Amazon

11. This Teacher Needs a Nap!

This adult coloring book for teachers makes no bones about the stress of the job. Color away your frustration with pages that feature fun designs and straight-talk sayings teachers typically think but don’t say out loud, such as “Nice Teacher Is on Vacation.”

But it: This Teacher Needs a Nap! at Amazon

12. Bloom Adult Coloring Book

The amateur botanist or gardener in your life would certainly love to color the stunning and varied pages of this book. We especially love the relatively minimalist approach the artist took to some of the flower pages. The simple line drawings offered provide a quicker color than some of the other adult coloring books on the market.

Buy it: Bloom Adult Coloring Book at Amazon

13. Large Print Easy Color and Frame

Adult coloring books with perforated pages make framing your masterpieces so much easier! We also love the spiral-bound design of this delightful book, which features 31 varied designs. The large print of this book is another feature that will appeal to seniors or others who may have trouble seeing tiny print.

Buy it: Large Print Easy Color & Frame at Amazon

14. Secret Worlds: An Adult Coloring Book

We love adult coloring books that feature one-of-a-kind illustrations. This book fits the bill with line-art drawings of homes found in the most unexpected of places like a soda can or a piece of pie! Enjoy getting lost in these whimsical homes and personalizing them to your liking.

Buy it: Secret Worlds: A Coloring Book and Delightful Glimpse Into the Magical Life of Tiny Creatures at Amazon

15. The One With All the Coloring

During times of stress, we often crave a little bit of nostalgia, and this book provides that while also giving you a creative outlet. Remember your favorite episodes of the hit sitcom Friends while getting some practice with those new pens, colored pencils, or alcohol markers.

Buy it: The One With All the Coloring: An Unofficial Coloring Book for Fans of Friends at Amazon

16. Beautiful Birds Coloring Book

Calling all bird-watchers: Put down those binoculars and pick up those colored pencils! Color the beautiful birds in this book while streaming calming nature sounds from Alexa or another device.

Buy it: Beautiful Birds Coloring Book at Amazon

17. Home Exteriors Coloring Book

While some people have a flair for interior design, others really prefer designing the outside of a home. This book is for just those people! With so many different types of homes included in this book, you really can’t go wrong.

Buy it: Home Exteriors Coloring Book at Amazon

18. The Great British Bake Off Colouring Book

Baking shows—especially The Great British Bake Off—can be soothing after a long day at the office or in the classroom. Coloring can also prove quite relaxing, so why not combine both things? This book does just that!

Buy it: The Great British Bake Off Colouring Book at Amazon

19. This Is Fine. Everything Is Fine

Need a laugh? Some adult coloring books are inspirational, some are beautiful, and some, like this one, are laugh-out-loud funny. Enjoy over 30 pages of quippy sayings and accompanying illustrations. You’ll forget your worries while coloring a dumpster fire or an owl that says “50 shades of dark circles under my eyes.”

Buy it: This Is Fine, Everything Is Fine: Adult Coloring Book at Amazon

20. Minimalist Art Coloring Book

While some people are maximalists, even in their coloring book preferences, others prefer a simpler approach. This bohemian-style coloring book includes 30 illustrations of plants, mandalas, and other designs. Sharpen up those colored pencils and get to work!

Buy it: Minimalist Art Coloring Book at Amazon

21. Tiny Cats Coloring Book

It would be hard to be in a bad mood when surrounded by tiny cats. This coloring book is filled with illustrations of tiny cats in oh-so adorable settings like inside a gumball machine or floating on a lily pad.

Buy it: Tiny Cats Coloring Book at Amazon

22.  Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Designs

Color away that anxiety with over 60 pages of animals and designs. With nearly 25,000 positive reviews on Amazon, you really can’t go wrong whether gifting this book or keeping it for yourself!

Buy it: Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Designs—Animals, Mandalas, Flowers, Paisley Patterns and So Much More at Amazon

23. The Reverse Coloring Book

This twist on a normal coloring book is so simple yet so satisfying! Artist Kendra Norton created beautiful but unfinished watercolor images on each of the 50 pages. All they need is for you to create the line art over the color! Grab some ink pens like these and then get sketching.

Buy it: The Reverse Coloring Book at Amazon

24. Amazing Dogs: Adult Coloring Book

We’ve already covered the coloring cat lovers, but if you’re a dog person, this is the book for you! With a wide variety of breeds included and beautiful patterned designs surrounding each pup, this book will provide hours of stress relief for any dog enthusiast.

Buy it: Amazing Dogs: Adult Coloring Book at Amazon

25. Express Yourself: Mindfulness Coloring Book

Get lost in the oh-so whimsical portraits inside the pages of this book. If the beautiful illustrations aren’t enough for you, there are also positive affirmations!

Buy it: Express Yourself: Mindfulness Coloring Book at Amazon

26. 100 Tattoos: Coloring Book for Adults

If you are an aspiring tattoo artist, this is the perfect coloring book for you. Get yourself some high-quality colored pencils like these so you can add your own flair to the tattoos in this book. Maybe you’ll even find inspiration in these pages for your next piece of body art!

Buy it: 100 Tattoos: Coloring Book for Adults at Amazon

27. #TeacherLife: A Snarky Chalkboard Coloring Book

This coloring book features thick pages with a chalkboard background and fun designs and illustrations. Each page features a different snarky message that will make teachers chuckle, like “Parents Call It ‘Back to School,’ Teachers Call It ‘I Need Another Drink'” and “Baked Goods in the Lounge? Treat Yo Self!”

Buy it: #TeacherLife: A Snarky Chalkboard Coloring Book at Amazon

28. Out of Your Mind: A Journal and Coloring Book

While we wouldn’t go so far as to say this book can take the place of therapy, it can definitely supplement it. Filled with journal prompts to challenge anxious thoughts as well as beautiful illustrations to color, you’ll surely be feeling calmer in no time.

Buy it: Out of Your Mind: A Journal and Coloring Book to Distract Your Anxious Mind at Amazon

29. Dazzling Dresses: Coloring Book

With this coloring book, you’ll finally have your chance to live out those fashion designer dreams. This book features 31 undeniably “dazzling” dresses to color in whatever way you see fit. Relax and color while imagining your design walking the red carpet on one of today’s “it” girls!

Buy it: Creative Haven: Dazzling Dresses Coloring Book at Amazon

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Plus, check out our favorite educational coloring books.