Cherry Blossom Drawing Ideas
Twelve cherry blossom drawings you can copy straight onto paper, from a single bloom to falling petals and a mandala. Every one is a clean pencil outline drawn by hand, with no shading and no colour. Pick one, keep it next to you, and copy it line by line.
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How to draw a cherry blossom step by step
A cherry blossom is a simple five petal flower with one distinctive detail, and getting that detail right matters more than anything else.
- Draw a small circle for the centre of the flower.
- Add five petals around it. Cherry blossom petals are rounded and fairly short.
- Cut a small notch into the outer tip of each petal. This little split is the single feature that separates a cherry blossom from any other five petal flower.
- Draw a cluster of thin stamens in the middle, each ending in a tiny dot. Let a few of them poke past the petals.
- Add the branch. Cherry branches are dark, thin and slightly crooked, and the flowers sit tight against them with almost no stalk.
Darken the branch more than the flowers. The contrast between a dark branch and light blossoms is what makes these drawings work.
Which cherry blossom should you start with
If this is your first flower
Start with the simple single cherry blossom bloom or the minimalist single stem. Both use very few lines, and the minimalist one shows how much empty space can carry a drawing.
If you have drawn flowers before
Try the branch with three blooms, the falling petals or the blossom with a butterfly. The flower stays the same and you are placing several of them.
If you want a challenge
The mandala is the most detailed. The overhead tree view and the heart silhouette both ask you to place many small flowers so the overall shape reads clearly, which is harder than drawing any one bloom.
What you need
An HB pencil, plain paper and an eraser. A 2B pencil helps if you want darker final lines. Nothing on this page needs a tablet, a light box or special paper, and none of these were drawn with any.
Three things that make a cherry blossom look right
- The petals have no notch. Without the small split at the petal tip, a cherry blossom is just a generic flower. This is the detail to get right.
- The flowers have long stalks. Cherry blossoms sit almost directly on the branch. A long stalk turns it into a different plant.
- The branch is too straight. Cherry branches bend and fork. A straight branch makes the whole drawing look stiff.
Cherry blossom or plum blossom
Both are five petal spring flowers on bare branches, and they are constantly mixed up. Cherry petals have a notch at the tip and grow in clusters on short stalks. Plum petals are round with no notch and sit directly against the branch, usually one or two at a time. The notch is the quickest way to tell them apart in a drawing.
Ways to use these drawings
Copy any of these by hand, or download and print them for yourself, for your children or for your classroom. They work as colouring sheets, tracing practice, a warm up before a bigger drawing, or line art for a card. If you want to use one in something you sell, write to us first.
Questions people ask
What is the easiest cherry blossom drawing on this page?
The simple single cherry blossom bloom. It is one small centre, five notched petals and a few stamens. The minimalist single stem is also very quick.
Are these cherry blossom drawings free to download?
Yes. Every drawing here can be downloaded and printed for personal use, school use or classroom use at no cost. For commercial use, please contact us first.
How many petals does a cherry blossom have?
Five, each with a small notch cut into the tip. Some ornamental varieties have many more, but five notched petals is the shape people recognise.
What is the difference between a cherry blossom and a plum blossom?
Cherry petals have a notch at the tip and grow in clusters on short stalks. Plum petals are round with no notch and sit directly on the branch.
How do I draw cherry blossom stamens?
A small cluster of thin lines coming out of the centre, each with a tiny dot at the end. Let a few reach past the petal edge, and vary their lengths.
Can young children draw these?
The single bloom, the minimalist stem and the falling petals all suit children around six and up. The mandala and the overhead tree view suit older children and adults.
What pencil should I use?
An HB for the blossoms and a 2B for the branch. Making the branch darker than the flowers is what gives these drawings their contrast.
Are these drawings made by hand?
Yes. Each one was drawn in pencil on plain paper and photographed. They are not computer generated or traced from photographs.