Last Updated on September 2, 2025 by Dee
Did you know that each month of the year has its own unique birth flower? 🌸 Just like birthstones, birth month flowers carry special meanings and symbolism. Whether you love delicate fine-line drawings, birth flower watercolor paintings, or digital art, learning about your month’s flower is such a beautiful way to connect with your art practice.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through all 12 birth flowers—January through December. For each, I’ll share the traditional flower, beginner-friendly watercolor tips (including which colors to reach for), and creative ways you can use my Birth Flower Template Set (available here on Payhip). You’ll also get a free December birth flower template at the end of this post to try out!
Table of Contents
How to Use Birth Flower Templates
My Birth Flower Template Collection includes:
- A printable PDF with all 12 birth month flowers in clean fine-line drawings (perfect for tracing or coloring).
- Transparent PNG digital stamps you can import into Procreate, Photoshop, or any digital art app.
You can use these to:
- Trace onto watercolor paper for traditional painting.
- Import into Procreate to experiment with digital brushes and textures (learn how here).
- Create personalized cards (see my birthday card drawing ideas).
- Use for junk journaling, printables, or even tattoo inspiration.
January Birth Flower – Carnation
Carnation: love, admiration, and distinction.
Snowdrop: hope and new beginnings.
🎨 Watercolor tip: Layer pinks and reds for carnations, starting with a light wash and adding darker tones for petal folds. Snowdrops are delicate—keep petals mostly white, using Payne’s grey shadows and touches of soft green. Outline with a fine-tip marker for definition.
February Birth Flower – Violet
Violet: loyalty, faithfulness, and modesty.
Primrose: young love and protection.
🎨 Watercolor tip: Paint violets in layered ultramarine and purple washes; add highlights with white gouache if needed. Primroses look charming in pale yellows and soft pinks. For digital artists, try experimenting with brushes in Procreate to mimic that layered watercolor effect.
March Birth Flowers – Daffodil & Jonquil
Both flowers symbolize rebirth, renewal, and cheerfulness.
🎨 Watercolor tip: Mix lemon yellow with touches of cadmium orange for daffodil trumpets. Jonquils are slightly smaller—paint them with softer yellows and light green stems. These make beautiful spring-themed cards (birthday card ideas here).
April Birth Flowers – Daisy & Sweet Pea
- Daisy: innocence and purity.
- Sweet Pea: gratitude and bliss.
🎨 Watercolor tip: Keep daisy petals mostly white with Payne’s grey shadows and bright yellow centers. Sweet peas are fun for blending—use pink, purple, or coral washes and let them bleed into one another. Keeping your art supplies organized helps you grab just the right color quickly.
May Birth Flowers – Lily of the Valley & Hawthorn
- Lily of the Valley: humility, sweetness, and return of happiness.
- Hawthorn: hope and happiness.
🎨 Watercolor tip: Lily of the Valley works beautifully in pale white washes with just a hint of shadow. Hawthorn blossoms look fresh in clusters of soft pinks and whites against green leaves.
June Birth Flowers – Rose & Honeysuckle
- Rose: the ultimate flower of love and passion.
- Honeysuckle: devoted affection and sweetness.
🎨 Watercolor tip: Roses are a perfect practice subject—try red, pink, or yellow washes with layered shadows. Honeysuckle flowers are long and tubular—experiment with coral and yellow blends. They’re perfect for creating handmade gifts (artist gift ideas here).
July Birth Flowers – Larkspur & Water Lily
- Larkspur: positivity, love, and an open heart.
- Water Lily: enlightenment and peace.
🎨 Watercolor tip: Larkspur petals look gorgeous in blues and purples with loose brushstrokes. For water lilies, keep petals soft (white or pink) and add a dreamy wash for the water surface. Try layering digitally in Procreate to keep petals and background on separate layers.
August Birth Flowers – Gladiolus & Poppy
- Gladiolus: strength and integrity.
- Poppy: remembrance and imagination.
🎨 Watercolor tip: Gladiolus blossoms are dramatic—paint them in bold pinks, purples, or reds. Poppies work beautifully in vibrant scarlet washes with black ink centers—combine with fine-tip pens for crisp definition.
September Birth Flowers – Aster & Morning Glory
- Aster: wisdom, love, and patience.
- Morning Glory: affection and gratitude.
🎨 Watercolor tip: Asters are star-like and look stunning in lavender, pink, or blue. Morning glories often have ombré petals—blend from deep violet to pale blue. If you’d like more floral practice, explore my Dahlia watercolor templates.
October Birth Flowers – Marigold & Cosmos
- Marigold: creativity, warmth, and resilience.
- Cosmos: peace, harmony, and balance.
🎨 Watercolor tip: Marigolds shine in golden oranges—layer darker tones at the petal bases. Cosmos are simpler flowers—paint in soft pinks or purples with delicate brushstrokes. These flowers also make lovely journaling embellishments, especially if you’re treating yourself to new artist supplies.
November Birth Flowers – Chrysanthemum & Peony
- Chrysanthemum: loyalty, joy, and friendship.
- Peony: prosperity, honor, and romance.
🎨 Watercolor tip: Chrysanthemums look dramatic in warm reds, yellows, and bronzes. Peonies are lush—start with a soft wash of pink, then layer in deeper tones for depth. For beginner floral practice, see my easy tulip watercolor painting tutorial.
December Birth Flowers – Narcissus & Holly
- Narcissus: hope, renewal, and prosperity.
- Holly: protection, festivity, and cheer.
🎨 Watercolor tip: Narcissus flowers are light and delicate—keep petals soft white with hints of yellow. Holly leaves are deep green with striking red berries—perfect for festive journal pages.
✨ Freebie for you! Download the December Birth Flower Template (Narcissus & Holly) here ➝ [Payhip freebie link].
Golden Nuggets for Beginners 🌟
You can watch how to use a watercolor template here 👇🏻
- Always start with a light sketch or use a template outline.
- Keep a limited color palette—it makes your paintings feel harmonious.
- Work in layers: light washes first, darker washes after drying.
- For digital painting, use separate layers in Procreate for petals, stems, and background.
- Keep your art supplies organized so painting feels joyful, not stressful.
Get the Complete Birth Flower Set 🎨
Want all 12 months of birth flowers to paint and create with?
👉 Grab the full Birth Flower Template + Digital Stamp Collection here: Birth Flowers Bundle on Payhip.
You’ll get:
- 12 months × 2 flowers each (+Bonus Outlines) (fine-line PDF)
- Transparent PNG stamps for digital art
- Use for watercolor, coloring, Procreate, or even junk journaling
Related Reads You’ll Love
- Birthday card drawing ideas
- How to organize art supplies
- Artist gift ideas
- Dahlia watercolor templates
- Watercolor in Procreate
- Easy tulip watercolor painting
- Fine-tip markers for line art
- How to use Procreate (Beginner Guide)
✨ Whether you’re painting traditionally or digitally, birth flowers are such a meaningful subject to explore. I hope this guide inspires you to try out your own watercolor or Procreate versions—and don’t forget to grab your free December template to get started today!
Grab the Free Printable December Birth Flower Outline here 👇🏻!
To access the free in-post printables for this post, you’ll just need to create a free account or login with the Grow.me tool. Then, confirm by email and refresh the page and ALL my free printables will automatically unlock in every post!
Love This Template? Get Even More Exclusive Creative Goodies on My Patreon! 🎨
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