In short
- Use time you already have: fifteen minutes counts.
- Keep a corner and a grab-and-go kit ready, so starting takes ten seconds.
- Match the page to the moment, and stop whenever you like.
Is there a coloring book on your shelf still waiting for its first page?
You’re in good company. Most of us love the idea of coloring, and then the week gets busy. The trick isn’t finding hours. It’s making the start so easy that there’s nothing left to decide.
Here’s a simple plan, one idea at a time.
1. Find a time you already have
Start small. Look for little pockets that already exist in your day: the second coffee on Sunday morning, the twenty minutes after the kids are in bed, the train home. Many people like the evening best, once the house goes quiet.
Pick one and write it in your calendar, like “Coloring, 9 pm”. Fifteen minutes counts.
2. Set up a little corner
Coloring happens more often when everything is ready. Choose one spot, like the end of the sofa or a desk by the window.
Good light makes colors easier to see. Daylight is lovely. In the evening, put a lamp on the side opposite your coloring hand, so your hand won’t shade the page.
3. Pack a grab-and-go kit
Keep everything together in one basket or pencil case, so you can start in ten seconds:
- your coloring book, or a few printed pages
- colored pencils (a set of 24 is plenty to begin)
- a sharpener and an eraser
- a sheet of thick paper to slip behind the page if you use markers
4. Choose pages that fit your time
Match the page to the moment. Got fifteen minutes? Pick a small motif, or color one part of a bigger scene. Got a slow Sunday? That’s the time for a page full of tiny details.
On sleepy evenings, big shapes and simple scenes feel easier. Save the intricate patterns for when you’re in the mood to zoom in.
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Fifteen minutes
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A slow Sunday
5. Stop whenever you like
A page can take more than one sitting. Slip a bookmark in, close the book and come back tomorrow. Some of the nicest pages grow a little at a time, over a whole week.
Write the date next to each page when you finish it. Flipping back through them later is half the fun.
6. Make it a date with someone
Coloring time is easy to share. Plan a family coloring evening, with everyone on their own page, or invite a friend over with their own book.
A plan you share is a plan you’re more likely to keep. And it’s a lovely excuse for tea and biscuits.
7. Keep it in sight
Leave the book open on the table, or the kit on the arm of the sofa. A half-colored page is a friendly reminder to add one more color.
Tip: put your pencils back in color order when you stop. Next time, you’ll find the right one at a glance, and starting feels even easier.
Your turn
Tonight, try fifteen minutes. Pick a page, start in one corner and stop when the time’s up, even if you’d like to keep going. Tomorrow you’ll know exactly where to begin.
Want to make those fifteen minutes count? Try a new trick from 7 crayon techniques for richer, bolder color.
Questions about finding time to color
How long does it take to color a page?
It depends on the page. A simple motif can take fifteen or twenty minutes, while a detailed scene can take a few evenings. You don't have to finish in one go.
When is the best time to color?
Whenever you already have a little pocket of time. Many people like the evening, once the house is quiet, or a slow weekend morning with a coffee.
What do I need to start coloring as an adult?
A coloring book or a printed page, a set of colored pencils, a sharpener and an eraser. Add markers later if you like, with a thick sheet under the page.
More pages to color?
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