72 doodles

Doodle Border

Press for a doodle border and how to draw it: a line, a vine, shapes, a corner or a frame.

Doodle Border

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Drawn: A stripe border in rainbow order, one band per colorA stripe border in rainbow order, one band per colorRule seven narrow bands side by side. Color them red to violet, in the same order on every side of the page.

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All 72 doodles

Line borders 12

A battlement border: up, across, down, across Unit: up, across, down, across, each stroke the same length. Count squares on grid paper or pencil the spacing.
A border of arches two rows deep, like roof tiles Unit: a half circle. Draw one row, then a second above it with each arch starting over the middle of one below.
A border of S hooks linked nose to tail Unit: a small S on its side. Start each S inside the curl of the last so the row locks together like hooks.
A double rule with ticks between, like a ruler's edge Rule two lines a pen cap apart. Unit: one short tick joining them. Space the ticks evenly, every fifth one bold.
A fret border of Ts, standing and hanging in turn Rule two lines. Unit: a T standing on the lower, then one hanging from the upper. Stop each bar short of the next stem.
A lattice border of two zigzags crossed into diamonds Draw one zigzag, then a second mirrored over it. Unit: one diamond. Put a dot in the middle of each.

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Line borders, continued

A long, short, dot edging, like a tapped-out signal Unit: a long dash, a short dash and a dot. Leave the same small gap after every mark, all the way round.
A pulse-line border: a level run, then one sharp spike Unit: a short level dash, then a spike up and a smaller one down. Keep every level run the same length.
A sawtooth border of solid triangles on a rule Unit: one small filled triangle with its base on the line. Butt each base against the next with no line showing.
A triple-rule border: thick, thin, thin Rule three lines and thicken the outer one. The unit is the gap: keep both gaps as wide as the thick line.
A whipstitch border, every stitch at one slant Unit: one slanted dash. Keep every dash at the same angle and the same gap, as if sewn over the page edge.
An egg-and-dart border: ovals in cups with a point between Unit: an upright oval sitting in a U, then one narrow point aimed down. Hang them all from a ruled line.

Flower and vine borders 12

A berry border: clusters of three on a ruled stem Unit: a short stalk ending in three small circles. Hang one below the line and stand the next above, evenly spaced.
A border of canes, a vine wound three times round each Unit: one upright cane with a line crossing it three times as it climbs and a leaf at each crossing. Space them evenly.
A border of open flower heads and round buds in turn Unit: an open five-petal flower, then a closed bud. Space them a flower-width apart on a pencil line.
A border of tulip cups on short stalks along a ground line Unit: a U with a zigzag top on a short stalk, then one blade of grass. Keep every cup at the same height.
A braid of two vines with a leaf in every eye Mirror two wavy lines so they cross. Unit: one crossing. Break the under line there and put a leaf in each gap.
A climbing border up a margin: leaf, tendril, flower Work upward. Unit: a leaf to the left, a tendril curl to the right, then a flower on the stem. Repeat to the top.
A fern border of fronds all leaning one way Unit: a short curved frond with five bumps a side. Overlap each a third over the last, all leaning forward.
A leaf border overlapped like feathers, a bloom each fifth Unit: one pointed leaf laid half over the one before. After every fifth leaf, draw a small round flower.
A leaf border: pairs of leaves along a straight rib Rule a line. Unit: two pointed leaves in a V on the line, tips leaning the way the border travels.
A pea-vine border: a pod, a leaf pair and a curled tendril Rule a stem. Unit: one hanging pod, two round leaves and one tendril curl, in that order. Keep the pods the same length.
A tendril border: curls off a straight stem, side to side Rule a stem. Unit: one small spiral curl on a short stalk. Set them a finger-width apart, swapping sides each time.
A zigzag-stem border with a spiral bud at every peak Draw a shallow zigzag. Unit: a small spiral bud on each upper point and one leaf on each lower point.

Shape borders 12

A border of book spines, one leaning in every six Unit: an upright spine with two bands. Vary the height and width, and lean one book against its neighbor.
A border of bows joined by a level ribbon Unit: a bow of two loops and a knot. The ribbon runs from knot to knot and dips a little in between.
A border of buttons with a stitch between each Unit: a circle with two dots inside, then one short dash. Keep the buttons the same size and the dashes level.
A border of circles and squares in turn Unit: one circle, one square, the same height. Leave a gap half as wide as the shapes between each.
A border of cubes in a row, every top face shaded Unit: a hexagon outline with a Y inside makes a cube. Butt the cubes side to side and shade each top.
A border of gear wheels, large and small meshing in turn Unit: a toothed circle with a hole in the middle, then one half its size. Fit the teeth of each into the next.
A border of plus marks and X marks, one after the other Unit: a plus, then the same cross turned to an X. Same size, same gap, all the way along.
A diamond border with a dot above and below every join Unit: a diamond on its point. Touch each to the next at the side points, then dot above and below the join.
A domino border: tiles end to end, the dots changing Unit: a rectangle split in two, with dots in each half. Lay the tiles end to end and change the dots each time.
A honeycomb border one hexagon deep Unit: a hexagon that shares a side with the next. Fill every third cell solid so the row has a beat.
A puzzle-edge border: tab out, tab in, along a line Unit: a round tab that pokes up, then one that pokes down, joined by a flat stretch of line.
A triangle border, up then down, sharing sides Unit: one upright triangle and one upside down, fitted side to side so the row has a flat top and bottom.

Borders in color 12

A border of colored blocks in mixed widths, outlined dark Unit: a rectangle as tall as the border. Vary the widths, color each one flat, then outline the whole row.
A border of two colored ribbons twisting over each other Two wavy bands that cross. Unit: one twist. Color each band only where it passes in front of the other.
A checkered border in two colors, two rows deep Rule two rows of small squares. Unit: one square. Color every other one and swap the order in the second row.
A colored band with white circles left bare in it Draw a row of circles inside a band. Color the band round them and leave every circle the white of the paper.
A confetti border of dots in three colors Unit: three dots, one in each color, set at three heights. Repeat the same three heights so it looks scattered.
A dot border that changes color every fifth dot Unit: five dots in one color. Keep the dots the same size and the same gap, and change pens after each five.
A highlighter border with a pen line down each edge Pull one stroke of highlighter along the margin. When it is dry, rule a fine line down each edge of it.
A patchwork border of striped, dotted and checked squares Unit: three squares. Stripe the first, dot the second, check the third, each in its own color, then repeat.
A scallop border, each bump a new shade of one color Unit: a half circle. Color the first one pale and press a little harder on each bump, then start again.
A stained-glass border of colored cells between dark lines Cut the border band into uneven four-sided cells with ruled lines. Color each cell, then go over every line.
A stripe border in rainbow order, one band per color Rule seven narrow bands side by side. Color them red to violet, in the same order on every side of the page.
A zigzag border with two pens taking turns Unit: one up stroke in the first color, one down stroke in the second. Swap pens at every point.

Corner turns 12

A corner eased into a curve, traced from a coin Draw round a coin in the corner. Follow that curve with every line of the border so the spacing never changes.
A corner marked with three dots in an L Stop both sides a little short of the corner. Set three dots in the gap, the middle one on the corner itself.
A corner the units shrink into and grow out of Make each of the last four units before the corner smaller than the one before. Grow them again down the next side.
A corner tied in one small loop before the border goes on At the corner, swing the line out in a loop the size of a pea, cross over it and set off down the next side.
A corner turned on a ring that every line stops against Draw a circle on the corner, as wide as the border. Stop each line of the border at its edge and dot the middle.
A corner turned with one spiral curling inward Bring the line along the top, wind it into a spiral in the corner and let it unwind down the side.
A corner where the border stops at a solid square Run each side up to the corner and stop one unit short. Fill the corner with a square as wide as the border.
A crossed corner: both sides run on past each other Carry each side a little way past the corner so the two lines cross. Finish each loose end with a dot or a short bar.
A mitered corner where the pattern meets on a diagonal Pencil a diagonal across the corner. Draw each side's units up to it so they mirror each other across the line.
A scroll corner of two mirrored curls and a drop From the corner point draw one curl along each side, mirror images. Add a small teardrop where the two part.
A square-knot corner woven over and under Draw two bands that cross at the corner, each with a loop beyond it. Break the lines so each goes over, then under.
A stepped corner that turns in three square steps In place of one sharp turn, step in: across, down, across, down, across, down. Keep every step the same size.

Full frames 12

A frame broken by a diamond halfway along each side Rule the rectangle but leave a gap halfway along each side. Set a small diamond in each gap, its tips on the line ends.
A frame of dashes pinned by four round studs Unit: one dash and one gap of the same length. Plan the count so a dot, not a gap, lands on every corner.
A frame with a title tab breaking its top edge Rule the frame, break the top line in the middle and sit a small rounded label there for a heading.
A frame with corner triangles like a photo mount Rule a rectangle. Across each corner draw a short diagonal and fill the small triangle it cuts off.
A frame within a frame, the band between them patterned Rule two rectangles a finger-width apart. Fill the band between with one small unit: slanted lines, dots, checks.
A parchment frame with a rolled edge top and bottom Two long sides, slightly wavy. At the top and bottom draw a narrow tube with a spiral showing at each end.
A plaque frame with corners that bite inward Rule a rectangle but stop short of each corner. Join the ends with a small curve that dips toward the middle.
A raised frame in 3D, like a picture molding Draw a rectangle inside a rectangle. Join the matching corners with diagonals and shade the top and left bands.
A stitched frame: a sewn line just inside a solid one Rule the frame. A pen-width inside it, go round again in short even dashes, turning each corner with an L.
A twin-rule frame with a spiral curled into every corner Rule two rectangles a pen-width apart. In each corner, between the lines or just inside, wind one small spiral.
A wobbly hand-drawn frame gone round twice Draw a rectangle freehand, then again without matching the first line. Let the two cross here and there.
An oval frame of beads with a bow on top Pencil an oval. Unit: one small circle on the line, touching the next. Tie a two-loop bow over the top bead.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-02: 72 borders to doodle round a page, in six kinds (line borders, flower and vine borders, shape borders, borders in color, corner turns, full frames), each marked easy, medium or hard. Most give the unit that repeats and how to space it; the corner turns and most full frames give the strokes. Kept apart from the borders and frames on doodles-to-draw-when-bored and the borders on flower-doodles; no item repeats a title from any other list on the site. No facts are stated. Licence: own work

How it works

A doodle border is one small unit drawn again and again along a page edge. Most of the 72 here name that unit and say how to space it, and one kind is only for turning the corner.

Read the full guide

Pick a doodle border design by its unit

Line borders repeat a stroke, such as A sawtooth border of solid triangles on a rule. Shape borders repeat an outline. Pencil the spacing along one side, then count the units so a whole one lands at each corner.

Colorful doodle borders, one color or several

Borders in color run from a zigzag with two pens taking turns to a stained-glass border of colored cells. Keep the colors in the same order on all four sides.

Start in the middle of each side and work toward the corners, where a squeezed unit shows least.
Rule the guide lines in pencil and ink the border freehand.

Questions and answers

How do I draw a flower doodle border?

Rule a pencil line and set open five-petal flowers and round buds along it in turn, a flower-width apart. Flower and vine borders holds 12, up to a braid of two vines with a leaf in every eye.

How do I draw a doodle frame?

Rule two rectangles a pen-width apart and wind a small spiral into each corner. Full frames holds 12, among them a wobbly hand-drawn frame and a frame with a title tab.

What are some cute borders to draw?

A border of buttons with a stitch between each, A border of bows joined by a level ribbon and A confetti border of dots in three colors.

What are easy border designs to draw?

A long dash, a short dash and a dot over and over, a level line with one spike, or circles and squares in turn. Easy, under More filters, holds 24, four from each kind.

How does a border turn a corner?

Three common ways: stop both sides at a solid square, bend the border round a curve traced from a coin, or let the two sides meet on a diagonal. Corner turns holds 12.