Chakra Prayer Flag Tutorial + 2 Week Sale!

Hello creative soul sisters!

This project invites you to create a set of chakra-inspired prayer flags layered with color, symbol, and sacred intention. Each flag becomes a visual prayer for peace, within ourselves, our loved ones, and in the world.

We’ll begin with the Root Chakra, the energy center that helps us feel grounded, centered, and safe.

Step 1: Paint the Background

On canvas paper, work with a monochromatic palette that reflects the root chakra. Its primary color is red, so I started with a red wash and built up layers of paint. To bring in earthy grounding energy, I added touches of brown and maroon.

• Lay down a watery red acrylic wash using a wide, flat paint brush.
• Use a makeup sponge to pounce red paint over a stencil (here I used SA1006 with a zig-zag design).
• Add words (grounded, rooted, centered) using rubber stamp letters.
• Continue to build color and texture, scraping paint using an old gift card.
• Spray water and scrap the surface with the card to lift some of the paint if it gets too dark.
• I repeated layering with the stencil, scraping paint, alternating with red and brown.

Step 2: Stencil the Mandala Framework

Place the Four Gates Mandala stencil in the center of your background. This sacred pattern represents balance, wholeness, and protection. This stencil has three borders. Trace the outer two borders in pencil, this gives you space to fit the chakra design in the middle.

Step 3: Add the Chakra Mandala

Using the chakra stencil, trace the Root Chakra symbol in the center of the mandala framework. The pencil tracings were outlined using a gold metallic paint pen and here I started painting the center design in red.

Step 4: Embellish with Paint and Pencil

Bring your design to life with color and detail:

• Outline the chakra and mandala with paint pens or brushes.
• Dark gold, light gold, white, and black outlines expand the design. Try varying the line weight.
• Add depth and shading with colored pencils.

Step 5: Assemble Your Prayer Flag

When the paint is completely dry:

1. Flip your flag over to the back side.
2. With a ruler, measure and mark in pencil where you’ll place the holes—¼ inch from the top and 1 inch from each side.
3. Use a grommet tool to punch the holes.
4. Thread ribbon, cord, or string through the grommets.
5. As you complete each chakra, hang the flags in order: root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown.

Note: These flags are best suited for indoor display. Hang them somewhere special, where their color and intention will remind you of your connection to peace, within yourself, with your loved ones, and in the wider world.

Root Chakra Meaning & Prayer for Peace

Muladhara – Root Chakra

• Color: Red
• Theme: Grounding, Safety, Belonging
• Prayer:
  May all beings feel safe and protected.
  May we stand strong upon the Earth, rooted in trust,
  anchored in the truth that we belong here.
  Let peace begin where our feet touch the ground.

This is the first in a series of seven chakra prayer flags. Each one carries a color, a symbol, and a prayer for peace.

Download the Chakra Prayer Flag Project Guide

Get a closer look at all seven chakra flags along with their colors, themes, and prayers for peace. This free guide will walk you through the deeper meaning behind each chakra and inspire your creative practice. https://www.truenortharts.com/prayer-flag

For 2 weeks, (9/10/25 to 9/24/25) today's stencils -- along with all my other stencils -- will be on sale!  Here's the coupon code -- KC20.  Use this code to get 20 percent off!  

Shop here —> https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencils-kathryn-costa-s/2094.htm

May this project lift your spirit and bring you inner peace and joy.

(((soul hugs)))
Kathryn Costa
Instigator of Soulful and Creative Living
www.truenortharts.com

Stencils designed by me and used in this project. These are on sale!

L790 - Four Gates Mandala 

SET11 - 7 Chakras Stencil Set

Stencils by other designers used for this project. (Note, these are not on sale.)

SA1006 - Zig Zag (root chakra background)

S758 - Hexagonal Basket Weave (solar plexus chakra background)

S558 - Mark Making (sacral chakra background)

L578 - Spirit Wind Mask (throat and crown chakra backgrounds)

Supplies Used:

Canvas paper

Acrylic paints - red and brown for root chakra.

Pencil

Ruler

Old gift card

Paint brush - wide, flat for washes, and small for details

Paint Pens - gold, white, black, red

Rubber stamp letters and black ink (optional)

Spray bottle with water

Grommets

Hammer

Ribbon, cord, or string

New Art Tutorial by Frieda Oxenham with StencilGirl® Products

I’ve always loved mandalas and circles and they pop up regularly in my work. There are many choices of mandala related stencils available from Stencilgirl® Products so you can select your favourite one for this project.

Here is the tutorial:

1.     Using stencil S874 Terrazzo and a set of watercolours, add pattern to 2 pages of your journal using a brush. Let the pages try in between colours.  I’m working in my concertina A5 sketchbook, also used for my July project this year.

2.     Using the same stencil as in step 1 and light modelling paste with a palette knife, add more pattern and dimension to the pages.

3.     Lightly add blue and green acrylic paint randomly over the pages with a cosmetic wedge.

4.     Repeat step 2.

5.     Add circles to the pages as shown using stencil M197 Swirl and gold embossing paste using a palette knife.

6.     Add little squares to the pages with pink Stencil Butter and using the small stencil from the August 2014 Stencilgirl® Club.

7.     Add tear shapes as shown using the small stencil from the June 2016 StencilClub and copper Stencil Butter.

8.     Add mandalas to both pages with a permanent black marker and using stencil L790 Four Gates Mandala.

9.     Colour the mandala in using a gold paint marker.

10.  Glue on the vintage text as shown.

© Frieda Oxenham 2023

Mandala Art with StencilGirl® Stencils

Give the Gift of Healing Mandala Art

I don't need a scientific study to know that creating art offers healing benefits. I can't tell you how many times I have felt resistance, restlessness or heavy energy from feeling tired, unwell, or overwhelmed by life. When I show up and get started, invariably the energy shifts from heavy to light, my body relaxes as does my mind and emotions.

There is a saying, "where your attention goes, energy flows." When we create our art, our attention focuses on what we are doing and the energy flows toward it. I can feel it in how my body, mind, and emotions feels lighter.

There is also the fun of experimenting with different mediums and the process of creating something. Not to mention the sheer joy of observing the beauty that emerges in what we create.

What I love about the stencils that I've designed for StencilGirl® Products is that they make it quick and easy to get a basic mandala drawn. Within minutes, the design takes shape and I can spend more time adding color, patterns, and even words. 

In my video, I show you how to take the healing benefits of art making to a whole new level by working with symbols, colors, and intentions. The four examples include two healing mandalas made for friends and two that I created as part of my "Traveling by Moonlight Series" where I check in at the full moon and new moon each month to focus on healing intentions, gain clarity, and set in motion my dreams.

Healing mandala art made for a friend who recently received an unwelcome diagnosis.
Stencils Used: Four Gates Mandala Stencil and Heart Chakra Stencil
Medium: Watercolor, salt effect, black finalizer

Message: "I made this mandala holding you in my heart. At the center is a six pointed star and 21 lotus petals that symbolize the heart chakra. Central to all healing is the power of love, loving-kindness, self compassion, forgiveness, and surrender. The gold details reflect how precious it is that we have access to this powerful energy center of the heart in any moment. The bronze hued areas are the same gold paint mixed with the rich earth color of brown. This grounds us in our spiritual practices and supports us in bringing grace to our daily lives. The violet, green blue textured areas were created by sprinkling salt. After the salt dried, I rubbed off the coarse caked on layer to reveal a beautiful effect. The process of removing the salt felt like scraping sand paper and showed me that the gritty moments in life give way to the most beautiful moments. Enjoy your mandala. Sit with it and discover your own truths.

Healing mandala art made to remind my friend that she is divinely guided and supported.

Stencils Used: Four Gates Mandala, Third-Eye Chakra Stencil

Medium: Watercolor, Black fine liner, charcoal pencil.

Message: I held you in my heart as I co-created with Spirit to make this healing mandala. At the center is the third-eye chakra, luminous and full of the divine, peaceful light of a dove. The central mandala floats in the green waters of the heart chakra. Surrounding this mandala is a channel, a violet pathway. Run your fingers along this violet path, traveling around the entire mandala. May it remind you that the Divine Spirit embraces you in every moment in all situations. Meditate on this mandala when you seek a connection with the divine and you're looking for support in tapping into your intuition and wisdom of the heart.

Virgo Full Moon Mandala

Stencils Used: Four Gates Mandala, Heart Chakra, Zodiac Chakra and Celestial Bodies Stencils

Medium: Watercolor, salt effect, black fine liner, gold foil (German Scrap/Dresden) dove

Intention: This mandala is dedicated to cultivating inner peace and to show myself loving-kindness, compassion, and gentleness.

Pisces New Moon Mandala

Stencils Used: Four Gates Mandala, Sacral Chakra, Zodiac Chakra and Celestial Bodies Stencils

Medium: Watercolor, salt effect, black fine liner, gold foil (German Scrap/Dresden) dove

Intention #1: May this day unfold with grace, ease, and flow.

Question: What spiritual practice would I like to commit to in this next moon cycle? meditation, keeping a dream journal, creating mandala art at the full and new moons, etc. What are you curious about? Learning about chakras, astrology, Tarot, divination, etc.

Intention #2: I recommit to a daily morning meditation practice followed by time for journal writing.

Now you don't need to wait for a full moon or new moon to create healing mandala art. Any time is a good time to nurture your body, mind, emotions, and creative spirit!

Resources to Support Your Practice:

• Browse & Buy Stencils at StencilGirl® Products
• Chakra Stencil Reference Guide (pdf)
• Zodiac Signs & Celestial Bodies Stencil Reference Guide (pdf)
• YouTube Videos on Chakra Art, Astrology Art Journal Series, and "Traveling by Moonlight.”
• Kathryn Costa's website

Kathryn Costa is an instigator of soulful and creative living. Kathryn’s passion can be summed up in three little words: “create and connect.” Kathryn’s workshops help people to find clarity, let go of fear, embrace their dreams, and explore their creativity. She is the author of “The Mandala Guidebook.”

Thirteen stencils from 4 designers; You'll want them all!

Just imagine the possibilities!

A little love, a little vintage... strong women, and a starlit path. Yeah, you want fresh, artistic stencils, and StencilGirl designers Cecilia Swatton, Jennifer Evans, Andrea Matus deMeng, Kathryn Costa, came through splendidly!

Cecilia Swatton's LOVE Stencil is up first. This small 6" x 6" stencil is in your face yet made delicate with a sweet posy.

Cecilia had a good time creating in different styles and is sure you will too!

VINTAGE BEE, LEDGER SCRIPT, NUMBERS, & GENERAL STORE LIST

Bees are little task-masters and signify organization, process, structure, community, and pollination. It's Jennifer's new mascot and thus inspired her the create this small 4" x 4" Vintage Bee Stencil.

Also used: Woodland Floral Wreath & StencilClub 4/18

Jennifer wanted to experiment with letters and numbers from old ledgers from 1916 through 1921. She loves using vintage papers in collage as a layer in her artwork. 

Jennifer writes, "The historical nature of letterpress or financial ledgers is a unique element. If I'm lucky enough to have something handwritten, I feel that's a bonus -- to honor the hand of someone's everyday communication and make it special. I also find it mindboggling with these ledgers that the script was written 100 years ago. 100 years! In one of the stencils, the Grocery Store list, I was interested in learning the variety of items customers would put on their running account: coffee, eggs, sugar, bacon, soap, flour, wire, socks, and fruit (the original ledger also included things like fuses, fish, powder, and shoes). By enlarging the penmanship and overlapping numbers and words, I created these stencils that give a nod to the past. I think they can be utilized as great texture and line work in any art, but specifically for fine art, the Vintage Ledger Script Large 9"x12" lends a renaissance feel."

The Vintage Ledger Script Stencil is available in 2 sizes: Large 9" x 12" L814 and a small 6" x 6" S827. Note that the text is a bit different on each one.

 

Vintage Numbers is a 6" x 6" stencil.

Other stencils used: Crocodile Pattern and Interesting Dots

Vintage General Store List is a 6" x 6" stencil.

JOCELYN, SELENE, & FLOWER THROUGH FLAME

Andrea Matus deMeng designed the Selene Stencil, an elegant woman in her Many Faces Series. Selene is available in 2 sizes: a 6" x 6" small S813 and a 9" x 12" large L806.

Other stencil used: French Lace

Other stencil used: French Lace

Reminiscent of an Art Nouveau Era woman, Andrea Matus deMeng's Jocelyn Stencil is available in 2 sizes: a mini 4" x 4" M317 and a small 6" x 6" S810.

Flower Through the Flame is a small 6" x 6" stencil. Use this regal blossom alone or to enhance a portrait.

Other stencil used: Cassiopeia

ZODIAC CHART & CELESTIAL BODIES

The Zodiac Chart Stencil by Kathryn Costa includes an astrological wheel and the symbols for the 12 zodiac signs. The wheel is a generous 8-inch circle with space for adding notes and your creative flair to your astrological charts.

The 12 zodiac symbols (also known as glyphs) include Aries, Gemini, Taurus, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.

Use this stencil to make astrology wheels, birth charts (also called natal charts, horoscope charts), in art journals, and mixed media. This stencil makes studying astrology fun. Explore the various relationships of the zodiac signs making charts for each of the four elements (fire, earth, air, and water), the qualities (cardinal, fixed, mutable), polarities, and more!

There is a reference sheet you can download that provides quick facts about each of the zodiac signs, celestial bodies, and ruling planets. Download: http://bit.ly/zodiac-stencil

The Zodiac Chart (L816) and Celestial Bodies aka Planets (S813) Stencils are perfectly paired.

The Celestial Bodies Stencil by Kathryn includes the luminaries and planets in astrology. This stencil includes the symbols (also known as glyphs) for the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Earth, and Chiron.

Use these stencils in art journaling, mixed media, and more. It’s a fun tool for exploring the ancient study of astrology and exploring your horoscope.

Head over to StencilGirlProducts.com for all the latest stencils designed by Cecilia Swatton, Jennifer Evans, Andrea Matus deMeng, and Kathryn Costa.