How to create a Cottagecore pattern in Procreate
- jasminehnatkova
- 14 hours ago
- 6 min read
The Pattern Trend Series: Part 4
Welcome to PART 4 of the Pattern Trend Series - the final post in this mini series!
In this post we are going to investigate the Cottagecore style which has some wonderful applications for us as surface pattern designers and allows us to experiment with colour, texture and storytelling. (All of my favourite things!!)
What is Cottagecore?
The Cottagecore aesthetic spans textiles, home decor and fashion and celebrates simple living and a close connection to nature. It invites you into a fairytale, cozy cottage existence.
It often features nature-inspired elements drawn from an idyllic countryside dwelling such as wild flowers, climbing roses and chickens, but also often features traditional crafts such as knitting and baking.
Just think of the style as any kind of decor or textiles you might find in a quaint, old fashioned countryside cottage!
There are lots of directions to take the cottagecore theme, whether you’re interested in florals, animal designs or traditional prints such as gingham and plaid.
In this post we’ll explore some of the key themes of this style, how you can implement these in your own patterns in Procreate, and also I’ll give you some pointers towards making a mini cottagecore collection featuring some of the iconic cottagecore themes!
Gathering Inspiration
As always I have a couple of places for you to gather some inspiration and ideas for this style:
This Pinterest board not only showcases Cottagecore-inspired patterns, but also explores home decor, fashion, and lifestyle, giving you a full picture of how the aesthetic translates across different areas. It’s a great resource for spotting recurring motifs, color palettes, textures, and the overall mood that defines the style.
This was a very recent design challenge that shows that this style is currently trending on Spoonflower. The entries show how different artists have interpreted the cottagecore style in different ways.
How to create Cottagecore patterns
The Cottagecore style is wonderfully flexible, allowing you to interpret it in a way that reflects your own interests and creative voice.
While there’s no single formula, as many types of patterns could be called 'cottagecore', these key themes can help you design patterns that feel authentically within the style.
Nature Themes
Cottagecore is rooted in the natural world and often features organic elements you may expect to find in a traditional English countryside cottage.
These could be wild flowers, insects such as bees and butterflies, fruit, rambling roses and foliage of different types.
One of my favourite types of floral pattern to design is the 'ditsy' print. This is typically a pattern made up of small randomly scattered flowers that are often non-directional, meaning there is no obvious up and down to the pattern.
The ditsy floral is a classic cottagecore style and you could imagine it on summer dresses, curtains, baby clothes and table linens.
If you already have my pack of 20 pattern Templates there are 4 ditsy templates that would work well if you were keen to have a go at a cottagecore ditsy print! You can see how I have used one of them below to create this strawberry floral ditsy,
Traditional Craft Themes
Cottagecore often focuses on traditional 'homesteading' crafts such as baking, sewing, knitting and embroidery.
A pattern focusing on one of these traditional crafts is a great way to boost your SEO if you are uploading your pattern to a print on demand site such as Spoonflower.
(SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. This includes what you call your pattern. Using key words such as knitting, or baking in your pattern title helps your pattern to be found by the right people.)
Pairing one of these craft motifs with florals can make an effective cottagecore pattern, whilst at the same time giving you some great keywords for your SEO.
For example, in the pattern below I have chosen a sewing theme and have paired buttons and bows with flowers. Incidently, this is also in a ditsy non directional style (although cottagecore patterns don't always have to be in this style!)
For SEO purposes not only can I include 'cottagecore' and 'floral' but also 'buttons', 'bows', and 'sewing' (and many more!)
Vintage Themes
Cottagecore patterns often draw inspiration from vintage and antique objects, which can bring a sense of cozy nostalgia to your design.
Think delicate lace, faded florals, heirloom teacups, worn books, and gingham tablecloths. All of these things conjure a certain 'feel' which you can bring out when designing.
I've chosen to illustrate vintage tea cups and teapots with this design below.
Traditional gingham or plaid is also a staple for a cottagecore look. You can imagine these types of prints on a picnic blanket or summer tablecloth!
Both gingham and plaid are very simple to create in Procreate and I have free tutorials on both which you can find below:
Colour Palettes
Colour Palettes can vary in the cottagecore style, but you'll see from taking a look at the Pinterest board a general theme emerges of soft, natural and muted colours.
As we're aiming for a calming, organic and natural feel, choose colours that evoke this mood when you pick your palette.
If you're stuck for where to start you can colour grab the palette below to get you started. This palette focuses on soft pinks, greens and neutrals to achieve an elegant and nostalgic feel.
Textures
Textures and texture brushes are great for making a pattern feel more tactile and hand designed.
Watercolour or gouache brushes are a good choice for creating patterns in the cottagecore style like the pattern I have created below. It really gives a whimsical and hand painted finish.
Procreate has recently added dozens of beautiful new brushes to their library which are available for free in Procreate, so it might be worth taking a little look through the new library and picking out a few you like to work with.
Here are a few of my favourites so far which can all be found in the new Procreate brush library. (The name of the brush is at the top and the section name is underneath)
All of the brushes I've featured below would work well for cottagecore designs.
Another way to approach the cottagecore theme is to create some very simple patterns with traditional textures such as linen or woven to replicate simple countryside textiles.
I've done this with these patterns below using the linen textures from my pack of Seamless Texture Overlays. This creates a wonderfully vintage and cozy feel.
Storytelling
The point of cottagecore is to conjure up a mood or a feeling, and the style lends itself so well to storytelling.
What I mean by this is you can tell a story through the pattern you create, and more easily through a set of patterns.
Take for example this trio of patterns I created in an autumnal palette.
Together they tell the story of a cozy autumn countryside, from harvest in the veg patch to walks in the forest. The wavy plaid ties the set together and adds a rustic, seasonal feel as if you were off to an autumn picnic!
You can tell a story through a set of patterns that all tie together with similar themes to create the nostalgic, nature-inspired feel that Cottagecore celebrates.
Create your own Cottagecore mini collection
Now you have a sense of the cottagecore aesthetic, why not create a trio of patterns that tell a story like I have done above?
Start with picking a palette that you will use for the three patterns. Remember, in collections, you don't need to use every colour in every pattern!
Choose a textured brush that matches your personal style or the mood you want to evoke in this mini collection.
Think about a story you'd like to tell. It could be nature themed, or revolve around a particular nostalgic memory you have. Or you could pick a traditional craft or vintage object to focus on.
Your first pattern should be your most detailed and use all or most of the colours in your palette. You could try creating a ditsy floral with some added motifs that tell your particular story.
For your second pattern, choose one motif and create a pattern with more space, as I have done with the pumpkins above. This will act as your secondary pattern. It supports the main pattern but isn't so detailed.
Finally finish with a blender print. For cottagecore, gingham or plaid would work well, but anything simple using a couple of your colours would work well. If you need some more ideas for blender prints I have a whole post on it here.
And you're done - a sweet little cottagecore collection to add to your portfolio!
If you create a cottagecore pattern or mini collection, I'd love to see it! The best way is to tag me on instagram @jasminehnatkova so I can take a look!
You can also leave a comment below if you have any thoughts or questions and I will get back to you.
Level up your surface pattern skills in Procreate
If you're interested in going deeper with your surface pattern design, I have a number of products that will help you to get started with making professional patterns and give your portfolio a boost!
