Free Printable Coat of Arms and Heraldry Designs

Heraldry refers to the crest or emblem associated with royal and noble families. These ancient symbols, also called "coat of arms" were used as ornamentation and communication, on battlements, flags, armor and weapons. Here are free printable coat of arms design and coloring pages.

A coat of arms, worn on shields, signified who led the army. Flags adorned battlements to show which noble or royal family was in residence. Different cultures have used family crests. With clans in England, Scotland, France and Germany, heraldry was very popular. Each family's coat of arms was unique and symbolic.

The printable coloring pages, from Sacred Spiral Kids, show how different symbols were used in a coat of arms. The words used to describe coat of arms heraldry are primarily French or Middle English (a combination of Saxon, Norman French and German). Partitions are patterned lines that divide the shield into sections. Partitions might be "dovetailed" (grooved), "nebuly" (loopy) or some other design.

Layouts vary by partition configuration. "Fess" refers to horizontal partition lines or bands. "Bend" means diagonal lines. "Sinister bend" means left-side slant (the word "left" means sinister; medievals thought left-handed people were tricky and untrustworthy). "Pale" means vertical lines, while "cross" or "quadrant" refers to plus-shaped lines. A "chevron" is an inverted V-shaped line. There are also symbols used within the sections of the coat of arms. "Bordure" means border.

Symbols like keys, trees, plants, stars or animals are commonly used. England's royal shield features a lion. France shows the "Fleur-de-lys". Combining the partition design with the layout and symbols creates the endless variety in heraldry.

Use this free printable 16-page DIY booklet of symbols and designs to create a coat of arms. Younger students may wish to trace or color the designs. Older students exploring medieval history, European history or genealogy, might use these to create a personal or family coat of arms. Here are additional SVG and Cricut designs that can be traced and used. These designs make great patterns for costumes, props and theater sets, too.