Printable Coat of Arms Templates (Free PDF)

Ready to let your little knights and scholars create a one-of-a-kind family crest? These printable coat of arms templates is a blank, kid-friendly shield outline they can customize with colors, symbols, and stories that matter to them. Perfect for homeschool art lessons, medieval unit studies, or a rainy-day craft.

If your kids have ever dreamed of designing their own “official” shield after reading about brave knights, you’re in the right place. Our blank coat of arms templates gives them a clean slate to:

• explore the basics of heraldry (think shapes, colors, and meaningful icons)
• practice fine-motor skills through drawing and coloring
• flex those storytelling muscles by explaining what each symbol means

✨ Want to dive deeper into the history and meaning behind coats of arms? Check out our complete Coat of Arms Activity Pack that expands this project into a full mini-lesson! It includes kid-friendly explanations of heraldry, detailed symbol guides, fun coloring and brainstorming pages, interactive activities, and helpful teaching notes. Perfect for rounding out your homeschool lessons or classroom projects, it brings even more fun and learning to your medieval exploration!

We also have a coat of arms symbols and meanings printable that pairs perfectly with this template.

🖍️ Materials

• Printable coat of arms PDF (download the free printable file down below)
• Printer & paper (see Printing Tips)
• Pencils, markers, or colored pencils
• Optional: metallic gel pens, scrapbook stickers, mini gems, washi tape for extra flair ✨

🏰 The Printable

Inside your printable PDF download, you’ll receive five versatile shield template options, each designed to spark creativity and suit different age groups and activities:

1. Classic Shield Outline – A simple, minimalist shield shape with clean lines. Ideal for younger children or those who love total creative freedom.
2. Chevron Shield Template – Features a subtle chevron line across the middle, making it easy to split symbols or colors. Perfect for guiding beginners in balanced design.
3. Ornate Shield with Decorative Border and Motto Banner – Elegant and detailed, framed by a stylish border and paired with a blank banner below for your family motto or inspiring words.
4. Simple Shield & Motto Banner – Clean and easy-to-use shield outline with a blank banner for a motto underneath, giving a structured space for personal expression.
5. Quartered Shield Template – Shield with faint cross-lines dividing it neatly into four equal sections, encouraging students to thoughtfully choose multiple symbols or colors clearly.

All pages are standard US letter size (8.5 × 11 inches), clearly outlined, and formatted for easy printing, coloring, and decorating.

📝 How to Use

1. Print your chosen page(s).
2. Brainstorm symbols: ask questions like, “What animal best represents our family’s courage?” or “Which colors feel like us?”
3. Sketch lightly in pencil. Divide the shield into sections and add icons.
4. Outline your symbols with marker, then add color. Bold contrasts work best—remember, heraldry was meant to be easily recognized from afar!
5. Add a motto to the scroll banner (e.g., “Courage & Kindness”).
6. Share your finished crest: hang it on the fridge, add it to your Knights & Castles lapbook, or laminate for imaginative play!

💡 Educational Uses

🎨 Art History Mash-Up
Turn the project into an impromptu art lesson! After kids design their crest, pull up images of real medieval shields (Google “Plantagenet coat of arms,” “Milanese shield,” etc.). Have them compare shapes, color blocking, and line work—then invite a quick “show what’s the same, what’s different” sketch in the margins.

✏️ Creative Writing & Storytelling
Challenge students to write a “Herald’s Proclamation.” They introduce their crest as if announcing a knight at a tourney:

“Behold Sir Jacob of the Emerald Oak, whose roaring lion stands for courage…”
Bonus: record dramatic readings on video for a memory-making keepsake.

📜 Timeline Tie-In
Place the finished crest on a Middle Ages timeline (link to your printable timeline). Mark 1066 (Battle of Hastings), 1215 (Magna Carta), or any castle-building milestones you’re studying. This anchors personal art to real-world events.

🔢 Math & Symmetry
Split the shield into quadrants and measure each section’s area or perimeter. Younger kids practice simple fractions (“one-half red, one-quarter blue”), while older learners calculate ratios or explore line symmetry.

🔍 Symbol Scavenger Hunt
Print a second copy and hide micro-symbols (tiny crowns, dragons, fleur-de-lis) around the outline first. Kids list what they find and research meaning—sneaky vocabulary work!

🌈 SEL Color Psychology
Use heraldic hues to discuss feelings:

• Red = bravery / passion
• Blue = loyalty / calm
• Green = growth / hope
  Ask, “Which color feels like our family?” Great entry into emotional intelligence conversations.

📚 Research Skills Mini-Project
Assign each child a popular symbol (lion, eagle, tree, star). Have them create a mini fact card explaining its origins, famous historical families who used it, and the symbol’s meaning. Staple the cards behind your printable for a traveling mini-lapbook.

👥 Cooperative Crest Banner
For co-ops or siblings working together, tape four shields into one giant “house banner.” Each student decorates a quadrant, then collaborate on a shared motto in the center. Terrific teamwork exercise..

🏆 Game-ify It
Stage a Heraldry Quest:

1. Research a real crest.
2. Recreate it on the blank template.
3. Present three clues; classmates guess the historical family or country.
   Engaging review game for European history!

🌟 Teacher Tip: Laminate finished crests, punch holes, and thread ribbon to create bookmarks—functional art that keeps kids revisiting their symbolic choices every time they read.

➡️ Remember: the goal isn’t perfection; it’s sparking curiosity and giving kids ownership of their learning journey. Have fun, experiment boldly, and let their imaginations run wild!

Looking to expand this into a full medieval experience? Be sure to check out our Middle Ages Coloring Pages. They’re perfect for creative downtime with bonus shield coloring sheets. Reinforce key vocabulary through our Middle Ages Word Search and Middle Ages Vocabulary Worksheets for a boost in comprehension.

For another fun cross-curricular option, try the Middle Ages Crossword Puzzle to strengthen historical terms with a twist of puzzle-solving.

📥 Grab the Printable

Pop your name + email in the blue box below, and I’ll whisk the PDF straight to your inbox. ✨
Personal or classroom use only, please—no commercial redistribution.

Creating your own coat of arms can be a wonderful way for kids to dive into history, reflect on their personal values, and have fun expressing their creativity. Whether you’re homeschooling, teaching in a classroom, or simply enjoying a creative afternoon, these versatile shield templates offer endless possibilities to explore and learn together. Remember—it’s not about perfect art; it’s about discovering the symbols and colors that tell your unique family story.

Ready to begin your medieval adventure? Grab your free printable shield templates below, and don’t forget to share your family’s creations by tagging us at @HomeschoolUnboxed. We can’t wait to see your amazing designs!

Happy heraldry-making!