Spoonflower’s Weekly Design Challenges encourage creativity by inviting our community to submit designs around a theme and vote on favorites to win weekly prizes. See what design challenges are coming up and which designers were crowned grand champion in past challenges here

March Design Challenge Themes

Hand-Drawn Florals | Entries due by February 23

This week we’re excited to announce a partner challenge with our friends at Peppermint Magazine! Peppermint is an Australian quarterly print publication focused on style, sustainability and substance. Embracing sewing and DIY as an important part of sustainability, Peppermint regularly releases free sewing patterns that are much-loved amongst the sewing community.

To help celebrate the launch of the next free sewing pattern in Peppermint’s Sewing School coming this May, we’re teaming up to bring you a Design Challenge that celebrates a trend that both designers and sewists alike have been loving: hand-drawn florals.

Inspired by their passion for the natural world around them, Peppermint knew just the place to look for a challenge theme – nature! For this challenge, we’re asking you to put the petal to the metal and show us your best hand-drawn floral designs.

We think flowers equal joy, giving us colorful reminders of the beauty of life. Bonus points for the use of native botanicals (show us what’s endemic to your backyard!) and trending earth tones because, at the end of the day, mother (earth) knows best. While we can’t reveal the sewing pattern details just yet, a dramatic -sleeved blouse should be your inspiration for this challenge! 

The winning design, hand-selected from the top 50 by Peppermint, will be the featured fabric for May’s pattern launch! Get a peek at how you could be featured with Issue 48’s Bardon Dress!

Entries will be previewed on a 21″ x 18″ fat quarter. Submissions close February 23 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Voting begins February 25. Winners will be announced March 2. See official rules.

Rococo | Entries due by March 2

 Inspired by the modern popularity of costume dramas and period pieces, for this challenge we encourage you to draw from the decorative arts and fashion of the Rococo style. Prevalent in 18th century Europe, Rococo is characterized by soft colors, elegant asymmetry, and romantic motifs. The word “rococo” derives from the french term “rocaille”, referring to the use of shell and rock to decorate royal garden grottoes and fountains, a nod to overarching themes of naturalism, amusement and frivolous delight we hope to see in your entry this week.

Entries will be previewed on a 21″ x 18″ fat quarter. Submissions close March 2 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Voting begins March 4. Winners will be announced March 11. See official rules.

Boardsports | Entries due by March 9

Do you boogie? Boogie board that is! Boogie, skate, snow, surf, paddle, wind, kite….no matter the current weather outside your window, there’s a board for that! 

Whether your board skims the waves, cruises the halfpipe, grazes the snow, sand or even the sky, we challenge you to create a repeating pattern featuring the boardsport that speaks the most to you.

In March, two challenges have a twist! Every week, Spoonflower employees watch as you, our creative community, participate in the Weekly Design Challenges. This year, employees will participate alongside the Spoonflower designer community in two Design Challenges—Cryptozoology and Boardsports.

Entries will be previewed on a 21″ x 18″ fat quarter. Submissions close March 9 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Voting begins March 11. Winners will be announced March 18. See official rules.

Cryptozoology | Entries due by March 16

Bigfoot and jackalopes and the loch ness monster, oh my! Cryptozoology is the official word for the study of creatures like these that are only rumored to exist. 

Many are well-known like the Yeti or the aforementioned Sasquatch, but have you ever heard of the Wolpertinger that allegedly hides in the alpine forest of Bavaria or the Bunyip that may call Australian swamps home? Have fun this week researching and illustrating the many legendary animals from regional folklore.

In March, two challenges have a twist! Every week, Spoonflower employees watch as you, our creative community, participate in the Weekly Design Challenges. This year, employees will participate alongside the Spoonflower designer community in two Design Challenges—Cryptozoology and Boardsports.

Entries will be previewed on a 21″ x 18″ fat quarter. Submissions close March 16 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Voting begins March 18. Winners will be announced March 25. See official rules.

Grand Prize

One Grand Prize Winner each week will receive $200 in Spoondollars. The winner will also receive additional exposure in our email newsletters, professional photography of their printed designs and social media mentions.

Second Place

The 2nd place winner will receive $100 in Spoondollars.

Third Place

The 3rd place winner will receive $50 in Spoondollars.

The rest of the top 10

4th through 10th place winners will receive a $20 Spoondollar credit.

All of the top 50

Each of the top 50 entries, determined as set forth above, not receiving one of the foregoing prizes will be automatically proofed for sale in the Spoonflower Marketplace (approximately a $5 value) (the “Runner Up Prize”) if winners are verified sellers.