Baby Elephant Holding a Happy Birthday Cake

A gentle color plan to get started — mix in your own anytime.

• light gray
• sky blue
• bright red
• golden yellow
• coral pink
• leaf green
• cream
• chocolate brown
• rose pink
• bubblegum pink
• pale silver

A suggested order, zone by zone — skip around as you like.

1. 1Start with the big balloons: color the left balloon sky blue, the back balloon bright red, and the front balloon golden yellow, leaving the small shine spots white.
2. 2Fill the elephant's body, head, legs, and big ear with light gray, leaving the eye whites and the leg highlight white.
3. 3Color the green balloons and the tail tip and tail in leaf green and chocolate brown, then add the cream toenails and cake layers.
4. 4Color the trunk's inside and the lower ear with coral pink, and the open mouth with rose pink.
5. 5Add the party hat stripes in golden yellow, sky blue, and the red pompom, then fill the cake frosting cream and the pink cake border with bubblegum pink.
6. 6Optional: Add a little pale silver along the balloon strings and light shading under the elephant's belly for depth.