You don't need a special programme to create tessellating shapes and repeat patterns. Microsoft Word or PowerPoint allows you to import and use simple shapes to create repeat patterns. Tessellating is when shapes fit together to make a pattern. We see patterns like this all around us in buildings, fabric designs and wall paper as well as in nature. In this exercise the shapes we will fit together shapes that look like 3D building blocks but are really hexagonal in shape

The examples shown below illustrate the many ways in which you can explore using colours in pattern. In every example there is no coloured shape touching another shape of the same colour. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Right click on an uncoloured shape and select the ‘Format Autoshape…’ option.
Choose a colour and click OK

Once you have chosen all of the colours that you want it is only necessary to select an existing coloured shape then click the format painter on the standard toolbar to copy the colour format to other shapes.