The Christmas season is one of the best times of the year for drawing. Not only do many of us have a good amount of time off to relax and enjoy our hobbies, but the weather outside is so often, for lack of a better word, frightful, which means that there isn’t a ton to do.
Whether you’re looking for some festive to draw yourself or you’re leading an art workshop for young students, we hope that you find some drawing ideas in this list that you’d like to try out!
20 Simple Christmas Drawing Ideas
Elf on the Shelf
Are you familiar with the concept of “elf on the shelf”? Elf on the shelf is a concept that some parents use to encourage positive behavior in their children during the holiday season. Elves themselves are already a popular symbol of Christmas—you can just take it to the next level by drawing an elf on the shelf instead. Check out the tutorial here.
Santa
Santa just might be the most recognizable symbol of Christmas, so of course, we were going to have to include the famous Mr. Claus in our list. Fortunately for everyone, Santa is easier to draw than you would think. This DIY tutorial on how to draw Santa breaks everything down into super simple small steps, which means that it is even appropriate for young children to draw.
Snowman
One of the best parts of the winter season is snowman building! However, if you live in an area that never sees snowfall, you will likely not get to ever experience the joy of building your own snowman. You will just have to draw one instead—you can do exactly that by following this tutorial.
Wreath
Decorating our houses at Christmas really is a lot of fun. Not only is it fun to invest in our own decorations, but it’s also cool to drive around and see what ideas our neighbors have. Christmas decorations also make for great drawing inspiration, as you can see here in this tutorial that shows you how to draw a wreath.
Candle
Candles are one of the lesser-known but still relevant symbols of Christmas. Christmas candles are one of the easiest things to draw on this list, so it’s a great place to start if you’re a beginner or if you’re looking for an idea for a young child. Check it out here.
Christmas Tree
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree! How lovely are your branches. It’s not required that you sing this song while you draw your very own Christmas tree, but it’s definitely recommended as a way to add to the ambiance. This tutorial provides a good baseline, but you can make this Christmas tree your own by adding your own decorations or gifts.
Holly
Holly is a type of plant that is strongly associated with the Christmas season. While it’s most famous for its distinctive red berries, Holly is actually a type of evergreen tree that can grow in a wide range of temperatures. It’s an easy yet uncommon thing to draw if you’re in the mood for some Christmas sketching. Check out the tutorial here.
Reindeer
Every Christmas enthusiast knows that the easiest way to tell whether or not Santa has arrived is listening for reindeer hooves on the rooftop! Animals aren’t the easiest things to draw, but we’re sure you can pull off drawing your own reindeer by following the tutorial found here.
Icicle
Icicles are a big part of winter in most places in the world. In fact, sometimes icicles can grow to be so large that they pose a risk to anyone walking beneath them, as they would be quite heavy if they fell off! Icicles are not too hard to draw, which makes them a good choice for anyone who is still new to visual arts. Check out a step-by-step guide here.
Hanging Lights
If you’re not decorating your house for Christmas this year, then you can at least draw some Christmas decorations on a piece of paper. Actually, it’s quite easy to draw your own Christmas lights, as you can see here. You can use any color combo that you’d like—the choice is yours!
Christmas House
Houses aren’t the easiest things to draw, so this tutorial might not be the best for beginners. However, if you’re up for the challenge, it can be a lot of fun to draw and decorate your own beautiful Christmas house.
Gingerbread Man
For many of us, baking gingerbread cookies is one of our favorite holiday memories. If you’re looking for something Christmas-themed to draw, then you can’t go wrong with a simple gingerbread man. Decorating this drawing is almost as fun as decorating the cookies themselves!
Bulb
Do you remember those decorative Christmas bulbs that everyone used to decorate their trees with in the 90s? You know the ones where you could look into the bulb and see your face reflected back? Now you can decorate a Christmas card with your very own shiny bulb by drawing one based on this tutorial. If you color it correctly, you can even make the bulb pop off the page as if it were really shining!
Stocking
One of the most exciting parts about Christmas morning (or Christmas night, depending on which tradition your family follows) is opening stockings. Unlike presents, which tend to be larger and of greater monetary value, stockings are the perfect place for little treats and trinkets. You can draw your own stockings by following the tutorial that can be found here.
Cozy Hot Cocoa
There is nothing that really says that winter is here quite like a nice piping cup of hot cocoa. While hot cocoa (or hot chocolate) itself is not a Christmas drink, you can make your cup of hot chocolate festive by putting it in a Christmas-themed mug. Check out the inspiration here.
Mistletoe
Mistletoe is another classic Christmas symbol, and it’s pretty easy to draw, too. Just don’t hang this drawing up at your Christmas party, unless you want your guests to find themselves stuck under the mistletoe! Check it out here.
Nutcracker
Have you ever wondered why a nutcracker is a common symbol of Christmas? It turns out that the tradition originates from the rural German countryside, where families were traditionally given a nutcracker because it was said to protect families and their homes. The famous Nutcracker ballet is also strongly associated with Christmas time, and has been since at least the 1940s. You can draw your own nutcracker by following this guide.
Presents
What is the best part about the holiday season? While we all know that we should say it’s spending time with our families or spreading kindness, there’s no denying that giving and receiving gifts is one of the best parts of the season. You can show your love for presents by drawing the presents seen in this guide.
Candy Cane
Whether you’re hanging them on your trees or putting them in your stockings, candy canes are a classic Christmas treat. They also happen to be easy to draw! Check out the guide on how to draw your own candy canes here.
Christmas Bells
What are Christmas bells, you ask? The answer to this question could largely depend on who you ask. Some will say that they stand for the bells that are on the collars of Santa’s reindeer, and some will say that they signify the chimes that are rung by churches during the Christmas season. No matter what they represent to you, you can draw your own Christmas bells by drawing these bells.
Which drawing are you most excited to try? We hope that these drawings help you spread Christmas cheer this holiday season.