We all know the iconic holiday themes. Christmas trees. Menorahs. Gingerbread men. Gifts.
All those are great subjects for creating art around, and we love painting, drawing, and cookie decorating(!) with images of all those things. We’ve gathered together some fun twists on art projects around those ideas below, and we’ve thrown a few extra holiday art ideas into the mix, also!
Whimsical Christmas ornaments? We’ve got that!
A dog wearing reindeer ears? Adorable.
Dinosaurs celebrating Christmas? There is no proof they didn’t.
Whether you want to make unique holiday greeting cards, do a Christmas craft with your kids, paint something special to decorate your house, or create a one-of-a-kind painting to give to someone as a gift, we have the perfect art project for you.
So what are you waiting for? Crank up the Christmas music, fix yourself a serving of cocoa (or hot cider or eggnog!), grab your art supplies, gather up some friends or family if you want to create together and start making art! Because this is the time of year to kick back, unwind, and do something that makes you happy.
Gingerbread man
Paint an adorable gingerbread man in a mug with a candy cane and holly. Follow along in painting as you learn to mix colors, depict depth with shadow, and make precise details. Whether you’re looking for a fun and festive activity or seasonal artwork to decorate your home, this experience will ignite your holiday cheer.
Experience type: Smart trace-powered painting
Materials:
- Square surface for painting (canvas works great, but paper will do the trick, also!)
- Pencil
- Paint (acrylic if you have them!)
- Paint brushes
- Cup of water
Hanukkah menorah
Create a one-of-a-kind greeting card to celebrate the Jewish festival of lights! Draw or paint a beautiful, music-inspired menorah that spreads colors and happy vibes around. This is a great image to paint on a larger surface for your home decor or as an amazing gift to someone special.
Experience type: Smart trace-powered drawing
Materials:
- Square or rectangular surface for drawing
- Pencil and eraser
- Markers, colored pencils, or crayons
Cookie Decorating: Personalize your cookies
Give your Christmas dessert a special twist with these cookies decorated with drawings of your guests! Upload your personal photos and follow along in tracing and painting them with edible ink pens and paints.
Paint a portrait that looks good enough to eat… literally!
Experience type: Smart trace-powered cookie decorating
Materials:
- Paper with dark edges (or on a dark background)
- Cookies with royal icing
- Edible paints and paint brushes
- Edible markers
Santa Claws
Santa Claws is coming to town, and this year, he’s got sharp teeth and teeny tiny arms.
Create a light-hearted holiday painting of a t-rex in a Santa hat having fun in the snow. This fun creative experience is a great introduction to acrylic painting for kids and beginners alike, and makes for the perfect festive activity to welcome the holiday season with family and friends!
Experience type: Smart-trace powered painting
Materials:
- Square surface for painting (canvas works great, but paper will do the trick, also!)
- Pencil
- Paint (acrylic if you have them!)
- Paint brushes
- Cup of water
Tree ornaments
Decorate your home with these glowing Christmas tree ornaments painted by you! Create your outline, apply your colors to bring this vision to life, and use your brushstrokes to make the ornaments glow. It will surely be a great addition to all your Christmas joy and a memory for you and your loved ones to keep.
Experience type: Painting without tracing
Materials:
- Square surface for painting (canvas works great, but paper will do the trick, also!)
- Pencil
- Paint (acrylic if you have them!)
- Paint brushes
- Cup of water
Happy Pawlidays
Wish your loved one a happy paw-liday with a custom greeting card! Create a holiday-themed pet portrait of a dog dressed as a reindeer (classic), using either the image provided or upload your own. Then add a festive greeting using the custom text editor. When you’re done, send your artwork along with warm wishes this holiday season to someone near and dear to you!
Experience type: Smart trace-powered drawing
Materials:
- Square or rectangular surface for drawing
- Pencil & eraser
- Markers, colored pencils, or crayons
Meowy Christmas
Create adorable holiday-themed art from a photo of a kitten reaching for, well, something! Draw this cute kitten onto the bottom half of your drawing surface, and then follow along in free-handedly drawing holiday imagery on the top half. Whether your festive feline is reaching for some hanging holly or dangling ornaments, you can send your finished art to a loved one to say “Meowy Christmas” or put it on display at home!
Experience type: Smart trace-powered drawing
Materials:
- Square or rectangular surface for drawing
- Pencil & eraser
- Markers, colored pencils, or crayons
Gingerbread people craft
Get in the holiday spirit by getting crafty with the family! Make jolly gingerbread people with paper, scissors, paint markers, and any other crafty elements at your disposal. Whether you need a fun and festive activity or charming DIY decorations to make your home merry, this quick and easy craft is a great way to enjoy quality time with your loved ones this holiday season.
Experience type: Arts & crafts
Materials:
- Colored construction paper
- Pencil and eraser
- Scissors
- Markers and any other crafting materials you want to use!
Christmas tree
Get in the holiday spirit and learn how to paint a Christmas tree adorned with ornaments on a snowy winter’s night! This experience is perfect for a festive paint night with friends and family or creative activity for your holiday party!
Experience type: Painting without tracing
Materials:
- Square surface for painting (canvas works great, but paper will do the trick, also!)
- Pencil
- Paint (acrylic if you have them!)
- Paint brushes
- Cup of water
A holiday gift
Trace, paint, and be merry! Learn how to paint a gift wrapped in a bow under dangling ornaments as you learn acrylic painting techniques, from depicting dimension with color to making precise details with your brush.
Experience type: Smart-trace powered painting
Materials:
- Square surface for painting (canvas works great, but paper will do the trick, also!)
- Pencil
- Paint (acrylic if you have them!)
- Paint brushes
- Cup of water
Dino Christmas Trees
Have fun, get festive, and learn how to draw a Christmas tree being decorated the only way that makes sense — by dinosaurs. Create a Christmas greeting card for the dino lover in your life, draw it just for fun, or enjoy this holiday-themed experience with your little one!
Experience type: Smart trace-powered drawing
Materials:
- Square or rectangular surface for drawing
- Pencil & eraser
- Markers, colored pencils, or crayons
Ty Wilson’s holiday art
Grab some hot cocoa, cozy up with a warm blanket, and crank up the Christmas music as you join this fun, festive, and simple creative experience! Choose from our selection of Santa artworks by professional artist, Ty Wilson, to trace onto your drawing surface, then personalize it with color and even add your own season’s greeting with the text editor. When you’re done, send your artwork to a loved one in a greeting card or put it on display in your home for the holidays!
Experience type: Smart trace-powered drawing
Materials:
- Square or rectangular surface for drawing
- Pencil & eraser
- Markers, colored pencils, or crayons
