20+ BFF Drawing Ideas to Make for Your Best Friend

Bff drawing ideas work best when the picture shows two of something instead of one: a pair of mugs, a pair of hands, a matching set of bracelets. This list gathers 31 of them, each built around a friendship pair or a shared object, so the finished piece says something specific about the friendship without needing any words.

Every idea uses soft colored pencils in a simple, rounded style that a teen or adult can finish in one sitting, with a child-friendly version built in alongside it. Pick one that matches a real detail about the friendship, personalize it a little, and it is ready to give today.

Two Cats Sharing One Scarf

Reach for a soft wax-based colored pencil instead of a thin hard one. The round cat faces and the chunky scarf both need broad, even color, and a hard pencil leaves streaky patches on smooth paper.

Pick a paper with a little tooth, not glossy cardstock, so the scarf’s knit texture can catch the pencil strokes. Lay the orange and gray tones side by side on the striped scarf first, then build the cats’ fur in soft circular layers.

Let the child draw the two round cat heads and simple scarf loop, then add the adult’s touch: a few darker pencil lines along the scarf fringe for texture today.

Matching Bracelets On Two Wrists

Start with two simple curved lines for the wrists, loose fists just touching at the fingertips. That is the first mark. The second is the thin bracelet band circling each wrist, drawn as a slightly wobbly oval so it reads as string, not a ruler line.

Third, drop in two or three bead shapes per bracelet, leaving space between them. Save the skin shading and the bead color for last, once the proportions already look right.

Let the child handle the wrists and beads, then let the adult add one tiny matching initial charm on each bracelet to personalize the gift today.

Two Mugs Leaning Together

Measure one mug against the other before drawing a single handle. Make the two mugs almost the same height, then tilt them a few degrees so their rims touch at the top, like two heads leaning in.

Line the handles up at roughly the same height on each mug, about a third of the way down from the rim, so the pair looks balanced rather than mismatched. Steam curls above both mugs should mirror each other loosely, not copy exactly.

A child can draw the two simple mug shapes and handles, while an adult adds a small painted word or initial on each one for a personal touch.

Two Umbrellas Overlapping In Rain

Decide where the light sits before drawing a single raindrop. Put a soft light source high behind the umbrellas so both canopies catch a pale highlight on the same side, and the raindrops below fall in slightly curved lines toward that light.

Overlap the two umbrella domes so the near one hides part of the far one, which tells the eye which friend stands closer. Shade the underside of each canopy a touch darker where it blocks its own light.

Keep the two umbrella patterns different but in the same color family, then let an adult add tiny puddle reflections under the shoes today.

Shared Milkshake Two Straws

Lift color instead of adding it when the glass needs a shine. After laying down the pale pink milkshake color, press a kneaded eraser gently against one side of the glass to pull out a soft highlight streak.

For the whipped cream on top, use the side of the pencil tip in short choppy strokes rather than one smooth layer, so it reads as fluffy instead of flat. Keep the two straws slightly bent toward each other at the top, almost touching.

A child can draw the glass and both straws, and an adult can add a tiny cherry on top with a sharpened red pencil for a finishing detail.

Two Hands Pinky Promise

Ten minutes gets you two simple hand outlines with pinky fingers hooked together, shaded with one flat skin tone and a quick outline for the nails. That is enough for a fast, sweet sketch.

Forty minutes lets you add real depth: knuckle creases, soft shadow where one hand overlaps the other, and a thin band of color for a shared ring around both wrists. Build the shadow gradually with light layers rather than one heavy pass.

Either version works as a gift. Start with the ten minute hands today, then go back in with the extra shading once the pose feels right.

Two Potted Succulents Side By Side

Once the basic pair of succulents feels easy, change the pot colors next time instead of the plants themselves, since two different colored pots still read as a matching set when the plant shapes echo each other.

Try swapping one rounded succulent for a spiky one while keeping the pots identical, which shifts the whole feel of the drawing without any extra difficulty. Small changes like this keep the idea fresh across several gifts.

For the first attempt, keep both pots and plants nearly identical so a child can draw them with confidence, then let an adult add a tiny painted pattern on the pots.

Two Scoops Of Ice Cream One Cone

Pick two different soft pencils for this one, a waxy pink for strawberry and a creamy tan for vanilla, since blending two flavors with a single pencil tends to muddy the colors together.

Smooth bristol-style paper helps the cone’s crisscross waffle pattern stay sharp, while a rougher paper softens it too much. Lay the cone pattern in with a sharp pencil point before switching to a blunter tip for the rounded scoops.

A child can color the two scoops and simple cone shape, and an adult can add a few sprinkle dots in a different color for extra charm.

Matching Friendship Necklaces

Begin with two small circle outlines for the pendant shapes, placed at slightly different heights since the necklaces hang at different lengths on two different necks. That is the first mark.

Second, draw the thin chain as a loose scalloped line rather than a perfectly straight one, since chains never hang in a straight edge. Third, split a simple heart shape across both pendants so each one looks incomplete alone but whole when placed together.

Save the metallic shine and color fill for last. Let a child handle the chain and pendant outline, then let an adult add the tiny shine mark with a white pencil.

Two Birds On One Branch

Count the branch in thirds before placing either bird: one lands near the left third, the other near the right, leaving open space in the middle so the drawing can breathe.

Keep both birds about the same body length, roughly two head-widths from beak to tail, so neither one accidentally looks bigger or more important than the other. Their tail feathers can point in opposite directions to balance the composition.

A child can draw the two simple round birds and the branch, while an adult adds a few small bird feather details along the wings today.

Two Lanterns Hanging Together At Dusk

Put the light source inside each lantern rather than outside, which means the glow pushes outward and softly lights the string or handle above it, not the sky around it.

Keep both lanterns at the same eye level so they hang evenly, but let one sit slightly closer in the frame and a touch larger, which gives a sense of depth without complicated perspective lines.

Shade the dusky background darker toward the edges and lighter near the glow. A child can draw the two simple lantern shapes, and an adult can blend a soft yellow halo around each one with gentle circular strokes.

Two Teacups With Steam Swirling Together

Steam often turns into two stiff straight lines, which flattens the whole drawing. Fix it by curving each steam line gently to one side before letting the two trails merge into a single soft swirl above both cups.

Another common slip is drawing both teacups from the same angle, which makes them look pasted on rather than placed on a table. Tilt one cup’s rim oval slightly more than the other so they sit at a natural angle to each other.

Let a child draw the two round cups and saucers, then let an adult blend the steam trails together with a very light gray pencil for a soft finish.

Two Stars Connected By A Line

Forty minutes buys a soft glow around each star and a scattering of tiny background stars, but the first ten minutes only need two simple five-point stars joined by one thin line, colored flat yellow with a quick outline.

That quick version alone reads clearly as two friends linked across distance. Add the glow with light circular pencil layers once the basic shapes feel steady, plus a gentle dotted texture on the connecting line instead of a solid stroke.

Start with the quick version on scrap paper to get the star points even, then move to good paper for the fuller night sky version today.

Two Bicycles Parked Side By Side

Swap one detail next time instead of changing the whole scene: trade a basket for a bell, or give one bike a flower tucked in the spokes instead of matching paint colors.

Leaning the two bikes against a fence or wall instead of standing them upright shifts the whole mood with very little extra skill required. Keep the wheel size consistent between both bikes so the pair still reads as a set.

For the first try, keep the frames and wheels nearly identical so a child can manage the shapes, then let an adult add a tiny flower basket on one bike.

Two Cupcakes With Matching Sprinkles

Grab a pencil with a soft, waxy core for the frosting swirl, since a harder pencil skips across the paper tooth and leaves a dotted look instead of a smooth curl.

Smooth paper keeps the sprinkle dots crisp and separate, which matters more here than for the frosting itself. Use a sharpened point for each tiny sprinkle and a blunt, rounded stroke for the frosting swirl so the two textures contrast clearly.

A child can color the cupcake liners and frosting swirls, while an adult adds the fine sprinkle details across both cupcakes for a finished look.

Two Hearts Interlocking

Draw one heart shape fully first, then sketch the second heart overlapping it by about a third, which is the first mark that sets up the whole composition.

Second, erase the hidden line where the two hearts cross so the overlap reads as one shape locking into another, not two shapes stacked on top of each other. Third, add a thin outline around the overlap area to keep it readable once color goes in.

Save the color fill for last. A child can manage the two heart outlines, and an adult can add a small shared initial inside the overlap.

Two Owls Sharing A Tree Hollow

Keep both owl bodies about the same width as the tree hollow opening, roughly two owl-widths across, so they fit snugly together without looking squeezed or lost in the hole.

Measure the eyes at the halfway point of each owl’s head, slightly larger than feels natural, since oversized eyes are what makes an owl read as cute rather than realistic. Keep the two owls’ eye size matched even if their feather colors differ.

A child can draw the two round owl bodies nestled together, and an adult can add soft feather texture lines along the edges of each owl’s wings.

Two Candles Lit Together On A Windowsill

Place the light source at the tip of each flame and let it fall only a short distance, since candlelight is soft and local, not a wide glow like daylight.

Keep both candles at the same eye level on the windowsill, but vary their height slightly so one flame sits a touch higher than the other, which avoids a too-symmetrical look. Wax drips should catch a small highlight on the side facing the flame.

A child can draw the two simple candle shapes and flames, while an adult blends a soft warm halo around each flame with light, circular pencil strokes.

Two Fuzzy Mittens Holding Hands

Short, feathery pencil strokes along the mitten edges read better than one clean outline, since a hard edge makes knit fuzz look like plastic rather than yarn.

For the cuffs, press a little harder in some spots and lighter in others so the ribbing has natural variation rather than looking mechanically even. Leave the tiny gap where the two mittens meet slightly loose rather than one solid blob of color, which keeps them readable as two separate hands.

A child can draw the simple mitten shapes, and an adult can add a few snowflakes drifting around them with a sharp white pencil.

Two Books Stacked Together With A Shared Bookmark

Perfectly straight stacks are the usual trap here, looking stiff rather than casually set down. Fix it by letting the top book sit at a slight angle to the one underneath, like it was just set down a moment ago.

Another common slip is making the bookmark ribbon too stiff and straight. Give it a gentle curve where it drapes over the edge of the pages, with a small fold at the bottom rather than a sharp point.

Let a child draw the two simple book shapes and the ribbon, then let an adult add tiny initials on each spine for a personal touch.

Two Paper Boats Floating Side By Side

Folding time is quick: two simple paper boat shapes floating on a few wavy water lines take about ten minutes, colored flat with one blue tone for the water. That alone tells the whole little story.

Forty minutes adds ripples radiating out from each boat in soft curved lines, a gentle reflection of each boat’s color in the water, and faint crease lines on the paper itself. Keep the ripples from both boats overlapping slightly in the middle to show they travel together.

Start with the ten minute version to nail the boat shapes, then layer in the ripples once that feels solid.

Two Balloons Tied Together

Shape is the easy thing to change next: try one heart-shaped balloon paired with one round one, still tied with the same ribbon so the pair still reads as matching.

Varying the ribbon length also helps, letting one balloon float a little higher on a longer string for some movement without any new skill. Keep the knot where the two ribbons join as the one constant detail across every version.

For the first attempt, keep both balloons the same round shape and size so a child can manage them easily, then let an adult add a soft highlight shine on each balloon.

Two Rings Stacked On One Finger

Silver or gold metallic pencil handles the ring band far better than plain gray, since the waxy metallic pigment catches light that a regular pencil cannot fake.

Smooth paper matters here too, since any texture breaks up the small, careful highlight line that makes a thin ring band look rounded rather than flat. Keep a sharp point throughout, since this is a small, detailed subject with little room for blunt strokes.

A child can draw the simple finger and two ring shapes, and an adult can add the tiny metallic highlight and a small gem color on top for sparkle.

Two Butterflies On One Flower

Center the flower first, with a simple circle for its middle, since both butterflies land relative to that point. That is the first mark and it anchors the whole composition.

Second, add the two butterfly bodies as simple ovals perched on opposite sides of the flower, facing toward each other rather than both facing the same direction. Third, sketch the wing shapes as soft rounded triangles, slightly open like they just landed.

Save the wing patterns and petal color for last. A child can handle the flower and wing outlines, and an adult can add matching dot patterns across both sets of butterfly wings.

Two Slices Of Pizza Forming A Heart

Cut an imaginary circle in half first, then nudge the two triangle slices apart slightly and round their pointed tips inward, which is what bends two straight pizza slices into a heart shape.

Keep both slices the same length and width so the heart reads as symmetrical, measuring the crust edge of one slice against the other before adding any toppings. The gap between the two slices at the top should be about as wide as one pepperoni circle.

A child can draw the two slice shapes and basic cheese color, and an adult can add matching pepperoni and herb dots across both slices.

Two Foxes Curled Together Under A Blanket

Keep the light source soft and low, like a lamp just outside the frame, so it catches the top curve of both fox backs and leaves the blanket folds in gentle shadow underneath.

Draw both foxes from the same slightly raised eye level, looking down on the pair, since that angle shows off their curled tails and shared blanket far better than a straight side view. The shadow between their two bodies should be the darkest part of the whole drawing.

A child can draw the two curled fox shapes and the blanket, while an adult shades the soft shadow between them with layered gray and brown pencil.

Two Fuzzy Socks Hanging On A Line

Work the knit texture with short choppy strokes running in one direction across each sock, then add a second thin layer crossing slightly off angle, which builds a soft woolly look without flattening the color.

Leave the toe and heel areas a shade lighter, since fabric naturally catches more light where it stretches over a rounded shape. The clothespin holding both socks to the line should get the sharpest, cleanest edges in the whole drawing, which makes the fuzzy socks look even softer by contrast.

A child can draw the sock shapes and line, and an adult can add a tiny pattern, like stripes or stars, repeated on both socks.

Two Jars Of Fireflies Glowing Together

Hard yellow circles are the usual result for firefly glow, which looks more like a sticker than light. Fix it by layering pale yellow first, then a slightly deeper gold only right around each firefly, fading outward with very light pencil pressure.

Another common slip is drawing the jar lids too thick, which makes the whole jar look heavy. Keep the lid a thin band and let the glass body stay mostly see-through with just a few curved highlight lines.

Let a child draw the two simple jar shapes and firefly dots, then let an adult blend the glow around each firefly for a soft lit-up finish.

What to Do Next

Start with whichever idea matches something real about the friendship, a shared mug, an inside joke, or a matching color. Pick one of these bff drawing ideas, grab a smooth sheet of paper and the soft colored pencils, and finish it in one sitting today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What colored pencils work best for bff drawing ideas like these?

Soft wax-based colored pencils blend and layer more easily than hard pencils, which matters for the rounded, cute style these ideas use. A small set of 24 to 36 colors covers most of these pairs, and a white pencil or gel pen is worth adding for highlights.

What size paper works best for these drawings?

A letter size sheet or a small five by seven inch sketchbook page works well. Both keep the subject simple enough to finish in one sitting, and a smooth paper surface keeps fine details like bracelet beads or sprinkle dots crisp.

How do I make these bff drawing ideas look personal instead of generic?

Change one small detail to match the real friendship: initials on a bracelet charm, a favorite pizza topping, or the actual color of a shared mug. The pair-based idea makes a single personal swap feel specific rather than generic.

Can a child really finish one of these bff drawing ideas alone?

Yes, each idea has a simple version built from basic shapes a child can manage with guidance, plus one small extra step for an adult to add afterward. Younger artists focus on the main shapes and flat color, while the adult layer adds shading or fine detail.

What is the easiest way to turn one of these into an actual gift?

Pick a small, complete piece like the paw prints or the stacked rings, finish it on a single sheet, and trim it to fit a simple frame or card. A short note on the back naming the friendship adds more meaning than a larger, unfinished drawing.