19 Step by Step Drawing Christmas Lessons for Gingerbread Houses, Snowmen and Stockings

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Table of Contents

1. Before You Start
2. Gingerbread House
3. Snowman With a Bird
4. Reindeer With a Little Sled
5. Stocking by the Fireplace
6. Cat in a Box of Ornaments
7. Christmas Tree With Ornaments
8. Candy Cane and Holly
9. Little Village in Snow
10. Mittens on a String
11. Pine Cone With Berries
12. Wreath on a Door
13. Hot Cocoa by the Window
14. Little Sled in the Snow
15. Gingerbread Man Cookie
16. Bell With a Ribbon
17. Snow Globe With a Tree
18. Plate of Christmas Cookies
19. Fox in a Scarf
20. Lantern on a Porch
21. Frequently Asked Questions

I love how a good step by step drawing christmas session turns into the whole family sitting around the table with pencils instead of phones. Nobody needs fancy supplies or years of practice, just simple shapes, a few warm colors and twenty quiet minutes together.

Below you will find nineteen small Christmas scenes, each broken into stages a child can follow and a little extra an adult can add. Gingerbread houses, snowmen, reindeer, stockings and more, all drawn one shape at a time until the colored pencils bring them to life.

Before You Start

• Use plain white paper that takes a little pressure, since colored pencils go over fine pencil or ink lines and need a smooth surface.
• Keep the first pencil sketch light and loose, so mistakes erase easily before any ink or color goes down.
• Test every colored pencil on a scrap piece first, since reds and greens can look much darker on paper than they do in the tin.
• Build color slowly in thin layers rather than pressing hard once, because colored pencils blend better with two light layers than one heavy one.
• Let kids handle the big simple shapes and pale colors, and let an adult add the smaller details like window frames or tiny highlights.
• Keep a white gel pen or white colored pencil nearby for the very last touches, snow sparkle and candy shine look best added last.

Gingerbread House

Start with the simplest shape you can imagine, one square for the house and one triangle sitting on top for the roof. Keep your pencil light here, since this first sketch is just a guide and some lines will get erased later.

Once the shapes feel right, go over the house, roof, door and round candy windows with a fine black pen. This is the step kids love best, because suddenly the sketch looks like a real drawing.

Color goes on from palest to darkest. Lay a thin gold wash over the whole house first, then add red to the roof tiles and candy windows, then a little green for the wreath and roof trim. If the red looks too strong, a child can press lighter and build it up slowly instead of starting dark.

Finish with a white gel pen for snow along the roofline and a soft brown shadow underneath the house so it feels grounded. My tip here: keep the windows round and simple, like peppermint candies, and the whole house reads as gingerbread even with very few details.

Snowman With a Bird

Three simple circles stacked on top of each other make the whole snowman, so start light with those and a tiny oval bird perched on the hat brim. Nobody needs perfect circles, a little wobble only makes it friendlier.

Ink the outlines next, keeping the bird small and simple, just a round body, a little beak and two thin legs. This is a nice moment for an adult to add one small extra, like a few feather lines on the bird’s wing.

Color starts with a very pale blue gray wash around the snowman’s base for soft shadow on the snow. Then come the warm touches, a red scarf wrapped around the neck, a green hat, and a small orange triangle for the carrot nose.

White gel pen brings back the brightest snow highlights on the round body, and a little gray shading under each circle gives it real volume instead of flat white. Keep the scarf color inside the ink lines and it will look crisp even if the pencil work underneath was loose.

Reindeer With a Little Sled

Begin with a simple oval for the reindeer’s body, a smaller circle for the head and four thin lines for legs, then sketch a small rectangle sled sitting just behind it. Keep everything light and loose, this is only the frame to build on.

Trace the whole scene in fine black ink, including the branching antlers and the thin rope connecting the sled to the harness. Kids usually enjoy drawing the zigzag antlers the most, so let them take the lead here.

Lay a pale gray wash on the ground first for a soft snowy base, then cover the reindeer in warm brown from nose to tail. The sled gets a cheerful coat of red, with one small gold dot for a bell on the harness strap.

Finish with white gel pen dots along the antler tips for a frosty look, and add soft brown shading along the legs and belly so the reindeer feels round rather than flat. If brown pencil runs light, two thin layers build richer color than one heavy pass.

Stocking by the Fireplace

Draw the stocking as one long curved triangle with a rounded toe, hanging from a simple straight mantel line above. Tuck a few small box and ribbon shapes peeking out the top for the presents inside.

Fine black ink defines the stocking shape, the mantel edge and each little present, keeping the lines simple enough that a child can trace them confidently. This is also where an adult might add a few brick lines on the fireplace background for extra texture.

Color the mantel and background wall with a pale gold wash first, then commit to a bold deep red for the whole stocking body. The small presents poking out get quick dabs of green and gold, no need for much detail since they stay tiny.

Finish the stocking cuff with a white gel pen for soft fur trim, and add gentle gray shadow underneath where the stocking hangs away from the wall. My favorite trick here is keeping the red stocking the darkest color on the whole page, so your eye lands there first.

Cat in a Box of Ornaments

Sketch a simple open box first, just a rectangle with two flaps, then draw a small round cat sitting inside it with pointed ears and a curled tail. Scatter a few circles around the cat for the ornaments spilling out.

Go over everything in fine black ink, keeping the cat’s face simple, two dot eyes and a tiny triangle nose work perfectly well. Older kids or adults can add a few short fur lines along the cat’s back for texture.

Color the cardboard box with a pale gold wash so it still reads as a box and not a wall. Give the cat a warm gray or soft orange coat, then fill each scattered ornament with red or green, varying which color goes where so the pile looks playful rather than matched.

Last comes the white gel pen for a few whisker lines and tiny highlight dots on the shiny ornaments, plus soft gray shadow under the cat to settle it into the box. If you want more ideas like this one, the Christmas doodles for beginners collection has playful small scenes too.

Christmas Tree With Ornaments

A Christmas tree starts as nothing more than a wide triangle with a small rectangle trunk underneath, no ink outline needed for this one since colored pencil can carry the whole shape. Keep the triangle a little uneven, real trees are never perfectly straight.

Fill the triangle with soft forest green first, pressing lighter near the edges and a touch darker toward the center for some natural depth. The trunk gets a quick brown fill, just enough to ground the tree.

Now comes the fun part for kids, dotting red and gold ornaments across the branches in no particular pattern. A gold star on top finishes the decoration, and it can be as simple as five short lines meeting at a point.

Finish with white gel pen dots along the branch tips for a dusting of snow, and a strip of darker green shading down one side of the tree so it feels round instead of flat. Keep ornament dots small and spaced apart, too many crowded together can make the tree look cluttered.

Candy Cane and Holly

Draw one long curved line like a shepherd’s hook for the candy cane, then two small pointed oval leaves crossing at the base for the holly. This shape is forgiving, a slightly wobbly curve still reads clearly as a candy cane.

Fine black ink defines the curve and the holly leaves, and this is a good first ink project for a child since there is only one main line to follow carefully.

Leave the background between stripes pale pink or plain white, then add diagonal deep red stripes wrapping evenly around the curve. Space the stripes a finger-width apart so they stay readable rather than crowding together.

Color the holly leaves forest green, then finish with a white gel pen stripe running alongside each red one for that glossy candy shine, plus one small red dot for a holly berry. Keep the red stripes diagonal rather than straight across, that small angle is what makes it look like a real candy cane.

Little Village in Snow

Three simple houses of slightly different heights sitting on one horizon line make a whole village feel complete, so sketch them as plain rectangles with triangle roofs first. A few tiny square windows on each house add character without extra work.

Ink the houses, roofs and windows in fine black line, keeping proportions simple since this scene relies on repetition rather than detail in any single building.

The sky gets a pale blue gray wash first, soft and even behind the rooftops. Then color each house wall in warm gold or soft red, mixing the colors house to house so the row does not look matched like a set.

Fill every window with a warm gold glow, since lit windows are what make a village feel cozy at night. Finish with white gel pen snow on the rooftops and ground, plus soft gray shadow beside each house to anchor them into the snow. For more scenes in this spirit, the Christmas scene drawing collection has snowy streets worth exploring too.

Mittens on a String

Draw two simple mitten shapes, like rounded thumbs sticking out from soft rectangles, connected by one curved string dipping between them. This is a lovely small subject for a very young child since the shapes are so forgiving.

Ink both mittens and the connecting string in fine black line, keeping the string loose and a little droopy for a natural hanging look.

Leave the cuffs pale cream for now and fill the main mitten body with deep red. Once dry, add a tiny pattern of green snowflake dots across each mitten, three or four dots is plenty.

Finish with white gel pen texture along the cuffs for a fuzzy fur look, and soft gray shading where the string dips lowest between the two mittens. Keep the pattern dots small and uneven, perfectly spaced dots can actually look less natural than a slightly random scatter.

Pine Cone With Berries

A pine cone starts as one simple oval, then a few curved lines across it like rows of overlapping scales. Kids can draw the rows as simple arcs, they do not need to count or match them exactly.

Ink the oval outline and each scale row, and this stage naturally adds texture even before any color goes down.

Cover the whole cone in warm brown first, then go back with a darker brown pencil to shade inside each scale row, giving the overlapping look real depth. A small cluster of red berries and a couple of green sprigs beside the base finish the natural grouping nicely.

White gel pen highlights along the top scales catch the light, and soft gray shadow underneath settles the cone onto whatever surface it sits on. If dark brown feels too strong at first, layer it thin and build up slowly rather than pressing hard in one pass.

Wreath on a Door

Draw a simple door shape first, just a tall rectangle with a few panel lines, then a plain circle wreath hanging in the center. A small bow shape sits at the top where the wreath hangs from a nail.

Ink the wreath circle, the door panels and the bow in fine black line, keeping the circle as even as you can manage, though a little wobble never hurts a wreath.

The door panel gets a pale gold wash to keep it warm without competing with the wreath. Fill the wreath circle completely with forest green, then add a deep red bow at the top along with a few small scattered berries around the greenery.

Finish with white gel pen highlight dots scattered through the green for texture, and soft gray shadow where the wreath touches the door so it looks like it is really hanging there. Keep the bow simple, two loops and two tails read clearly even at a small size.

Hot Cocoa by the Window

Sketch a simple mug shape sitting on a flat windowsill line, with a window frame behind it and a few small snowflake dots scattered outside. Keep the mug rounded and plain, it only needs a handle and a flat top rim.

Ink the mug, windowsill, window frame and snowflakes in fine black line, and this is a great stage for an adult to add a thin curl of steam rising from the mug.

Fill the window view with a pale blue wash for a cold outdoor feel, then warm brown fills the cocoa visible inside the mug’s rim. The mug itself gets a coat of deep red to stand out against the cool window behind it.

Finish with a few white gel pen marshmallow circles bobbing on top of the cocoa, white dots for snowflakes outside the glass, and soft gray shadow under the mug on the windowsill. Keep the steam line thin and curved, a single wavy stroke says more than several straight ones.

Little Sled in the Snow

A sled is just a few straight slats sitting on two curved runners, so sketch the flat rectangle top first, then the curved lines underneath that lift at the front. A small curved rope line at the front finishes the basic shape.

Ink the slats, runners and rope in fine black line, keeping the curves of the runners smooth since that curve is what makes it recognizably a sled.

Draw a soft snow mound underneath the sled with a pale blue gray wash, letting the color pool a little heavier where the sled sinks in. Fill the wooden slats with warm brown, then color the curved runners and rope in deep red for a cheerful pop against the brown.

White gel pen adds texture to the snow mound and a few sparkle dots, while soft gray shadow underneath grounds the sled firmly in the snow. Keep the brown slats slightly varied in tone, one or two shades lighter or darker gives a more natural wood look than one flat color.

Gingerbread Man Cookie

Draw a simple rounded figure, a little like a gingerbread cookie cutter shape, with short stubby arms and legs and a round head. This shape is nearly foolproof, even a very young child can manage the basic outline.

Ink the whole figure in one smooth fine black line, keeping the limbs nice and rounded rather than sharp or pointed.

Fill the entire cookie body with warm brown first, letting it dry fully before adding any white details on top. Once dry, use a white gel pen to draw icing lines along the arms, legs and a little collar at the neck, just like real gingerbread cookie decoration.

Small red and green dot buttons march down the center of the body for a festive touch, and a last pass of soft dark brown shading along one side gives the cookie some roundness instead of looking flat. If the white gel pen skips on top of brown pencil, let the brown dry a moment longer or press a touch firmer with the pen.

Bell With a Ribbon

A bell is just one rounded dome shape with a small circle clapper hanging inside, and a simple ribbon bow with two loops tied at the top. Keep the dome nice and round, a bell with flat sides loses its shape fast.

Ink the bell, the little hanging clapper and the ribbon bow in fine black line, and this stage is quick enough for even a short attention span.

Fill the whole bell with warm gold first, then the ribbon bow and its two trailing tails get a coat of deep red for contrast. Let the gold dry before adding a second layer of darker gold shading down one side of the bell to suggest its curve.

Finish with a white gel pen highlight stroke along the bell’s brightest curved edge, plus soft gray shadow underneath where it would rest or hang. Keep the darker gold shading only on one side, that single stripe of shadow is what makes the round shape read correctly.

Snow Globe With a Tree

Draw one large circle for the glass dome, a short rectangle base underneath, and a tiny simple triangle tree sitting inside the circle. Keeping the tree small leaves plenty of room for snowflakes to float around it later.

Ink the globe circle, the base and the little tree in fine black line, and this is a satisfying one for adults to help steady the big circle if a child’s hand wobbles.

Fill the inside of the globe with a very pale blue wash, leaving the tree shape itself to color separately in forest green. The short base underneath gets a warm gold fill to look like a solid stand.

Finish with a white gel pen scattering small snowflake dots throughout the globe’s interior, plus one curved highlight stroke along the glass edge to suggest shine. Keep the pale blue wash thin so the white snowflake dots still stand out clearly once added on top.

Plate of Christmas Cookies

Draw one simple oval plate shape, then three small cookie shapes on top, maybe a star, a circle and a tree. Keep each cookie shape plain, the icing details added later will carry most of the personality.

Ink the plate edge and each cookie outline in fine black line, keeping the cookie shapes a little uneven since real cookies never come out perfectly matched.

Give the plate a pale cream wash so it stays light behind the cookies, then fill each cookie shape with warm gold for that baked dough color. Red and green icing details go on next, a star gets a red outline, a tree gets small green dots, whatever feels festive for each shape.

White gel pen adds a drizzle of icing across each cookie top, and soft gray shadow underneath the plate settles it onto the table. Vary how much icing each cookie gets, one plain, one heavily decorated, it keeps the plate looking natural rather than repeated.

Fox in a Scarf

A sitting fox is mostly a rounded triangle body, pointed ears, a long bushy tail curling around the side, and a simple scarf drawn as a loop around the neck. Kids usually find the pointed ears and tail the fun part to draw.

Ink the fox body, ears, tail and scarf in fine black line, keeping the tail nice and full since it balances the small body shape.

Fill the whole fox orange first, including the tail, then switch to a white gel pen to mark the chest, chin and tail tip, which stay white rather than orange. The scarf gets a coat of deep red, wrapped simply around the neck in one loop.

Finish with soft brown shading along the inner ears and underneath the tail to give the fox some depth and roundness. If the orange looks flat once dry, a thin second layer along the back and tail edge adds just enough shading without much extra effort.

Lantern on a Porch

Sketch a simple square or hexagon lantern shape hanging from a hook, with a short candle shape inside, and one straight porch post line beside it. Keep the lantern frame plain, a few straight lines are all it needs.

Ink the lantern frame, the candle and the porch post in fine black line, and this is a nice moment for an adult to add a tiny chain link pattern on the hanging hook.

The night sky behind gets a pale blue gray wash, kept soft and even. Inside the lantern, a warm gold glow fills the space around the candle, making the whole scene feel lit from within.

A small red berry sprig tied to the lantern hook adds one cheerful detail, and white gel pen finishes the candle flame with a bright highlight plus a scatter of snow dots falling across the dark sky. Keep the gold glow soft at the edges rather than sharp, it reads much more like real candlelight that way. For more cozy winter ideas, see winter oil painting ideas for beginners for a change of medium.

What to Do Next

Pick one small scene that catches your eye, gather a few colored pencils and a fine liner, and work through it stage by stage with whoever wants to join you at the table. If this collection leaves you wanting more subjects to try next, the cozy beginner pencil sketches make a nice next stop.

Frequently Asked Questions

What paper works best for step by step drawing christmas projects with colored pencils?

A smooth to lightly textured white drawing paper works best, heavy enough that fine liner pens do not bleed through. Regular printer paper is too thin for repeated layers of colored pencil and will tear under erasing.

How do I keep colored pencil from looking patchy on these Christmas drawings?

Build color in two or three light layers instead of pressing hard once, moving the pencil in small circles rather than straight lines. Patchy spots usually mean the first layer was too heavy or uneven to begin with.

Can young children really finish a whole scene in one sitting?

Yes, most of these scenes are planned in four to six simple stages so a young child can manage the shapes and first colors while an adult adds the smaller finishing details. Splitting the stages across two short sessions works just as well.

Do I need to ink every drawing before adding color?

Scenes with a background benefit from fine ink outlines since they hold the whole picture together once color goes down. Single simple objects like an ornament or a candy cane can sometimes skip straight to colored pencil if the shapes are bold enough.

What if I do not have the exact pencil colors listed for a project?

Swap in the closest warm red, green or gold you already own, since the swatches shown are a guide rather than a strict requirement. Christmas colors are forgiving, a slightly different shade of red or green will still look right.