Christmas art always carries a kind of warmth that’s hard to describe, maybe it’s the reds and greens, or maybe it’s how everything feels a little slower, softer. If you’re new to watercolor, Christmas themes are perfect to start with. The subjects are familiar, forgiving, and full of nostalgia.
I’ve seen beginners go from stiff snowmen to glowing candle scenes just by understanding a few watercolor tricks. So, if you’ve got your palette, let’s paint something that feels like home this season.
Also see: 20 Vintage Christmas Art Ideas to Try This Year
1. Cozy Snow-Covered Cabin
A classic, and surprisingly easy. Use soft wet-on-wet strokes to blend cool blues for the sky, then layer the cabin with warm siennas and gentle smoke coming from the chimney.
Pro tip: Don’t overwork the snow. Let the paper white show through, it’s your best snow pigment.
Try this: Paint a tiny golden window glow, it instantly adds life.
2. Hanging Christmas Ornaments
Spheres are great for beginners to practice shading. Paint 2–3 colorful ornaments hanging from pine branches.
Keep the highlights crisp (just don’t paint that spot) and let the edges bleed slightly for a dreamy look.
Quick story: I once taught this to a class of retirees, and one student’s ornament “accidentally” bled into another, she turned it into a reflection. That’s the watercolor spirit.
3. Gingerbread House
It’s whimsical and full of color. Start with a light ochre base, then layer candy details in bright reds, pinks, and minty greens. Don’t outline too soon, let the colors breathe first.
Insider trick: Mix burnt sienna with a little ultramarine to create soft cookie shadows without dulling them.
4. Christmas Candles with Soft Glow
This one looks harder than it is. Use wet-on-dry technique for the candles, then blend gentle halos of yellow and orange around the flames.
Pro tip: Add salt to the wet background for a grainy, magical bokeh effect.
5. Wreath of Winter Greens
Ever notice how watercolor greens can get muddy fast? Try mixing different greens, olive, sap, and a touch of indigo for depth. Then add berries in scarlet for contrast.
Small test: Paint it circular but imperfect. The charm is in the looseness.
6. Snowman Family
Snowmen are the best practice for shading white.
Use a touch of cerulean blue or lavender on the shadow side and keep the rest untouched. Add little scarves, carrot noses, and hats for personality.
Question: Have you ever noticed how a bit of crookedness makes them look more real? Embrace that.
7. Rustic Christmas Tree
Instead of painting every branch, try using negative space, paint the background and let the tree form naturally. Layer in deeper greens and maybe a few splatters for snow.
Pro insight: Use a toothbrush to flick white gouache for a fine snow dusting at the end.
8. Hot Cocoa Mug
A red mug with marshmallows? Perfect practice for round shapes and soft gradients.
Use warm browns for cocoa and layer steam in transparent gray swirls.
Memory: My first cocoa painting ended up with marshmallows that looked like stones. I kept it anyway, that’s how you learn softness in watercolor.
9. Christmas Lights Tangle
Paint a messy loop of string lights, then fill in glowing bulbs with rich, saturated colors. Let them slightly blur outwards to mimic real light.
Pro trick: Add a touch of clean water around the bulb edges before dropping in color, it blooms naturally.
10. Winter Night Sky with Stars
This teaches you gradient control beautifully. Start dark indigo at the top, fade into lighter blue toward the horizon. Then sprinkle stars using white gouache or acrylic.
Bonus tip: Paint a small silhouette of a reindeer or pine forest at the bottom for balance.
11. Gift Boxes with Ribbons
Simple shapes, endless color combos. Paint three stacked boxes, each with different wrapping patterns, stripes, polka dots, or plaid.
Industry note: Many illustrators reuse these as card motifs because they scale beautifully from small cards to posters.
12. Christmas Cookies on a Plate
Cookies are fun to layer, warm base, then details like icing using gouache on top. You’ll practice both transparency and opacity control here.
Personal insight: Keep a few cookies nearby while painting, yes, for reference, obviously.
13. Red Cardinal on a Snowy Branch
Every winter painting set needs a cardinal.
The contrast of red against white snow is striking, even for beginners. Use quick, bold brushstrokes for feathers, and don’t over-detail.
Pro tip: Use masking fluid to protect snow areas before you start painting the bird.
14. Santa’s Hat Still Life
A single red hat draped on a table edge, it’s simple but emotional. Focus on fabric texture using soft gradients of crimson and deep red. The white fur trim? Just leave it unpainted, add hints of cool shadows.
15. Candy Canes in a Jar
Practice transparency here, paint a glass jar with minimal strokes. Use soft blue-gray shadows to suggest glass, not outline it. Then fill it with red-striped candy canes.
Question: Ever realize how reflections can tell a story too? Try painting one faint candy reflection in the glass.
16. Christmas Village Street
A few cozy houses, warm windows, and maybe a lamppost. Use a light wash of blue-gray for snow and yellow-orange for window glow.
Industry tip: This kind of composition sells well as prints because it feels story-like even without characters.
17. Reindeer Silhouette
Start with a soft gradient background, pinks, purples, and icy blues, then overlay a dark reindeer silhouette. It’s minimal but striking. You’ll learn layering and timing (the background must be fully dry).
18. Holly Leaves and Berries Close-up
Great study piece for beginners learning textures. Mix two greens: one cool, one warm, and let them blend on paper for a natural leaf look.
Add tiny veins with a slightly darker mix.
Quick trick: Dab tissue to lift highlights for a dewy look.
19. Christmas Stocking with Patterns
Use any color scheme you like. The fun part is adding texture, tiny dots, zigzags, stars. You can tape the edges of the stocking shape first to keep it crisp.
Small insight: This is a great warm-up exercise before doing bigger compositions.
20. Snowy Window Scene
This one feels nostalgic. Paint a cozy window frame, a candle or tree inside, and snowflakes outside. You’ll learn depth layering, warm tones for the inside, cool tones for outside.
Memory: I once painted this on a gray December day when the light in my room looked just like the painting. That’s when I realized watercolor can feel like weather.
A Few Practical Beginner Tips (From Experience)
- Use thicker paper (300 gsm), Christmas themes use a lot of water for snow and light effects.
- Let things dry. Rushing between layers is what turns magic into mud.
- Limit your palette. Too many reds and greens can look like wrapping paper chaos. Choose 3–4 main colors.
- Enjoy the imperfections. The best Christmas art looks slightly uneven, that’s what makes it feel handmade.
Final Thought
Christmas watercolor painting isn’t about perfection; it’s about the feeling, that quiet glow of sitting by a warm lamp while the world feels soft and slow.
So make a cup of cocoa, put on some slow carols, and paint something small today. Even a crooked snowman or a glowing candle can hold more holiday spirit than you’d expect.
Because really, what’s more Christmas than that?