60 doodles

Christmas Doodle Ideas

Sixty small Christmas motifs for cards, tags and margins, each with the first strokes to draw.

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A nutcracker soldier's face and hatA tall hat, a square face with a big smile of teeth, and a beard below. Keep it upright and stiff.
A tree with a garland looping round itDraw the tree outline, then S-shaped garland lines crossing it, with small dots along each.
A spiral tree like a springDraw a spiral that gets wider as it comes down, and a star at the very top of the spiral.

Next step Fuller Christmas subjects

All 60 doodles

Trees and baubles 14

A bauble with a tiny face reflected in it A big circle with a curved window highlight, and a small smiling face in the shine.
A bauble with a zigzag band A circle with a small cap and loop, then two lines across the middle joined by a zigzag.
A paper star ornament with a string A five-point star, a line from each point to the middle, and a string loop at the top.
A row of baubles hanging at different heights Short and long threads from a top line, each ending in a bauble with its own pattern.
A snowy fir top poking into a page corner Just the top half of a tree in one corner, snow resting on its branch tips.
A spiral tree like a spring Draw a spiral that gets wider as it comes down, and a star at the very top of the spiral.
A teardrop ornament with stripes A long teardrop pointing down, a cap on top and curved stripes across it.
A tree drawn as one zigzag line Start at the top and zigzag down, each stroke wider than the last. Close it with a flat base line.
A tree in a pot with one bauble A small bushy tree in a round pot, and one big round bauble hanging off its side.
A tree made of three stacked triangles Three triangles, each a little smaller, overlapping upwards. A small square trunk and a star on top.
A tree made only of wrapped presents Stack boxes in a triangle, biggest at the bottom, each with a ribbon cross and a small bow.
A tree of dots in a triangle Pencil a triangle, then fill it with dots of three colours and rub the pencil out.
A tree with a garland looping round it Draw the tree outline, then S-shaped garland lines crossing it, with small dots along each.
A tree with lights drawn as tiny circles Draw the tree outline, then a looping wire across it with small circles along the wire.

Borders and tags 12

A border of holly leaves and berries Spiky leaves along a ruled line, in pairs, with three round berries where each pair meets.
A candy cane stripe border Rule a band, then slanted stripes across it. Keep every stripe at the same angle.
A corner of pine sprigs and a bow Two sprigs crossing in the corner, needles as short strokes, and a bow tied over where they cross.
A divider of snowflakes and dots Small snowflakes along a line with three dots between each pair.
A gift tag with a sprig of holly A tag with two corners clipped, a hole with a string, and a small holly sprig in one corner.
A label for a jar of homemade sweets An oval with a scalloped edge, a line for the words, and a small star or holly at the top.
A mistletoe sprig hanging from a heading Write the heading, then a short ribbon down from it with a sprig of paired leaves and white berries.
A string of lights along the top of a page A sagging wire, then small bulbs hanging every inch. Colour them in a repeating order.
A tag shaped like a mitten A mitten outline with a string through the cuff and space for a name across the hand.
A to and from tag with two lines A rectangle tag, the words TO and FROM on two lines, and a small star after each.
A wrapping paper pattern of tiny trees Fill a square with small triangle trees in rows, turning every other row upside down.
Paper chain links spelling out a countdown Oval links in a sagging line, each with one number on it, counting down from ten.

Easy 17

A bell pair tied with a ribbon Two bell shapes tilted towards each other, a clapper under each, a bow where they meet.
A candle with a holly ring at its base A tall rectangle candle, a teardrop flame, and a ring of holly leaves round the bottom.
A card front with one bauble on a long thread One thread from the top of the card and one bauble near the middle. Leave the rest white.
A card of a single red mitten on a peg A short line with a peg, and one mitten hanging from it, a snowflake on its back.
A Christmas pudding with a face, looking worried A dome with a wavy icing top, dots for fruit, and two eyes glancing at a spoon beside it.
A cookie star with a bite missing A five-point star with icing dots, and one point replaced by a curved bite shape.
A gingerbread person with icing buttons A round head and star-shaped body, a wavy icing line on the arms and legs, three dot buttons.
A penguin carrying a present bigger than itself An egg-shaped penguin leaning back, flippers round a tall box with a bow on top.
A present-shaped card with a ribbon cross A square card front, two ribbon bands crossing in the middle and a bow on top.
A reindeer face with a round red nose An upside-down pear for the face, two branching antlers, two dot eyes and a big circle nose.
A robin in a Santa hat A round bird with a red front, a thin beak and a floppy red hat with a white pompom.
A snowman holding a candy cane Two circles, a carrot nose, one stick arm holding a striped hook shape.
A stack of three presents, each a new pattern Three boxes stacked and turned slightly. Stripes on one, dots on the next, stars on the top one.
A star on top of a page heading Write the heading, then a five-point star above the middle letter, with three short rays.
A stocking with a patched heel An L-shaped sock, a fluffy cuff at the top and a square patch stitched on the heel.
An elf hat with a bell on the tip A long cone flopping over at the top, a folded band at the bottom and a small bell at the tip.
An envelope with a holly seal A rectangle with a V flap, and a small holly leaf pair with berries where the flap closes.

Cute 7

A cracker with two hands pulling it A tube with frilled ends, a hand at each end, and a small bang burst in the middle.
A hedgehog with baubles on its spikes A half-circle hedgehog, short spike strokes, and three small baubles hanging from the spikes.
A mouse peeking out of the toe of a stocking A stocking with a small hole in the toe, and a mouse face and paws poking out of it.
A mug of cocoa wearing a Santa hat A mug from the side, a smiling face on it, and a small red hat sitting on the rim.
A polar bear hugging a present A round white bear sitting, both arms wrapped round a box with a bow.
A tiny house in a snow globe with a bow A circle on a base, a house inside with a lit window, snow dots and a bow tied on the base.
Two mugs clinking with steam hearts Two mugs tipped towards each other, a small star where they touch, and heart-shaped steam.

Detailed 8

A fireplace with three stockings A rectangle mantel over an arch, three stockings hanging from it, and flames in the arch.
A gingerbread house with an icing roof A square house, a triangle roof with wavy icing drips, sweets for the windows and door.
A nutcracker soldier's face and hat A tall hat, a square face with a big smile of teeth, and a beard below. Keep it upright and stiff.
A shooting star over a small town A row of tiny rooftops along the bottom and one star streaking across the sky with a trail.
A sleigh from the side, loaded with presents A curved seat on runners that curl up at the front, and a stack of boxes in the back.
A snowy scene seen through a round window A circle frame in the middle of the card, a tiny house and trees inside, snow everywhere.
A window with a candle and falling snow Four panes, a candle on the sill with a teardrop flame, and dots of snow outside.
A wreath with a bow at the bottom Pencil two circles, fill the ring with small leaf shapes, then a big bow at the bottom.

For cards 2

A tree-shaped card with a star cut-out Draw a triangle tree filling the card, then a star at the top and dots down the middle.
MERRY in letters made of candy canes Build each letter from curved striped hooks. The M is two canes back to back.

How it works

Christmas doodles at thumbnail size: trees, baubles, gift tags, holly borders and a gingerbread person with icing buttons. Each of the 60 says which lines go first. Deal three, then pick a group.

Read the full guide

Trees and baubles in a few lines

Trees and baubles holds 14. A tree made of three stacked triangles and a spiral tree like a spring take seconds; a tree made only of wrapped presents fills a page. Give each bauble one curved highlight and it shines.

Doodle ideas for Christmas cards and tags

Borders and tags holds 12, from a candy cane stripe border to a to and from tag with two lines. For card fronts there are 16, such as MERRY in letters made of candy canes. Doodle a dozen tags on one sheet and cut them apart.

Keep to red, green and one metallic pen. More colours make small doodles look busy.
Leave paper blank for snow and shine rather than adding white pen on top.

Questions and answers

What are some cute Christmas doodle ideas?

Choose Cute in the list under the button for 17: a robin in a Santa hat, a hedgehog with baubles on its spikes, a polar bear hugging a present. Round bodies and dot eyes keep them friendly.

Which Christmas doodles are easiest?

Easy holds 30. A bauble with a zigzag band and a tree of dots in a triangle need no drawing skill, only a steady outline.

How are these different from Christmas drawing ideas?

Those are fuller subjects to spend an hour on. These are small motifs for a margin, a tag or an envelope, each built from a few lines.