60 ideas

Drawing Present Ideas to Make and Give

Deal three drawings to make as a present, each with what to find out first and how to finish it.

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Their favorite word, written fancy, plain and tinyAsk them, as if it were nothing. Three sizes down one page. Sign it and mount it on card.
Labels for the jars in their kitchenLook at what the jars hold: flour, rice, tea. Letter each name in a drawn frame on sticker paper. Tuck in an envelope.
Their bookshelf with the real titles on the spinesPhotograph one shelf when you visit. Letter each spine. Trim the drawing into a long bookmark shape.

Next step Everyday objects to draw Bookmark designs to draw

All 60 ideas

Their place 12

The bench where they always sit, with what they see from it Visit it yourself with a sketchbook. Add the date in one corner and slip the drawing into a card mount.
The country they were born in, filled with small drawings Ask what they miss most: a food, a hill, a sound. Fill the outline with those. Mount on plain white.
The lake cabin they go back to every summer Ask which summer they remember most and write that year below. Mount it on card the color of the water.
The oldest tree in their yard, with its swing Ask who hung the swing and when. Draw the trunk wide and the rope long. Write the year below and frame it.
The street they grew up on, from an old photograph Find out the street name from a relative. Write it under the drawing and frame it behind glass.
Their balcony, railing to rooftop view Stand on it at your next visit and sketch the view over the rail. Fold the finished sheet into a card.
Their city on a hand-drawn postcard Find out their three favorite sights. Draw them in three boxes, add a stamp and write on the back.
Their home as a dollhouse cutaway, a story per room Ask the family for one story per room. Draw the house with its front off and write each in. Roll and tie it.
Their hometown as a row of rooftops Find three buildings they would know at once. Ink the row along a wide strip and mount it on dark card.
Their house from the sidewalk, drawn brick by brick Ask for a photo taken from the street. Mount it on stiff card with the house number lettered below.
Their usual dog-walking route as a ribbon map Ask where they turn and where the dog always stops. Dot each stop, label it and roll the sheet in a ribbon.
The view from their kitchen window Stand at the window, or ask someone to send the view. Draw the frame too. A plain wood frame suits it.

Their people and pets 12

A faded family snapshot redrawn in sharp pencil Ask who each person is and write the names on the back. Keep the photo's date in one corner. Frame it.
A new baby's name and birth date around a sleeping face Check the spelling and the date with a parent. Letter them in a ring. Tie the rolled sheet with ribbon.
A portrait of them doing what they do every morning Ask someone who lives with them what that is. Draw it from the side. Sign it and fold it into a card.
The people they work with, as one group cartoon Get a list of names and one detail for each person. Leave a wide border for signatures, then frame it.
Their child's favorite toy, drawn like a formal portrait Borrow the toy for an hour or work from a photo. Give it a title plate below. Mount it in an oval.
Their family lined up on a hilltop, backs to you Ask where they went on their last trip together. Put that view beyond the hill. Frame without a mount.
Their grandchildren as a litter of puppies in a basket Find out each child's hair color and give a puppy the same. Names on the basket rim. Fold as a card.
Their pet napping where it is not allowed Find out where that is: the sofa arm, the clean laundry, the pillow. Fold the sheet as a card.
Their pet watching for them at the window Ask when they get home and where the pet waits. Draw it from outside, looking in. Fold the sheet as a card.
Their pet's outline filled with all its nicknames Ask the household for every name the pet answers to. Letter them inside the shape. Mount on a bright card.
Them and their closest friend laughing, from a snapshot Borrow the photo from the friend so it stays a surprise. Draw it twice, one for each, and fold both as cards.
The whole family as toothbrushes in one cup Ask everyone's favorite color. One brush each in that color, a name on every handle. Mount it small.

Their things 12

The one work tool they would never lend Ask a colleague what it is: a whisk, a wrench, a red pen. Draw it large. Letter their job title below and frame it.
Their bookshelf with the real titles on the spines Photograph one shelf when you visit. Letter each spine. Trim the drawing into a long bookmark shape.
Their camera with the strap looped beside it Ask which camera they started with. Draw that one. Mount it with a wide border, like a print.
Their collection lined up along one shelf Count what they collect and pick the eight best. Draw each with a tiny number. Roll it in a ribbon.
Their favorite mug, chips and all Look at which mug they reach for first. Draw it at its real size. Roll the drawing and tie it with ribbon.
Their first car, from a photo in the family album Ask the make, the color and where it took them. Letter the year below. Fold the sheet as a card.
Their instrument resting in its open case Ask for a photo or sketch it at a rehearsal. Add the first notes of a tune they play. Mount on black.
Their oldest stuffed bear, worn patches included Find out its name and how old it is. Write both on a small label below. A round mount suits it.
Their signature dish as a six-box cooking comic Ask them to cook it once while you take notes. One step in each box. Slip it into a clear sleeve.
Their sunglasses with a favorite place in the lenses Find out the beach, hill or street they would pick. Draw it twice, once in each lens. Mount it wide.
Their usual coffee order as a labeled diagram Listen to how they order. Draw the cup cut open with a label on each layer. Fold the sheet into a card.
Their wristwatch showing one important hour Find out the hour: a birth, a finish line, a first day. Write what it marks on the back. Frame it small.

Made to use 12

A birthday calendar with every family date filled in Collect the dates from one relative. Twelve small pages, a drawing for each month. Punch and add a cord.
A coloring page of their own house for their kids Ask for a photo of the front. Draw it in bold outline only, no shading. Roll it and tie it with string.
A memory game with their family's faces on the cards Collect a photo of each face. Draw every one twice on squares of card. Pack them in a small box.
A sign for the door of their room or office Check how they spell the name they go by. Letter it large with a border. Punch two holes for a cord.
Bookplates that say this book belongs to them Find out what they read. Draw one design four times on a sheet, cut them apart and tuck in an envelope.
Eight gift tags, a new doodle on each Find out who they give to most. Cut eight tags from card, punch a hole and thread each with string.
Folded name cards for their next big meal Get the guest list from the host. A name and a small drawing on each card. Stack them in seating order.
Gift wrap patterned with their favorite animal Ask which animal that is and repeat it small in rows across brown paper. Wrap a gift in the sheet.
Labels for the jars in their kitchen Look at what the jars hold: flour, rice, tea. Letter each name in a drawn frame on sticker paper. Tuck in an envelope.
Plant markers for the pots on their windowsill Ask what they are growing. Letter each name on a wooden stick and draw the leaf. Tie the set with twine.
Recipe cards edged with tiny vegetables Ask what they cook most and draw those along the top edge. Rule lines for writing. Bundle ten in a band.
Six note cards with one small drawing in the corner Find out what they like to look at: birds, boats, bikes. Fold six, add envelopes and tie the stack.

One evening or less 12

A coin-size scene of the place they miss Ask where they would go tomorrow if they could. Draw it inside a circle traced around a coin. Mount it wide.
A date that matters to them in decorated numerals Find out the day, month and year. One pattern for each part. Tie the rolled sheet with ribbon.
A desk object of theirs with its long shadow Look at what they keep closest. Draw it at its real size, shadow and all. A square mount finishes it.
A seed pod or pine cone from their street, drawn large Pick one up on your way out. Draw every scale. Write the street and the date below. Slip it into a book.
A stick-figure family with every name beneath Count heads and pets before you start. Line them up by height. Fold the sheet into a card.
The kitchen radio they sing along to Notice the dial, the handle and where the antenna points. Draw it front on. Mount it on bright card.
Their favorite bird on a single branch Find out which bird they stop to watch. Leave the background white. Fold the sheet as a card.
Their favorite sweater, folded, every stripe in place Notice which one they wear most. Draw it folded square, pattern and all. Mount it on card in a matching color.
Their favorite word, written fancy, plain and tiny Ask them, as if it were nothing. Three sizes down one page. Sign it and mount it on card.
Their house number, lettered large and decorated Look at the number on the door for its style. Fill each numeral with pattern. Mount on dark card.
Their mailbox, drawn from the road, name and all Look at how the name and number are painted on it. Draw it side on, flag up. Fold the sheet as a card.
Their shadow portrait in an oval mount Ask for a side-on photo. Trace the outline of the head, fill it in solid black and mount it in an oval.

How this list was compiled

Original list written for Draw This Next on 2026-10-01: 60 drawings to make and give, sorted by what the drawing shows. Every hint says what to ask or find out first and how to finish the drawing (a mount, a fold, a ribbon, a frame). No product, shop or brand is named and nothing here is a thing to buy. Read beside things-to-draw-for-your-grandma, things-to-draw-for-your-best-friend, things-to-draw-for-your-boyfriend, drawings-for-teachers and fathers-day-drawing-ideas; an idea one of them holds was left out or replaced (a pet's framed portrait, a catchphrase in letters, a cartoon of the person, woven initials), and where a subject is shared (a pet, a car, a map) this list takes another angle. No item repeats or nearly repeats a title from any other list on the site. No facts are stated. Licence: own work

How it works

These drawing present ideas are gifts you make, not things to buy for someone who draws. Each is a drawing of something that is theirs, with what to ask first and how to finish it.

Read the full guide

Drawing gift ideas, sorted by what the drawing shows

A dropdown lets you pick the group that fits what you know about them. Their place starts from an address: Their house from the sidewalk, drawn brick by brick. Their people and pets starts from a photo. Their things starts from one object, such as Their favorite mug, chips and all.

Find out first, finish last

Every hint has two halves. The first is the detail to get right before you draw: a street name, a spelling, the hour on a watch. The second is how to finish it: a mount, a fold, a ribbon or a frame.

Gift drawing ideas with a job to do sit in Made to use: tags, name cards, jar labels.
Short of time? One evening or less holds quick ones, such as Their house number, lettered large and decorated.

Questions and answers

What are good drawing ideas for gifts?

A drawing of something only they have: their street, their pet, their oldest stuffed bear. Their home as a dollhouse cutaway, a story per room works for a family, because the stories come from them.

What can I draw as a gift if I am not good at drawing?

Choose an idea that leans on lettering or simple lines. Their favorite word, written fancy, plain and tiny needs neat letters more than drawing, and A stick-figure family with every name beneath is drawn in a few strokes each.

How do I make a drawing look like a present?

Finish it. The hints suggest a card mount, a fold into a card, or a roll tied with ribbon. Sign it and write the date on the front or the back.

Is this a list of gifts for someone who likes to draw?

No. This page lists drawings to make and give. It does not list things to buy for someone who draws.