There is no lower-pressure, higher-joy way to get festive than a page of little Christmas doodles. No perfect proportions, no rules — just a pen, a quiet ten minutes and a whole page slowly filling up with baubles, holly and cheerful little snowmen.
Christmas doodles are perfect for planners, bullet journals, gift tags, cards and cosy evenings on the sofa. And because they are meant to be small and simple, they are genuinely something anyone can do, even if you swear you cannot draw.
To make starting even easier, I have made you a free Christmas Drawing Templates — printable pages with step-by-step doodles to trace and copy until they feel like your own. Pop your email in below to grab it.
Table of Contents
Why Christmas doodles are the easiest festive art there is
A doodle is, by definition, allowed to be imperfect. That is the whole point. Christmas doodles lean on shapes you already know — circles for baubles, triangles for trees, simple curves for candy canes — so there is nothing new to learn, only to enjoy.
If you want even more ideas once you are warmed up, my Christmas things to draw post and my simple doodle ideas collection are full of them.
What you need (almost nothing)
- Any pen you like — a fineliner is lovely but a biro is perfectly fine
- A notebook, planner or scrap of paper
- Optional: a few festive colours (red, green, gold) for filling in
20 Christmas doodles to draw
Work through these one at a time. Draw each a few times — they get better and looser the more you repeat them.
- A round bauble with a little cap and a highlight left white.
- A simple Christmas tree — a stack of three triangles with a star on top.
- A candy cane — a walking-stick shape with diagonal stripes.
- A sprig of holly — two leaves and three berries.
- A gift box with a bow.
- A snowman — two circles, a carrot nose, a scarf.
- A gingerbread person with icing squiggles.
- A star — five points, or a simple sparkle.
- A snowflake — a cross plus little branches.
- A Christmas stocking.
- A string of fairy lights.
- A mug of cocoa with steam and a marshmallow.
- A wreath — a circle of tiny leaves and a bow.
- A robin — a plump oval with a red breast.
- A bell with a ribbon.
- A mince pie with a pastry star.
- A pinecone.
- A Santa hat.
- A cracker — a sweet-wrapper shape.
- A tiny present tag to tie it all together.
For more everyday practice, my journal doodle ideas and easy doodles to draw posts keep the momentum going all year.
How to turn your doodles into a border or card
Once you have a few favourites, string them along the top and bottom of a page for an instant festive border, cluster three or four in a corner as a card motif, or repeat one doodle in a neat grid for wrapping paper you made yourself.
Frequently asked questions
How do you draw a simple Christmas doodle?
Start with a shape you already know — a circle for a bauble, a triangle for a tree — then add one or two small details like a cap, a star or a stripe. Repeat it a few times and it quickly starts to feel natural.
What are easy Christmas things to doodle for beginners?
Baubles, holly, stars, candy canes and simple trees are the easiest, because they are built from basic circles, triangles and lines.
What pen is best for doodling?
A fineliner gives crisp lines, but any pen you already own works. The key is a comfortable grip and ink that does not smudge.
Where can I use Christmas doodles?
Planners, bullet journals, gift tags, greeting cards, envelopes and hand-drawn wrapping paper — anywhere a small festive touch is welcome.