Last Updated on October 1, 2026 by Dee
Christmas watercolor paintings don’t have to be complicated. The ones that look best on a card or a gift tag are usually the quickest: a loose holly sprig, a round red bauble, a robin with a blob of orange for a breast. Big wet brush, a few minutes, done.
Today we’re painting a holly sprig, and the template is free. Pop your email in just below and I’ll send it over with a painted reference and a page on how to paint it, so you can print it on watercolour paper and paint along.
Get the free holly sprig watercolor template
Once it lands in your inbox, print it at 100% on A4 watercolour paper, then scroll down for the step by step.
Table of Contents
What We’re Painting
Quick answer: a loose holly sprig. Three spiky leaves, a cluster of red berries and a little brown twig, painted wet-in-wet on a printed pencil outline.
The outline does the drawing for you, so all you have to think about is the paint. It’s a lovely first Christmas painting if you’re a beginner, and a good warm-up if you’re not. Paint a few and you’ve got the start of a stack of homemade Christmas cards.
What You Need
Nothing fancy. I’ll tell you what kind of colour you need, so you can find something similar in your own box.
- A fresh yellow-green and a deep green for the leaves.
- A bright red for the berries.
- A warm brown for the twig.
- A size 6 to 8 round brush with a good point. Bigger is better for loose painting.
- The template, printed onto watercolour paper.
- A jar of clean water and a bit of kitchen roll.
Any student watercolour set will do. A cheerful little box paints holly just as happily as an expensive one. And if you’re after more festive inspiration, my Christmas watercolor ideas are a good place to start.
How to Paint a Loose Holly Sprig
Quick answer: paint each leaf wet-in-wet with two greens, leave a thin white shine, add round red berries with a dot of white, a brown twig, then fine veins once it’s dry.
Step 1: two greens, wet in wet
Paint one leaf at a time with plenty of water. Start with the yellow-green in the middle of the leaf, then touch the deep green in round the edges while it’s still wet. Let the two blend on their own. Don’t chase it with the brush.
Step 2: leave a sliver of white
As you paint each leaf, skip a thin line of paper along one edge. That little untouched shine is what makes holly look glossy, and it’s the bit people notice first.
Step 3: round red berries
Paint five little circles in bright red, leaving a tiny dot of white paper near the top of each one. If two berries touch and bleed together, leave them. It looks more natural.
Step 4: a brown twig
One stroke of warm brown down the stem with the tip of the brush. A slight wobble is good.
Step 5: veins last, then stop
When the leaves are completely dry, add a fine line of deep green down the middle of each. Flick a few dots of green off the brush if you like. Then put the brush down. Really.
8 More Easy Christmas Watercolor Ideas
Once your holly is dry, here are some more quick Christmas subjects that suit the same loose, wet-in-wet approach.
- A red bauble. One round shape, a darker red on one side, and a white shine left on the other.
- A robin. A soft brown back, a blob of orange-red for the breast, a dot for the eye.
- A loose wreath. Little green leaf strokes round a circle, with a few red dots and a bow.
- A candle. A cream column with a glowing yellow flame and a soft halo around it.
- A gold star. Yellow ochre wet-in-wet with a touch of orange in the middle.
- A gingerbread man. Warm brown, then white icing details once it’s dry.
- A snowman. Paint the shadows in pale blue-grey and leave the rest as paper.
- A candy cane. Red stripes on white paper, slightly wobbly.
For card ideas, have a look at my watercolor Christmas cards, and for more templates to paint there’s my bigger Christmas watercolor templates collection.
Five Tips for Quick, Loose Christmas Paintings
- Use a bigger brush than feels comfortable. It stops you fiddling.
- Let colours meet on the paper, not on the palette.
- Leave white paper. Shines and highlights are the quickest way to make something look finished.
- Paint three at once. By the time you finish the third, the first is dry for its details.
- Stop early. Loose paintings look best with a few soft edges left alone.
Twenty Easy Christmas Paintings
Easy Christmas Watercolour Templates is coming on Monday 9 November.
It’s twenty quick Christmas subjects drawn as soft pencil outlines: the holly sprig you’ve just painted, a robin, a red bauble, a loose wreath, a candle, a poinsettia, a gingerbread man, a snowman, a stocking and more. Each one is paintable in a few minutes, and each comes with a painted reference and a colour inspiration card.
Grab the free holly template above and you’ll hear about it in my newsletter the week it’s ready.
Love painting from templates? New watercolour template sets go up on my Patreon too, with painted references so you can see where the colour goes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the holly template really free?
Yes. Pop your email in the box at the top of the post and the PDF comes straight to your inbox. You can also download it right away from the thank-you message.
What paper should I print it on?
Watercolour paper if your printer will take it, fed through one sheet at a time. Print at 100% on A4 (turn off “fit to page”).
I’m a complete beginner. Is this too hard?
Not at all. The outline is already drawn and the holly is meant to be loose. If a leaf bleeds into a berry, it just looks more like watercolour.
Can I sell cards I paint from the template?
Yes, you can sell what you paint by hand. Please don’t share or sell the template file itself.
Print the holly tonight, put the kettle on and paint a few. Then come back and tell me how it went. I’d genuinely love to see yours.
Happy painting!
Dee x