16 Easy Christmas Doodles for Your Journal (Step by Step)

Easy Christmas doodles can turn a plain journal page into a little holiday keepsake. A tiny tree beside the date, a holly sprig near a heading or a gift next to a thoughtful memory gives you a festive detail without filling every inch of the page.

These 16 drawings start with simple shapes and build up in four stages: outline, structure, details and color. You will find four Christmas tree variations, botanical accents and small holiday objects. The illustrated guides show the same designs as the free five-page printable below, so you can keep the steps beside you while you draw.

Get the free Christmas doodles guide

What you need for easy Christmas doodles

Start with a pencil, eraser, a fine pen and a scrap of the paper you plan to use. Colored pencils are enough to add sage green, warm red and a touch of gold. You can also leave the drawings as simple outlines. A ruler is optional: relaxed shapes suit this kind of journaling.

Try your pen and colors on the scrap first, especially if your journal has thin pages. Let the ink dry before erasing pencil marks, and check the back of the test paper for bleed-through. If it shows through, draw on a separate piece and attach it to your page instead. Our beginner junk journal supplies guide covers a few other useful basics.

Draw each motif a little larger while learning, then repeat it at the size you want in your journal. Follow each row from left to right. The final panel shows one color idea, rather than an extra outline you need to add. A slightly crooked line is fine; the main shape matters more than perfect symmetry.

Easy Christmas tree doodles: four ways to start

1. Triangle tree

1. Draw one tall triangle.
2. Add a trunk and a small star.
3. Draw a garland and round ornaments.
4. Color the tree green and the star gold.

Use this compact tree beside the date on a December entry. Keep the trunk short so the drawing sits neatly above a line of writing.

2. Layered tree

1. Draw the small pointed treetop.
2. Add two wider tiers and a trunk.
3. Add a star and a few ornaments.
4. Color the tiers green and the ornaments gold.

Try this fuller tree on the bottom outside corner of a page. Leave the widest tier clear of the binding so the shape stays easy to see.

3. Branch tree

1. Draw a slightly sloping center stem.
2. Add paired branches, wider at the base.
3. Add a star and small hanging baubles.
4. Use green for the needles and warm red for baubles.

This airy version works well beside a narrow list. Uneven branches add character, so you do not need to measure each pair.

4. Spiral tree

1. Draw one zigzagging, curved line.
2. Add a short trunk and a star.
3. Add round ornaments between the bends.
4. Trace the spiral in green; add red ornaments.

Use the spiral tree when you want a quick accent with very little shading. Keep the bends open so the shape remains clear at a small size.

Botanical Christmas doodles and a little gift

5. Holly sprig

1. Draw two pointed, gently toothed leaves.
2. Add a central vein inside each leaf.
3. Add three round berries where the leaves meet.
4. Color the leaves green and the berries red.

Place this small botanical accent beside a heading or on a journal card. Two leaves and three berries are enough; extra foliage is optional.

6. Pine sprig

1. Draw a curved diagonal stem.
2. Add short needles along both sides.
3. Add three small berries near the base.
4. Use green needles and red berries.

Let a pine sprig follow the outer margin of a winter page. Short needles are easier to keep tidy than long overlapping strokes.

7. Leafy wreath

1. Draw a loose circle as a light pencil guide.
2. Place small oval leaves around the circle.
3. Add a tiny bow at the bottom.
4. Color the leaves; keep the circle line light.

Leave the middle empty for a date, initial or a short word. Draw the pencil guide lightly; the leaves can hide most of it once you add ink.

8. Wrapped gift

1. Draw a simple gift box.
2. Add a lid and a vertical ribbon.
3. Add two bow loops above the lid.
4. Color the paper pale green and the ribbon red.

Add a little gift beside a note about something thoughtful someone did. Vary the box proportions to make a second version without changing the method.

Small holiday details: bows, baubles, candles and stars

9. Ribbon bow

1. Draw a small rounded knot.
2. Add a loop on each side.
3. Draw two tails with notched ends.
4. Color the bow red, leaving the folds visible.

Try the bow at the top of a pocket or above a short title. Keep its tails short if they sit close to writing.

10. Round bauble

1. Draw a circle.
2. Add a small cap and a hanging loop.
3. Add a wavy stripe and three dots.
4. Color around the pale stripe and dots.

Hang a few baubles from the top margin using thin vertical lines. Leave different lengths of string so they do not form a heavy straight row.

11. Glowing candle

1. Draw a narrow candle body.
2. Add an oval top and a short wick.
3. Draw a teardrop flame and a small saucer.
4. Use a pale body and a warm golden flame.

Place the candle next to a quiet evening memory. Keep the flame separate from the wick outline so both remain readable when drawn small.

12. Little star

1. Draw the outline of a five-point star.
2. Add a few short lines toward the center.
3. Add three tiny sparkles around it.
4. Color the star gold and leave the sparkles light.

Use a little star to separate two short notes. If the points look uneven, keep going; a slightly irregular outline suits a relaxed journal page.

Cozy Christmas doodles for a December page

13. Candy cane

1. Draw a rounded hook with two parallel edges.
2. Join the bottom with a rounded end.
3. Add short diagonal stripes inside the outline.
4. Color alternate spaces red; keep the rest cream.

This shape fits nicely beside a recipe memory or a December checklist. Draw the stripes inside the edges so the hook stays recognizable.

14. Christmas stocking

1. Draw a bent stocking shape with a rounded toe.
2. Add a wide cuff across the top.
3. Add curved heel and toe patches.
4. Use red for the body and pale green for the patches.

Add a stocking next to a gift list or family tradition. A plain cuff gives the eye a resting place beside the patterned body.

15. Gingerbread friend

1. Draw a round head.
2. Add a simple body with two arms and two legs.
3. Add a face, buttons and short icing lines.
4. Color it gingerbread brown, with pale icing.

Put the gingerbread friend beside a baking memory. Make the body outline large enough to fit the face and two buttons without crowding.

16. Six-armed snowflake

1. Cross three lines to make six arms.
2. Add a little V near the end of every arm.
3. Add six dots outside the tips.
4. Trace in sage green and add gold dots.

Scatter two or three small snowflakes around a winter title. Keep six arms rather than adding extra lines whenever a space looks empty.

Use your easy Christmas doodles on a journal page

Choose a layout before you add more decoration. Lightly mark the space you want for writing, then place a doodle outside it. Leaving a quiet area around the drawing helps both the picture and your words stay readable. Try one of these three arrangements:

• A date with one small tree. Write the date near the top of the page and draw a triangle or branch tree beside it. Add a single gold dot elsewhere to repeat the color.
• A botanical heading. Place a short pine sprig on one side of your title and a holly sprig on the other. Keep the stems pointing toward the words and leave enough space for tall letters.
• A memory card with a tiny gift. Draw the box in a corner of a loose card, write a few lines about a thoughtful moment, then tuck it into a journal pocket.

For a page that needs a starting point, pair your doodles with our Christmas journal prompts. A candle can sit beside an evening memory, while a gingerbread friend can mark a baking story. If you prefer decorating with ready-made paper pieces, the botanical sticker placement ideas offer another approach.

When adding old family photographs or letters, decorate a separate page or use a copy instead of drawing on an irreplaceable original. The National Archives guide to preserving scrapbooks explains how handling, attachments and adhesives can affect treasured paper items.

Download the free easy Christmas doodles guide

Keep these easy Christmas doodles beside your journal with the free five-page guide. Page one is a numbered, colored reference sheet. Pages two to five show all 16 drawings in four stages each, with short instructions under every stage. Both paper sizes contain the same designs.

Download US Letter Christmas doodles PDF

Download A4 Christmas doodles PDF

1. Choose your paper size. Use the A4 file for A4 paper or the US Letter file for US Letter paper.
2. Print in portrait. Select 100% or Actual Size and turn off Fit or Shrink. Check the preview before printing.
3. Measure the test line. The line on page one should measure 5 cm at 100%. If it does not, recheck your scaling setting.
4. Print only what you need. Start with the reference sheet or the tutorial page for your chosen motif. Keep the guide nearby while you draw.

This download is a drawing guide with colored examples. It is not a coloring-page pack, a pre-cut sticker layout or a cutting-machine file. The drawings are meant to help you make your own small journal accents. Colors can look different on screen and on different papers.

Personal use only. Please do not redistribute or resell the PDFs or designs. Share this article link so others can download their own copy.

Frequently asked questions

Which easy Christmas doodles should I try first?

Start with the triangle tree, wrapped gift or round bauble. Each begins with one familiar shape. Try it once without details, then add the trunk, ribbon or cap on your next attempt. You can save the wreath and gingerbread figure for later.

Do I need a dot-grid journal?

No. Plain, lined and dot-grid pages all work. Dots can help you line up a row of small drawings, but scrap paper is enough for practice. If your page is already busy, draw on a small plain card and add it afterward.

Can I draw these without colored pens?

Yes. Use the first three panels of each guide as a black-line version, then stop. You can also add color with pencils, or keep just one green or red accent. Test any pen or marker on the same paper before using it in your journal.

How do I make the doodles small enough for a journal?

Practice at a comfortable size first. When you reduce the drawing, keep its outer shape and leave out the smallest dots, needles or stripes. A tiny tree may need only its triangle and trunk. Avoid shrinking every detail until the lines become crowded.

Can I print only the Christmas tree page?

Yes. The four Christmas tree tutorials are on page two of either PDF. Choose page 2 in the print dialog. Print page one as well if you want to check the 5 cm line before printing the rest of the guide.

Start with one little drawing

Pick one of these easy Christmas doodles, draw it on a scrap, then add a smaller version beside today’s date. Write a few lines about the moment you want to keep. You can always add another sprig, star or little tree when the next page needs one.