If you love giving gifts that are made with love, you are really going to love this post. It is all about some of my favorite Christmas painting ideas!
There are so many Christmas painting ideas that it is virtually impossible to fit them all into a single article. You would need a whole book, and probably several extra editions.
Today we are going to take a look at some very simple but beautiful Christmas painting ideas that you can create to give as gifts. I will also add a few projects that kids can do so they can give out their own hand-painted gifts.
If you want to see some of the best Christmas painting ideas I have come across, keep reading.
Paint Swirl Ornament Balls
Here is a Christmas painting idea that only takes a few minutes to complete, and it is super-easy. All you have to do is get some clear plastic ornament balls (I don’t recommend using glass ornaments because they are so fragile) and put some paint inside.
Squeeze a few drops of one paint color on one side of the ball. Squeeze some more paint on the opposite side. Now, all you have to do is roll the ball around in your hands and you will see the colors mix in swirling patterns. You can add as many colors as you like, but keep in mind that too much paint will end up looking muddy.
Painted Ornament Balls
Those clear plastic Christmas ornament balls can be used for so many awesome ideas. You can easily paint designs on these ornaments, and make your designs as simple or as detailed as you like.
I like to mix a bit of glitter in with my paint when I’m making these ornaments so they really sparkle and stand out. After all, they will be on a Christmas tree with lots of other ornaments, and you want them to get noticed.
This is also a great project for kids. The plastic ornaments are easy to hold onto, and they aren’t going to break like glass ornaments can.
Wood Cookie Christmas Ornaments
Wood cookies, also referred to as wood slices, are bits of tree branches or trunks that are sliced and still have the bark. These are great to use for painting Christmas ornaments or to create ornaments for any other time of year.
You will need to treat the bark so it doesn’t end up falling off over time. Make sure that you also prime the painting surface with gesso to ensure that the paint doesn’t seep into the wood.
You can paint any design, and again, you can make it simple or very detailed. This is a great project for the kiddos, and even little ones can use these wood cookies to create works of art that will be cherished by everyone they give them to.
Hand-Painted Christmas Cards
These days, you don’t find a lot of people giving out Christmas cards, let alone hand-painted cards. These can be one-of-a-kind gifts that people will cherish rather than throw away when the Christmas season is over.
I recommend using heavy card stock or heavy watercolor paper for making cards. You can use watercolors, acrylic paints, or craft paints to create personalized cards for every person on your Christmas gift list.
Another option is to buy blank cards, create a painting on watercolor or multimedia paper, and then glue the painting to the front of the card.
Painted Salt Dough Ornaments
Here is a great project for you and the kids to work on. First, you will need to make some salt dough that can be hardened by baking.
Once you have made the dough, mold it into various shapes, or use Christmas cookie cutters to create everyone’s favorite holiday shapes. Then, you can bake the ornaments until they are rock-hard, and paint them up.
This type of project is ideal for kids, and they can use craft paints or acrylic paints to create their artwork. Older kids can help you with the baking part of the process.
Canvas Christmas Paintings
If you would prefer to do an actual painting, nothing is stopping you from doing so. In this case, I suggest using smaller canvases, no larger than 8X10.
You can choose Christmas or other holiday designs, or simply paint a pretty winter scene. You might even want to add a few sprinkles of glitter here and there to make your Christmas paintings truly sparkle.
Some of the easiest holiday designs you can paint are Santa Claus, snowmen/women, gingerbread men, candy canes, and winter gnomes.
Painted Rocks
Painting on rocks is quite popular right now, so many people would probably love to receive rocks painted with holiday designs and patterns. This is probably going to be one of the least expensive gifts you can make, because you can pick up the rocks in your yard, from the beach, etc.
I suggest using acrylic paints for this type of project. An even better suggestion is to use acrylic paint pens. That way, you can create some tiny details, and the pens are much easier for little kids to use than brushes in most cases.
I like to look for round rocks that are flat on the bottom. That way, they can be displayed easily without falling over.
Window Painting
If you love to decorate your home for the holidays, don’t forget your windows! You can easily paint on your windows with tempera paints, and after the holidays are over the paint can easily be washed away.
You can choose designs as simple as writing “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas”, or get into greater detail with fun holiday designs, including snowmen/women, angels, reindeer, and more. This is a fun project for the whole family.
If you don’t mind the artwork not being the greatest, you may even want to let your kids fingerpaint on the windows with tempera paint. It is just as easy to wash off their hands as it is to wash it off the windows.
Conclusion
These are just a few of my favorite Christmas painting ideas. You can go online to find hundreds of other great ideas for you and the rest of your family to paint and give as gifts.
Make sure that you are using tempera paint for windows and other surfaces that you don’t want the paintings to last forever. If you have younger children, make sure you have art materials suited for their ages and skill levels.
Make painting Christmas ornaments a holiday tradition in your family. Chances are, your kids will go on to keep these traditions alive when they have their own kids.
Sari Green is a semi-professional artist and professional writer. She has been hosting paint & sip parties for the past couple of years, and truly enjoys helping other people to create their very own masterpieces. She loves to create, and you never know what she’s going to come up with next!