19 Cute Christmas Doodle Ideas | Kawaii Characters You’ll Love To Draw
The easiest way to learn how to doodle is to look at inspiration and references, and this post has plenty of both. We are going through doodles of some Christmas characters that will add holiday cheer to your journal pages this season.
This cute Christmas doodle collection is packed with kawaii faces, silly expressions, and little characters holding hands — from a grumpy snowman to two candy canes strolling along together, simple enough for a complete beginner.
Grab your favorite pen, and let’s give these classic Christmas symbols some serious personality.
Now I know what you might be thinking: that even with the references, you might not be able to doodle these, but let me tell you – yes, you can; all you need is a bit of practice and a simple little trick.
I couldn’t draw from life myself, and I started learning how to in 2018 when I started journaling. And yes, my first attempts were not the best, but practice changes everything!
Here’s one trick that helped me most: start each doodle with basic shapes. Look at a doodle and, in your mind, divide it into a set of simple shapes – rectangles, ovals, circles. Once you have the main structure, the rest is just adding details and polishing your drawing.
If you want to learn more, be sure to check the end of the post for my FREE course on doodling for beginners, where I share step-by-step everything you need to know to master doodling.
Ok, now let’s dive in. We will start with supplies, then I’ll share some of the cutest doodle ideas, and at the end I’ll also cover how to customize and polish your doodle to create your own doodling style.
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Doodling Supplies
If you’re sitting down for a doodling session, here are some supplies I recommend you have ready.
That’s all; let’s dive in!
Cute Christmas Doodle Ideas
Below are all 19 Christmas doodles, each rendered so you can see exactly how the shapes, expressions, and little details come together.
For every doodle, I’ll walk you through how to draw it, step by step, as best as I can — from the simplest snowman all the way to the more detailed wreath.
Don’t stress about copying them exactly, though. Once you’ve gone through the whole list, check out the tips section at the end for ideas on how to customize each doodle and make it your own.
Santa Doodle
You can’t have a Christmas doodle list without the big guy himself, and this version keeps him soft and rounded instead of overly detailed, which makes him so much easier to draw than he looks.
The fluffy beard does most of the work here, so once that’s in place, the rest comes together fast.
How to draw it:
- Start with a circle for the head and an oval for the body, slightly wider at the bottom
- Draw the triangular hat on top, curving the tip over to one side, and add a puffy pom-pom
- Fill the lower half of the face with a big rounded beard and mustache shape, leaving space for closed happy eyes and rosy cheeks
- Add a belt with a square buckle across the middle of the body
- Draw one mitten hand waving and the other holding a round drawstring sack, with a couple of small gift boxes peeking out the top
- Finish with boots at the bottom and a fur trim along the hat, sleeves, and coat edge
Grumpy Snowman Doodle
Not every snowman has to be jolly, and honestly, this “I’m cold, and I hate it” expression might be the most relatable doodle on this whole list.
It’s also one of the simplest to draw, since a snowman is really just three circles and some accessories.
How to draw it:
- Draw three stacked circles for the body, a smaller one on top of a larger one
- Add a carrot-shaped nose and two slanted, narrowed eyes with a furrowed brow above them for the grumpy expression
- Draw a knit beanie hat on top with a pom-pom, and wrap a scarf around the neck
- Add two crossed stick arms and a couple of small black X’s down the front for buttons
- Finish with a pile of snow at the base to sit him in
Happy Snowman Doodle
Here’s the cheerful counterpart to the grumpy one above, arms thrown up in the air like he just heard it’s snowing.
Drawing the same character with two completely different moods is such a good exercise if you want to get more comfortable with expressions.
How to draw it:
- Draw three stacked circles for the body, just like the grumpy version
- Add a small carrot nose and two closed, curved happy eyes with a big smile
- Draw the knit beanie with a pom-pom and wrap a scarf around the neck
- This time, draw both stick arms raised up and out to the sides, with mittens on the ends
- Add a row of round buttons down the front and finish with a pile of snow at the base
Reindeer Doodle
This little reindeer has such a soft, baby-deer look to it, thanks to the round body and small proportions, and it’s a lovely one to pair with the sleepier doodles on this list.
The antlers look intimidating, but they’re really just a couple of forked lines.
How to draw it:
- Draw an oval for the body and a smaller circle for the head, slightly overlapping
- Add two branching antler shapes on top of the head and two rounded ears
- Draw closed, happy eyes, a round nose, and a small smile
- Wrap a scarf around the neck and add a few small oval spots along the back
- Finish with thin legs, small dark hooves, and a little tail
Elf Doodle
This cheerful little elf is basically carrying half of Santa’s workshop, and that stack of gifts is a fun way to add a bit more detail without making the actual character harder to draw.
The curled shoes with the bells on the tips are what really sell the elf look.
How to draw it:
- Draw a circle for the head and add two pointed elf ears on the sides
- Draw the Santa-style hat on top with a pom-pom, letting a bit of hair peek out from underneath
- Add closed happy eyes and an open smiling mouth
- Draw the rounded tunic body with a belt, then add striped legs underneath
- Finish with curled, hook-toed shoes with little bells, and a stack of three wrapped gift boxes held in the arms
Penguin Doodle
Penguins are already one of the cutest animals to doodle, and adding a Santa hat and a little gift makes this one feel extra festive.
The rounded belly shape does most of the heavy lifting, so this is a great one for beginners.
How to draw it:
- Draw an oval for the body and a smaller circle for the head
- Add a triangular orange beak and two closed, happy eyes
- Draw the Santa hat on top with a pom-pom
- Add two teardrop-shaped flippers, one wrapped around a gift box with a bow
- Finish with small orange feet and a heart floating nearby
Gingerbread Man Doodle
Gingerbread is such a fun doodle because you get to add all the icing details, and this guy’s mid-stride pose gives him a lot more personality than a stiff, standing version.
Holding a candy cane like a walking stick is a small detail, but it makes a big difference.
How to draw it:
- Draw a circle for the head and a rounded body shape with two arms out and one leg stepping forward
- Add closed happy eyes, a smiling mouth, and a small bow tie under the chin
- Draw wavy icing lines along the edges of the head, arms, and legs
- Add three round buttons down the front
- Finish with a candy cane tied with a little bow, held in one hand
Nutcracker Doodle
This one is definitely the most detailed doodle on the list so far, but breaking him down into his separate parts (hat, face, jacket) makes him a lot less intimidating than he looks on a shelf.
That stern little expression is what makes a nutcracker a nutcracker, so don’t skip it.
How to draw it:
- Draw a tall cylinder shape for the hat, with a band, a small decorative plume, and a tiny ball on top
- Add an oval face with fluffy hair on the sides, thick eyebrows, a narrow mustache, and a small rectangle of teeth
- Draw a rectangular jacket body with a row of round buttons, epaulets on the shoulders, and a belt with a square buckle
- Add a thin staff with a ball on each end, held in one hand
- Finish with striped cylindrical legs and boots
Polar Bear Hot Cocoa Doodle
A polar bear hugging a mug almost bigger than he is might be the coziest doodle on this entire list, and it’s a great one for a self-care or “treat yourself” spread this December.
The little paw pads on the bottom are such a nice extra touch.
How to draw it:
- Draw a circle for the head and an oval for the body, sitting down
- Add a Santa hat on top, closed happy eyes, a round snout, and a scarf around the neck
- Draw a cylindrical mug in front of him with a snowflake pattern
- Add marshmallows and a swirl of whipped cream on top, with a candy cane leaning against the rim and a few steam lines
- Finish with round paws wrapped around the mug, showing little paw-print pads on the bottom
Candy Cane Doodle
Turning candy canes into a couple holding hands is such a sweet way to fill extra space on a page, and it’s proof that even the simplest shape can become a full little scene.
Give one a bow and a scarf to tell the two apart, or make them totally identical; it’s up to you.
How to draw it:
- Draw a curved hook shape for the top of each cane, then a straight body underneath
- Add diagonal stripes running down the length of each one
- Draw a happy face on the straight part of each cane, and wrap a scarf around the “neck”
- Add stick arms holding hands in the middle, with mittens on the ends
- Finish with small boots at the bottom, and a bow tied onto one of the hooks if you want a girl-and-boy pair
Christmas Ornament Doodle
Two ornaments exchanging a gift, complete with little hearts floating between them, turns a basic bauble into the sweetest holiday doodle duo.
This is a great one to practice patterns on, since the bands and stars on each ornament can be totally different.
How to draw it:
- Draw a circle for each ornament, with a small cap and loop at the top of each
- Add a bow tied around the cap on each one
- Draw decorative bands, stripes, and a pattern like stars or hearts around the middle of each ornament
- Add a happy closed-eye face to each one, with stick arms and legs and little boots
- Finish with one ornament holding out a small wrapped gift toward the other, and a few hearts and sparkles floating around them
Christmas Bells Doodle
Giving one bell a big laughing face and the other a grumpy scowl turns a plain pair of jingle bells into a whole personality clash, which might be my favorite detail on this entire list.
The bow and holly at the top tie the two together so they still read as a matching pair.
How to draw it:
- Draw two overlapping bell shapes, like rounded trapezoids with a curved bottom edge
- Add a small circle clapper hanging at the bottom of each bell
- Draw a decorative band with a row of little stars around the rim of each bell
- Give one bell a laughing, closed-eye face and the other a grumpy, furrowed-brow expression
- Finish with a bow and a sprig of holly connecting the two bells at the top
Christmas Star Doodle
This little walking star in a Santa hat is such an easy, cheerful doodle to tuck into a corner of any Christmas spread, and the pose gives it a lot of movement for how simple it actually is.
How to draw it:
- Draw a five-pointed star shape for the body
- Add a Santa hat tilted over one of the top points, with a pom-pom
- Draw an open, happy smile and two closed eyes in the center of the star
- Add stick arms and legs coming out from the points, with mittens and boots on the ends
- Finish with a few sparkles scattered around for that extra shimmer
Christmas Stocking Doodle
This stocking’s slightly worried expression is a fun twist since most Christmas doodles are all smiles, and it adds personality to what’s usually a pretty plain shape.
It’s also a great doodle for showing off just how much you can stuff into one small space.
How to draw it:
- Draw a curved boot-like sock shape, narrower at the top and rounded at the toe
- Add a fuzzy cuff at the top with a scalloped, cloud-like edge
- Draw a nervous face on the cuff, with slanted eyebrows and wide eyes
- Add a snowflake and star pattern down the body of the stocking
- Finish by filling the top with a candy cane, a wrapped gift, a gingerbread man, a small teddy bear, and a sprig of holly spilling out
Reindeer Cupcake Doodle
Turning a cupcake’s frosting into a reindeer face is such a clever little trick, and it’s a great doodle if you want something food-themed to pair with your Christmas cake or gingerbread doodles.
How to draw it:
- Draw a fluted, fan-shaped cupcake wrapper with a ribbon band and bow around the middle
- Add a swirled dollop of frosting on top, starting narrow at the base and widening as it swirls up
- Draw two branching antler shapes coming out of the sides of the frosting, and two small ear shapes
- Add two dot eyes and a small oval nose in the center of the frosting
- Finish with a few stars and dots scattered on top like sprinkles
Christmas Cake Doodle
This one is easily the most extra doodle on the whole list, but that’s exactly the point; it’s basically every other doodle on this page piled on top of a cake.
Once the base cake shape is done, you can really go wild with how much (or how little) you pile on top.
How to draw it:
- Draw a tall cylinder for the cake body, sitting on a flat base
- Add a wavy, dripping line of icing along the top edge
- Draw a happy face on the front of the cake, with big round eyes and an open smile
- Add a ribbon band and bow around the base of the cake
- Finish by piling the top with small shapes like a candy cane, a gingerbread man, a wrapped gift, a star cookie, a tree-shaped cookie, meringue swirls, and a few berries and holly leaves
Christmas Cat Doodle
Any cat owner knows this is basically a documentary, not a doodle, since a cat tangled in the Christmas lights is pretty much a guarantee every December.
It’s a fun one to add movement to, since the lights can wrap around the body however you like.
How to draw it:
- Draw a rounded triangle for the ears and a circle for the head, then an oval for the body
- Add closed, happy eyes, a small nose, and a few whisker lines
- Draw a curled, striped tail wrapping around the body
- Add a wavy string of lights draped over the paws and around the body, with small oval bulbs along the cord
- Finish with a couple of loose light bulbs scattered on the ground nearby
Christmas Tree Doodle
A Christmas tree is the most obvious symbol of the season, so of course it had to make this list, and giving it a face turns a pretty standard doodle into something a lot more fun.
How to draw it:
- Draw two or three stacked, scalloped triangle layers, getting narrower toward the top
- Add a star on top and a happy, closed-eye face in the middle section
- Drape a string of lights across the layers, adding small round bulbs along the way
- Add a few round ornaments in different patterns (stripes, hearts, snowflakes) tucked between the branches, plus a small bow
- Finish with a wrapped pot at the base and a couple of gift boxes tucked underneath
Christmas Wreath Doodle
This is the grand finale of the list, since a wreath is really just a chance to cram a bunch of the smaller doodles from this post into one big circle.
It looks like the most complicated doodle here, but once you’ve drawn everything else on this list, you already know how to draw most of these pieces individually.
How to draw it:
- Draw a ring (a donut shape) as the base of the wreath
- Fill the ring with pine greenery texture and a few holly leaves and berries
- Add a big bow with a sprig of holly at the top
- Tuck a few small kawaii elements into the greenery, like a smiling star, a striped ornament, a gingerbread man, a snowflake-patterned ornament, and a pinecone
- Finish with a jingle bell and a couple of extra stars scattered around to fill any empty gaps
Tricks To Customize Your Doodles
Now that you’ve gone through all 19 doodles, here are a few tips and tricks to help make your own Christmas doodles feel a little more you.
- Use color. These doodles work perfectly in black and white, but a warm red-and-green palette, or even a pastel candy-cane color scheme, instantly makes them feel more festive.
- Play with different elements around the doodle. Snowflakes, sparkles, hearts, or a few loose pine needles scattered near your character can fill extra space and tie the whole page together.
- Change up the expression. The exact same snowman or gingerbread man looks completely different with a sleepy face instead of a happy one, so don’t be afraid to swap the eyes and mouth to match your mood.
- Add extra lines and details. A few extra stitching lines, texture marks, or shading strokes (like on the sweaters or the nutcracker’s jacket) can turn a simple doodle into something more polished.
Mix and match a few of these tricks, and you’ll have a whole set of Christmas doodles that feel completely your own.
Free Doodling Course
Still not very confident in your doodling skills? Well, I’ve got something just for you.
I’ve created a free doodling course that will help you learn all the tips and tricks to become a doodling master in no time!
Simply sign up using the form below, and once you confirm your subscription, you’ll get all the details.
More Resources
Now you have plenty of doodle inspirations, but of course there is always more. So here are a few more resources to fall in love with doodling even more.
Check out these posts next:
- 13+ Easy Christmas Doodles Anyone Can Draw
- 17 Easy Coffee Doodle Ideas | Cute & Simple Drawings To Try
- Aesthetic Christmas Doodles: Easy Tutorials To Try This Year
>>> What other inspirations are you looking for? Share with us in the comments!
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And remember: Keep Journaling, and Don’t Be A Blob!
