Christmas drawing books: step by step or grid?

Two books, one cast of Christmas characters by cartoonist Kevin Coulston. Best for holiday drawing: Santa, reindeer and gingerbread characters for cards and decorations.

Ages 5+
By Kevin Coulston
2 books

Step by step · a great first book

How to Draw: Christmas

Christmas characters are more fun to give than to simply copy. How to Draw: Christmas shows kids how to make Santa, reindeer, gingerbread characters, and more in a sequence of easy-to-follow stages.

The book has 50 seasonal drawing projects and is intended for ages 5 and up. It is a good choice for a child who wants to turn favorite holiday figures into original cards, decorations, or sketchbook drawings.

See it on Amazon More about this book on FirstArtBooks.com

Grid · for careful, puzzle-loving kids

Draw by Grid: Christmas

Santa, reindeer, snowmen, and other festive characters become square-by-square projects in Draw by Grid: Christmas. This holiday drawing book gives children a calm, focused activity amid the season.

There are 50 Christmas subjects to create using the grid method. Intended for ages 5 and up, it suits a child who likes to observe details and wants to make their own cartoon holiday art.

See it on Amazon More about this book on FirstArtBooks.com

More Christmas books and gift ideas are on ChristmasActivityBooks.com.

Look inside

Real pages from the books. Swipe or scroll for more.

A page from How to Draw: Christmas — How to Draw: Christmas, page sample 1

More free sample pages →

Which one should you get?

Same characters, different kinds of practice. Pick step by step for a first drawing book. Pick grid for a kid who likes puzzles, or who already has the step-by-step book.

	Step by step (How to Draw)	Grid (Draw by Grid)
What your kid does	Adds one new line or shape at a time, in six steps, then draws the whole character again.	Copies the picture one lettered square at a time onto a matching blank grid.
Feels like	Learning how a cartoonist builds a character.	A calm drawing puzzle.
Best for	A first drawing book, ages 5 and up.	Careful, patient kids and anyone who likes accuracy.
Builds	Seeing shapes inside characters, following directions, confidence.	Observation, proportion and pencil control.

Getting both? Many families start with the step-by-step book, then add the grid book when their kid wants a calmer challenge with the same characters.

What families say

“This is pretty easy for a kid to follow. This would be a great activity for kids who have a desire to create images and even learn to draw.”

Louise · Draw by Grid: Christmas

Reader reviews, shortened. Read them in full on each book’s Amazon page.

Under 5? Tracing comes before drawing. Trace Then Color: Cartoon Christmas Characters (ages 3+) is on our coloring site →

Featured in: The best grid drawing books for kids, The best Christmas and holiday drawing books for kids.