As the holiday season envelops us in warmth and magic, the desire to create something festive can be irresistible. Whether an aspiring artist or a seasoned creator, these easy acrylic Christmas painting ideas will help you spread holiday cheer throughout your home and gifts. Let’s dive into five delightful projects that bring the enchanting spirit of Christmas to life.
1. A Jar Full of Merry Magic
Transform an ordinary mason jar into a winter wonderland that adds rustic charm to your décor. You can paint scenes of snow-capped trees, whimsical snowflakes, or even a tiny Christmas village.
- Clean your mason jar with soapy water and dry it on a towel. Wipe the outside with rubbing alcohol to remove any residues, rinse with hot water, and let it dry completely before priming.
- Apply a layer of white gesso to create a smooth surface for acrylic paint.
- Lightly sketch your design using a 2H pencil for faint lines.
- Start painting by layering your acrylics, beginning with the background. For a night-time or twilight scene, use gradient blues for the sky.
- Add small details with an acrylic liner/detail brush, such as painting windows in a snow-covered cottage or the silhouettes of pines and tree branches, adding festive wreaths and dotting with white for falling snow.
- Seal and protect your artwork with a gloss acrylic finish for extra sparkle and shine.
This project is one of the best, easy acrylic Christmas painting ideas. Not only do you get to repurpose old jars into handmade holiday art-décor. Add a little extra Christmas sparkle by placing a small string of battery-powered fairy lights in a warm color.
2. For the Minimalist: Christmas Tree on Canvas
For those who appreciate the "less is more" approach, painting a minimalist Christmas tree on canvas is a perfect choice. This project allows for an abstract interpretation using bold colors and geometric shapes.
How to begin this project:
- Prepare the Canvas: Dust off the canvas using a lint-free cloth. Lightly sand it with fine-grit sandpaper to create a smooth surface. Clean the canvas thoroughly after sanding.
- Apply Primer: Start in the center and use a crisscross pattern to brush on primer, overlapping strokes. Let it dry completely.
- Choose Background Color: For beginners, pick a subtle holiday solid color or a slight ombre effect. To create an ombre, mix a bit of a second color into the first while it’s wet, using a clean brush for feathering.
- Sketch the Tree: Outline the tree shape and add rough sketches of details (triangles, garland lines, etc.) before painting.
- Add Other Details: If desired, enhance the tree with ornaments, stars, or garlands using dots or dashes. Consider using metallic acrylic paints for ornaments.
- Optional Texture: For an extra touch, apply texture paste with a palette knife to mimic snow or pine needles.
This is a perfect project if you’re looking for acrylic painting ideas for Christmas that allow you to explore and blend modern art styles with the sensations and impressions of holiday-welcoming warmth.
3. Recapture Childhood Nostalgia: Snowman Family Portrait
Capture the joy of childhood winters with a playful snowman family painting that invokes fond memories of snow days and hot cocoa.
How to Create:
- Choose a surface to paint: Whether you want to use wooden blocks, wood slices, or a small canvas, make sure to prime it for painting before you begin!
- Consider painting the background a cool-toned color like a frosty blue or lavender.
- Using white acrylic paint, create the snowman bodies in varying sizes for each family member.
- Add personality: a touch of orange for carrot noses, a dot of deep black for coal eyes and mouth, and bold Christmas colors for the scarves, hats, and branches for arms and hands.
- You can further personalize your snowmen family painting by painting names or festive messages along the bottom edge.
4. Gather ‘Round the Fireplace Scene
While not everyone has a fireplace to gather around, you can still evoke that cozy feeling by hanging stockings creatively. Here’s how to create an inviting fireplace scene at home:
- Start by painting a warm background on your primed canvas using colors like red, brick, or chocolate brown to create an impression of a fireplace.
- Lightly sketch the outline of a fireplace mantle and stockings.
- Create flames with bold strokes, starting with red, then layering on oranges and yellows, and finishing with a small dot of white for the hottest part.
- Add festive elements like candy canes, presents, candles, or family portraits for fun.If you love the flickering gold glow of a fireplace decorated with Christmas cheer, this may be the most charming and ideal acrylic painting Christmas idea. It sparks inspiration for those who love intricate motifs!
Dancing Across the Sky: Northern Lights Christmas Night
With a Christmas twist, you can transform a blank canvas or other surfaces into a mesmerizing northern lights scene. But how?
- Begin by priming your surface so the paint adheres smoothly.
- Start by painting a black or deep blue base for the night sky.
- Using a sponge, flat brush, or fan brush, dot white acrylic paint in curving lines. Acting quickly so the paint will not dry, add dollops of vibrant northern light colors, bright greens, turquoise, purples, and electric blues just under the white. Using a clean, dry, larger, flat brush, starting with the white paint, gently pull or brush the paint and the vibrant colors upwards in the sky. To avoid mixing or muddying, clean your brush for every stroke.
- Easily add the silhouette of hills with winter trees by using a detail brush and black, add details like the shadow of Santa flying through the sky or reindeer.
- Dot with a small brush to add falling snow or mix a touch of water into your white acrylic, wet down your brush, and use your finger to flick small splashes and dots of snow.
This project may be one of the more magical yet easy acrylic Christmas painting ideas for creating a dreamy holiday atmosphere.
Bring the Holidays to Life with Nova Color
Creating festive artwork doesn't have to be complicated. These Christmas acrylic painting ideas will help you make personalized holiday art that adds warmth and joy to your home or gifts.
Explore Nova Color’s premium acrylic paints to unleash your creativity and transform your holiday inspirations into memorable masterpieces. We have all you need to bring your art to life!