How to Draw Santa Claus Step by Step
We will draw Santa in five parts: his head and hat, his beard and face, his body, his arms and sack, and finally his legs and boots.
Step 1: Draw the bottom of Santa’s face
Start near the top of your paper. Draw a big U-shaped curve, like the bottom half of a circle. Leave the top open, because Santa’s hat will sit there. Don’t start too low — you need room below for his body and boots.
Step 2: Draw the brim of Santa’s hat
Draw a puffy, rounded band across the top of the face. It should be a little wider than the face on both sides. This is the soft white fur brim of Santa’s hat, and it closes the top of his face.
Step 3: Draw the top of the hat
From the left side of the brim, draw a big curved line that goes up and then bends down to the right, like a floppy sock. Add a short curved line near the right side of the brim to show a fold in the hat.
Step 4: Add the pom-pom
Draw a circle at the tip of the hat. This is Santa’s fluffy pom-pom. Your Santa hat is now complete!
Step 5: Draw Santa’s fluffy beard
Starting under the brim on the left, draw a bumpy, wavy line down the side of the face, around the bottom, and back up to the brim on the right. Make the bumps bigger at the bottom so the beard looks full and fluffy, like a cloud.
Step 6: Draw the eyes
Draw two tall ovals for the eyes, a little below the hat brim. Color them in, but leave a tiny white dot in each one — this makes Santa’s eyes sparkle. Now erase the lower part of the face line that sits inside the beard.
Step 7: Draw the eyebrows
Above each eye, draw a curved eyebrow with a small curve inside it. Curving them upward makes Santa look happy and friendly.
Step 8: Draw the nose, mustache and mouth
Draw a round nose between the eyes. On each side of the nose, draw a curly mustache that swoops out and curls up at the end. Under the mustache, draw a small open mouth with a tongue. Santa’s face is finished!
Step 9: Draw Santa’s coat
Notice that the picture is a bit smaller now — that’s to make room for Santa’s whole body. Draw two curved lines going down and out from the sides of the beard. Then draw a wide, rounded band across the bottom. This is the fur trim at the bottom of Santa’s coat.
Step 10: Draw the belt and buckle
Draw two lines across the middle of the coat for the belt. In the center, draw a rectangle with a smaller rectangle inside — that’s the buckle. Then draw a thin strip from the bottom of the beard down to the belt to show the front of Santa’s coat.
Step 11: Draw Santa’s waving arm
On the left side, draw an arm that goes up and out, as if Santa is waving hello. At the end, draw a mitten with the thumb sticking up, and a rounded cuff at the wrist.
Step 12: Draw the hand holding the sack
On the right shoulder, draw Santa’s other hand as a rounded fist. Above it, draw a few curved lines for the top of the sack he is holding.
Step 13: Draw the gift sack
Draw a big, rounded shape behind Santa’s right side, starting at his hand and going down past his coat. This is Santa’s bag full of presents.
Step 14: Draw the legs
Under the coat, draw two straight lines going down on the outside. In the middle, draw a small upside-down “V” to separate the legs.
Step 15: Draw the boot cuffs
At the bottom of each leg, draw a short rounded band. These are the fluffy cuffs at the top of Santa’s boots.
Step 16: Draw the boots
Under each cuff, draw a chunky boot with a rounded toe. Point the left boot to the left and the right boot to the right.
Step 17: Finish your drawing
Erase any extra pencil lines you don’t need. If you like, trace over your drawing with a black marker to make it bold and clean. Your Santa Claus drawing is done — now it’s time to color!
How to Color Santa Claus
Use this simple color guide:
| Part | Color |
|---|---|
| Hat, coat, pants, sack | Red |
| Beard, mustache, eyebrows, fur trim, pom-pom, cuffs | White or very light gray |
| Belt, boots, mittens | Black (or dark green mittens for a fun twist) |
| Buckle | Yellow or gold |
| Face | Light peach or skin tone |
| Nose and cheeks | Light pink |
| Sack (optional) | Brown or tan instead of red |
Coloring tips:
- Leave white parts white. On white paper, you don’t need to color the beard at all. Add a little light gray at the edges to make it look fluffy.
- Press harder for strong red. Color the suit twice with a red crayon or pencil for a bright, rich color.
- Add a shadow. A slightly darker red under the belt and on one side of the coat makes Santa look round.
- Color the background last. A light blue sky with white snowflakes makes Santa stand out.
Tips and Common Mistakes
- Starting too low on the page. Begin the face in the top third of your paper. Santa’s body, sack and boots need lots of room below.
- Making the hat brim too thin. The brim should be puffy and a bit wider than the face, so it looks soft and furry.
- A flat beard. Use lots of rounded bumps, bigger at the bottom. Even, smooth lines make the beard look stiff.
- Forgetting to erase. Erase the lower face line inside the beard after step 6, or it will show through when you color.
- Pressing too hard at first. Sketch lightly. Trace with a marker only when you are happy with the drawing.
- Mixing up the sides. The waving arm is on the left, and the sack is on the right. Check the red lines in each picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you draw Santa Claus easy for kids? Break Santa into simple shapes: a curve for the face, a puffy band and a floppy triangle for the hat, a circle for the pom-pom, and a bumpy cloud for the beard. Add the body, arms and boots one small part at a time, just like the 17 steps above.
How long does it take to draw Santa Claus? Most kids finish the drawing in 20 to 30 minutes. Coloring takes another 10 to 15 minutes. The face-only version takes about 10 minutes.
What colors do you need to draw Santa? You mainly need red for the suit and hat, black for the belt and boots, and yellow for the buckle. The beard and fur can stay white. A light pink for the cheeks and nose makes him look jolly.
How do you draw Santa’s beard? Draw a wavy line with rounded bumps from one side of the face, around the chin, and up to the other side. Make the bottom bumps bigger and rounder so the beard looks full and fluffy.
How do you draw Santa’s face? Follow steps 1 to 8: the face curve, the hat, the beard, then the eyes, eyebrows, a round nose, a curly mustache and a small smile.
How do you draw Santa’s hat? Draw a puffy band for the brim, then a big curved line that goes up and flops over to one side. Finish with a round pom-pom at the tip.
Can I print this Santa drawing tutorial? Yes. The free PDF includes a step-by-step sheet, a coloring page and a practice page. You don’t need to sign up or give an email.
What else can I draw with Santa? Try a reindeer, Santa’s sleigh, a Christmas tree, a snowman or a gingerbread man. They all go well together in a Christmas scene.