Quick answer: Paint by numbers now goes well beyond the canvas at Christmas: you can paint a set of eight wooden ornaments for the tree, six greeting cards to send, a set of coasters for the holiday table, a twelve-day advent calendar of mini paintings, and an LED panel that glows on the windowsill. Each takes an evening or two, needs no painting experience, and comes out again every December. Start in November so everything is finished by the time the tree goes up — and order the advent calendar early enough to arrive before December 1st.
Shop-bought decorations look like everyone else's. Decorations you painted yourself look like your house. This guide goes through every Christmas kit in the shop that is not a wall canvas, what each one involves, how long it takes, and how to plan them so the painting is done before the season gets busy.
What you will find in this guide
Tree ornaments: a set of eight
Each set contains eight flat ornaments printed with numbered designs — gingerbread figures, baubles, reindeer, snowmen — plus the paints and brushes to finish them. An ornament takes twenty to forty minutes, so a set is one or two evenings, and the result hangs on the tree for years. The sets are themed by palette: Winter Mint & Gingerbread for a cool, modern tree, Cozy Gingerbread Classics and Classic Red & Green for a traditional one, and Reindeer, Snowman & Winter Baubles for children.
These are the best Christmas project for a family afternoon: everyone paints two, and the tree ends up with everyone's work on it. Seal them with a coat of varnish before hanging so they survive the box until next year.
Christmas cards you paint and send
A set of six folded cards with numbered designs on the front — a greeting, Santa, a winter scene — with paints and a brush. Each card takes fifteen to thirty minutes. A hand-painted card is the kind people keep on the mantelpiece instead of recycling in January, and six is just the right number for the people who matter most. See the Merry Christmas cards, the Santa Claus cards and the Christmas Time cards.
Paint them in the first half of December so they can dry flat for a day before you write inside and post them.
Coasters for the holiday table
A set of coasters printed with Christmas motifs, each one a tiny painting. They take about half an hour apiece and are genuinely useful on the table through the holidays — and they make a good small gift for a host. Seal them with two coats of varnish so a wet glass does no harm. See the Christmas coasters, and our guide to coasters, notebooks and other kits beyond the canvas.
The painting advent calendar
Twelve small canvases, one for each of the twelve days before Christmas, each a quick picture to paint in a quiet half hour. It is the most charming thing in the shop for a grandchild, and plenty of adults buy one for themselves as a daily pause in the busiest month. Because it has to arrive before the first day, it is the one Christmas kit to order in November rather than December. Browse the advent calendars.
LED Christmas Lights
A small acrylic panel printed with a holiday scene that you paint and slot into an LED base; when the light is on, the painting glows. Two to four hours of painting and a decoration that nobody expects. We have a whole guide to LED Christmas Light kits; the designs are in the Christmas Light collection.
And the classic: a winter canvas
If you also want a full painting for the season, the Christmas and winter collection has red trucks, snowmen, cocoa by the fire and snowy villages. A standard canvas takes two to four weeks of evenings, so start it in early November to have it on the wall by mid-December. Our guide on how long a canvas takes helps you plan.
A painting calendar for the season
| When | Paint | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| Early November | Winter canvas, LED panel | Longest projects; done by the time the tree goes up |
| Mid-November | Order the advent calendar | Must arrive before December 1st |
| Late November | Ornaments | Dry and sealed before decorating day |
| December 1st–12th | Advent calendar, cards | Cards need a day to dry before posting |
| Mid-December | Coasters | Ready for guests |
| Between Christmas and New Year | Anything you did not get to | The quietest painting week of the year |
Tips for small decorative pieces
- Use the smallest brush and load only the tip. Ornament and card sections are tiny.
- Paint all pieces one color at a time, like a set of minis: open one pot, paint that number on every ornament, close it.
- Two thin coats on whites and pale colors, which are most of a Christmas palette.
- Seal everything that will be handled: ornaments, coasters, the LED panel. Cards and the advent minis can stay unsealed.
- Let cards dry flat for a day before writing in them; wet paint on a folded card sticks to itself.
- Store sealed pieces wrapped in tissue in a box so nothing rubs. They come out looking new each year.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a set of Christmas ornaments take to paint?
Twenty to forty minutes per ornament, so one or two evenings for a set of eight. Allow a day for drying and sealing before hanging.
Can children paint the ornaments and cards?
Yes, from about age six with an adult nearby. The sections are small, so the youngest painters do best with the bolder designs and a little help on the edges.
Do I need to varnish Christmas ornaments?
Yes, if you want them to last. One or two thin coats of varnish protect the paint from rubbing in storage. Our sealing guide explains how.
When should I order a painting advent calendar?
In November. It needs to arrive before December 1st, and the holiday weeks are the slowest of the year for every carrier.
Can I write inside the painted Christmas cards?
Yes. Let the painted front dry flat for a day, then write inside as normal.
What is the quickest Christmas kit?
The cards: fifteen to thirty minutes each. The ornaments are next. The LED panel and a winter canvas take longest.
Make this the year the decorations are yours
Pick a set of ornaments for the tree, cards for the people who matter, and an advent calendar for the countdown. If you are buying for someone else, our gift guide matches kits to people. And start in November — December goes quickly.
