Free December Coloring Pages: 79 printable PDF designs covering Christmas characters, winter animals, advent calendars, and a set of step-by-step drawing guides. Each page can be downloaded as a PDF to print or colored online in the browser, with no account required.
December carries more going on at once than most single months, from Christmas and other winter holidays to the final countdown of the calendar year, and this collection reflects that mix rather than sticking to one theme. A small number of pages reference specific licensed characters, including a Grogu-style design often called Baby Yoda and an Elf on the Shelf drawing guide, and those are addressed honestly in the FAQ below rather than treated as generic designs.
The 79 pages in this set are split into Christmas characters and family scenes, winter animals, calendars and advent trackers, step-by-step drawing guides, and general December and winter portraits, giving colorists a genuinely wide range of styles and activities to choose from.
What Is Inside This Collection
The 79 pages are grouped by theme and function rather than by a single repeated scene, since December covers more ground than most other monthly collections.
Christmas Characters and Family Scenes
A large group centers on Santa, Mrs. Claus, and family moments such as opening gifts, decorating, and caroling together. These suit the classic Scarlet and Forest Green pairing, with Gold accents for ornaments and trim.
Winter Animals
A second group gives the season to animals instead of people, including penguins, a bear, a hedgehog, a fox, a rabbit pair, a cat, and a puppy. These work well with each animal’s natural coloring first, layering a scarf or hat in Scarlet or Forest Green second.
Calendars and Advent Trackers
A smaller, more functional group includes blank monthly calendar grids and Advent countdown designs built around counting down the days. These suit a light Sky Blue or Pale Pink grid line, so the boxes stay easy to write in after coloring.
Step-by-Step Drawing Guides
A distinct set of pages walks through drawing a specific holiday object, such as Santa, a snowflake, or a gingerbread man, one step at a time, rather than presenting a single finished outline. One of these guides is built around Elf on the Shelf, a specific named character addressed further in the FAQ.
General December and Winter Portraits
The remaining pages are simpler, single-subject designs: snowmen, a snow globe, a winter village, wreaths, a gingerbread house, and a few holiday treats. These work well as a quick warm-up set or a practice run before a more detailed page.
What December Coloring Pages Do
Fine motor development across genuinely different formats. The American Academy of Pediatrics identifies fine motor skill development as a core benefit of structured coloring for children ages 2 through 7. This collection gives that practice an unusual range within one set: a calendar grid asks for small, boxed-in control, while a step-by-step drawing guide asks a child to build a shape from individual lines rather than fill in one that already exists.
A real countdown is built into the month itself. December is the only month most calendars treat as a literal countdown, whether toward a holiday or the new year, and the advent and calendar pages in this set reflect that structure directly rather than using December only as a generic winter backdrop.
Calm, repetitive shading through ornament and pattern detail. A 2005 study in the Art Therapy Journal documented measurable reductions in anxiety following structured coloring sessions, and the repeated ornaments, stocking patterns, and wreath details on the more detailed pages in this set call for the same slow, section-by-section attention the study associated with that calming effect.
A drawing lesson built directly into a coloring set. Because several pages in this collection are step-by-step drawing guides rather than finished outlines, the set doubles as a basic drawing lesson, giving a child practice building a shape from scratch alongside the usual practice of coloring one in.
How to Color These Pages Well
- Santa and Mrs. Claus: Use Scarlet for the coat and Snow White for the fur trim, keeping the red consistent rather than shifting between a warm and cool red across the page.
- Winter animals: Color each animal’s natural coat first, such as Black and White for a penguin or Raw Umber for a hedgehog, before adding any scarf, hat, or mitten in a holiday color.
- Calendar grids: Keep grid lines a light Sky Blue or Pale Pink, saving bolder colors for headers so the day boxes stay legible once filled in by hand.
- Ornaments and stockings: Alternate two or three colors, such as Scarlet, Gold, and Forest Green, across repeated ornament shapes rather than coloring every ornament the same.
- Snow and snowmen: Keep snow a very pale Blue-White rather than flat white, adding a touch of shadow along one side of each snowman for a rounder, less flat look.
- Drawing guide pages: Follow the earlier steps in a light color first, then go over the final outline in a darker color once the full shape is built, since these pages are meant to be worked through in order.
5 Creative Craft Ideas With December Coloring Pages
1. Advent Countdown Chain
Color several small December pages, cut each into a strip, and loop the strips together into a paper chain. Tear off one link each day to count down toward a chosen date, such as a holiday or the new year.
2. Gratitude Ornament Set
Color a few of the round or ornament-shaped pages, punch a hole at the top of each, and hang them from a string or small branch. Write one thing to be grateful for on the back of each ornament before hanging it.
3. Snow Globe Comparison
Color the printed snow globe page and set it beside a small homemade snow globe jar filled with water and glitter. Shake the real jar and compare its movement to the stillness of the printed design.
4. Draw-Along Practice Sheet
Use one of the step-by-step drawing guide pages as a reference and redraw the same object freehand on a blank sheet placed right beside it. Compare the freehand version to the printed steps afterward to see how close the match turned out.
5. Holiday Treat Tag
Color one of the food-themed pages, trim it down into a small tag, and punch a hole in one corner. Tie the finished tag to a homemade batch of cookies or treats as a simple gift label.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are December coloring pages?
A free set of 79 printable PDF and online coloring designs covering Christmas characters, winter animals, advent calendars, and step-by-step drawing guides. Every page downloads free or opens for online coloring, with no account required.
What holidays or events does this collection cover?
The set leans heavily on Christmas imagery, including Santa, stockings, and gingerbread, but also includes general winter and new year countdown elements through its calendar and advent-style pages.
Is the Baby Yoda page part of the official Star Wars franchise?
No. That page is a fan-made design referencing the widely recognized character informally called Baby Yoda, officially named Grogu within the Star Wars franchise from Lucasfilm and Disney, and it is not affiliated with, licensed by, or endorsed by either company.
Is the Elf on the Shelf drawing guide an official product?
No. Elf on the Shelf is a trademarked character and tradition created by The Lumistella Company, and the drawing guide in this collection is a fan-made, step-by-step illustration rather than official branded material.
Are the calendar pages usable for actual monthly planning?
Yes. The calendar and advent-style pages include blank date grids that can be filled in by hand after printing, making them functional as well as decorative.
What makes the drawing guide pages different from the rest of the collection?
Rather than presenting one finished outline to color, the drawing guide pages walk through building a shape step by step, giving colorists practice with basic drawing alongside the usual coloring activity.
Are December coloring pages appropriate for young children?
Yes. The simple winter animal and general portrait pages suit toddlers and preschoolers, while the calendar grids and drawing guides work well for older children who want a more structured activity.
Can this collection be used for a classroom lesson on winter or the calendar?
Yes. The calendar and advent pages pair well with a basic lesson on counting down days, and the winter animal pages support a general discussion of how different animals handle the colder months.
Start Coloring
Download any page by clicking the design. No account, email, or payment is required. Pages print directly from the browser at full resolution or open in the online coloring tool for screen use. Share finished pages on Facebook or Pinterest using the share buttons at the top of each design page.
