If you are about to face paint for Christmas and need the prettiest, most popular design ideas, you’re on the right page.
Our guide will focus on the most requested face painting designs and a ton of tutorials to help you nail this holiday season.
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Easy Christmas Face Painting Ideas
Christmas Tree
Holly Berries
Poinsettia
Reindeer
Rudolph
Snowman
Ice Queen
The Grinch
Santa
Other Christmas Face Painting Ideas
Fine Art
Transforming Your Regular Designs for Christmas
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Easy Christmas Face Painting Ideas
The crowds can get a bit wild when you are working on an event. Several design options are available if you are working on a significant holiday event and need to crank out the candy canes at top speed.
Here are a few tutorials of simple face painting designs to begin with:
More tutorials on YouTube:
Christmas Holly Face Paint Tutorial
Gingerbread Man Face Painting
Consider designs that only require a few brush strokes and a poof of glitter to make your little clients eyes light up. Think quick snowman cheek art with 2 circles as the base and a quick one-stroke hat.
Add a cute smile and Frosty is ready to roll. Or maybe a metallic base with a stencil and swirls applied on top. The options are endless and the more you paint and practice them, the quicker your nimble little elf hands will work!
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Christmas Tree Face Painting
These beautiful evergreens can be interpreted in so many ways. Whether creating a beautiful full face look or speeding up your line by utilizing a fun one-stroke design, feel free to incorporate jewels, glitter balms, liquid bling and more to deck your tree out. Don’t limit yourself to full Christmas trees, incorporate beautiful pine branches into your designs as well!
Here’s a super easy Christmas tree tutorial by Simona Rad:
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Holly Berries Face Painting
When painting these beautiful green leaves, elaborate with swirls, stencils and liquid bling to transform a simple holly cluster into a glorious work of art.
Onestroke holly leaves can be tricky if you don’t angle your brush correctly, be sure to practice your strokes so that you can quickly pump them out on the job.
Or learn how to paint these easy holly face painting designs from Olga and Ashlea:
Poinsettia Face Painting Design Ideas
These beautiful red blooms are a great way to add a floral element to your designs.
Check out our “Tools for perfect Double Dip Flowers” article and find out how to incorporate these beautiful buds into your work for eye-pleasing details!
Don’t feel the pressure to only use poinsettias in your designs, red or ghost roses with holly leaves or evergreen branches would also be a gorgeous addition to your holiday offerings.
Try your hand at these tutorials:
Or at this step-by-step:
Reindeer Face Painting Design Ideas
These adorable flyers will light up your customers’ faces as sure as Rudolph’s nose. Create quick cheek/forehead art as well as the classic full-faced reindeer. Having a variety of options keeps your customers happy and keeps you from bored with your 1,000th reindeer of the weekend.
Rudolph Face Painting Tutorials and Ideas
More tutorials on YouTube:
Christmas Reindeer Face Paint Tutorial
Reindeer One Stroke
Fast Reindeer One Stroke Face Paint Tutorial
Deer Reindeer Makeup and Face Painting
Check out our “Secret tips to obtain a flawless design in face painting” article and learn how to get your designs Instagram worthy… we all wanna be Instagram famous, right?
☃️ Snowman Face Painting Design Ideas
Add some funk to your Frosty! Don’t be afraid to experiment with fun hats and placement for your snowman…or lady. From classic snowmen to beloved characters and your own creative spin… the options are endless!
Check out these snowman video tutorials:
You’ll be able to create a bunch of varieties of your frosty guy by simply playing around with his facial features. Here’s an inspiration board for you to save.
… and this snowman tutorial too. You can see how using a star stencil and some simple shading really make this design pop!
Learn how to paint this Olaf design by Olga Murasev:
Ice Queen Face Painting
The official unofficial Christmas princess. Snowflake and ice designs are always popular and she is, well… the queen of ice!
Get creative with your variations, this truly the time to play around with creative ideas for this Frozen beauty. Here are a few designs to inspire you, but we cannot wait to see what YOU come up with.
Try your hand with these tutorials for the “Frozen” Elsa Crown and Snowflake Princess.
You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch Face Paint
This Dr. Seuss classic will bring a smile to even the naughtiest child in your line! From full face to cheek art, the cheermeister of Mt. Crumpit is sure to have all the Whos in your line giggling.
Try your hand at these Grinch design video tutorials:
Gillian Child also created a very fun and easy Grinch step-by-step:
Santa Face Painting
You can’t have Christmas without jolly old Santa Claus. Whether you’re adding his iconic hat over a child’s eyebrow, or transforming them with a full beard, these designs are sure to get you on the Nice List.
Check out this Santa tutorial:
Or try these lively variations of the Santa Claus face painting designs:
Other Christmas Face Painting Ideas
Elves, penguins, polar bears, Christmas lights and decorations… there are many more ideas to sparkle up your party with themed designs.
Check out these fun tutorials:
This chilly willy fella will surely make a splash (get it?!) at any event. A cute lil guy on the forehead or cheek, or a full mask design are great options for your winter board. Get your sponges and snowflake stencil out to recreate this Olga Murasev Pretty Penguin design.
Yeti – a frosty giant will be a great addition to the category of “there’s never enough boy’s designs!” Try your hand at Kristin Olsson’s yeti… then let loose and create one of your own!
These step-by-step photos are a great way for you to gain understanding of layering colors, shading and a proper order of operations while painting. At the International Face Paint School, you will get comprehensive knowledge of shading, color theory, positioning and more.
Fine Art
Face painting isn’t limited to swirls, cartoons… or even the face. The human body can become a living canvas. The creativity and beauty inspired by these designs are breathtaking. While these aren’t practical for on-the-job work, unique designs like these pump up your portfolio and are great for photo shoots and private client sessions for special projects.
Transforming Your Regular Designs for Christmas
Don’t altogether remove your butterflies, princess crowns, kitty cats, skulls (Yes, skulls. Take a look at Vanessa Mendoza’s design below for a fun twist) and other popular designs from your holiday portfolio.
Find creative ways to incorporate Christmas or Frozen colors, snowflakes and other holiday elements into your regular offerings. There will not be a good time for a Spiderman.
Adding classic Christmas colors or a split cake of frosty blues can transport your summer butterflies into winter wonderland creatures.
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
We really have the best job. We get to create living art, light up children’s faces and get paid to party! Even if you don’t normally dress up while you’re working, consider really embracing the holiday spirit. Throw on some festive leggings, an ugly Christmas sweater, or even go all out with an elf-inspired ensemble.
Have a Holly Jolly Christmas and a magical face painting experience this holiday season!
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