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Based on a video by Art for Kids Hub
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This Santa's sleigh drawing comes from Rob at Art for Kids Hub, who draws it side by side with his daughter. You start with a shape that looks like a bathtub, curl the front and back into fancy scrolls, and build swirly runners underneath. Then you load it up with Santa's toy sack and a little Christmas tree. It takes about 14 minutes with the coloring.
You need a black marker, paper, and something to color with.
The whole sleigh is curves. There are almost no straight lines except the long runner along the bottom. That is good news for kids, because a wobbly curl still looks like a fancy curl. The runners take the longest. Rob draws the swirls one at a time, each next to the last, and he turns his paper often so his hand can follow the curve.
The sack and tree use overlapping. The tree sits behind the sack, so its lines stop where they hit the sack. That one idea makes the load look 3D.
A fine point black permanent marker gives the bold outline in the video. Plain printer paper is fine for practice. A heavier drawing pad holds up better to coloring. Rob and his daughter color with oil pastels, which give thick, bright color. Washable markers or colored pencils work too.
Make the sleigh big. It should fill most of the page, with room above for the sack and tree. A small sleigh leaves no space for the runner curls.
For younger kids, skip the extra curls under the body. One big swirl at the front and the long runner line are enough to read as a sleigh. You can also leave out the border. Sketch in pencil first if mistakes feel scary, then trace with marker.
Older kids can add more. Try a second runner peeking out behind the first, a lantern hanging off the front scroll, or snow piled on top of the toy sack.
A Santa sleigh drawing makes a great front for a homemade Christmas card. Draw it on folded cardstock and write a message inside. Teachers can hang a row of them as a December hallway display. Add a reindeer pulling the front, or go all in with Rudolph leading the team. Put Santa in the driver's seat to finish the scene.
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Draw Santa's sleigh in 10 easy steps: curly runners, a toy sack and a little Christmas tree. An easy project: about 30 minutes. Materials cost about $5 to $10. You need 4 things, including black fine point permanent marker and pencil and eraser. The 10 steps start with draw a Long U-Shape for the Sleigh Body, draw the Curled Scroll Front of the Sleigh and curl the Back of the Sleigh Into the Body.
10 steps, about 14 minutes. Tap a picture to jump to that step. Your progress saves automatically.
Tick each step off as you go.
Start in the middle of your page. Draw a long, flat U-shape. Come down, go across the bottom, then go back up. Rob says it looks like a bathtub, and that is the right idea. Keep the bottom wide and the sides short. Leave space above for the toy sack and below for the runners. This shape is the seat of Santa's sleigh.
Make the U wide. A narrow U turns into a bucket instead of a sleigh.
The sleigh points to the left. At the top of the left side, draw a small sideways U and curl it down. Then go to the right side of the body. Draw a big curve that dips down, rises up and rolls over at the top like a wave. That tall curl is the back rest of Santa's sleigh. It is the fanciest part, so take it slowly.
Pause the video after each curl. These shapes are easier in small pieces.
Curl the top of the tall curve back in, then bring a line down to finish the back of the sleigh. It looks like the front scroll, only bigger. You can run it right into the bottom corner of the U or connect it a little higher. The outline of the sleigh is done now, and it already looks fancy.
If your curl looks lumpy, that is fine. The border later smooths it out.
Below the front of the sleigh, draw a big S-shaped swirl that curls in like a seashell. Let the end point toward the back. From there, draw a long straight line past the back of the sleigh. That is the runner, the part that slides on the snow. Rob turns his paper to keep the line straight. Let it stick out past the back.
Turn your paper so you pull the marker toward you. Straight lines come out steadier.
Now fill the space between the sleigh and the runner with curls. Draw an upside down U, then follow the line next to it and swirl back up. Add a curved V and a few more swirls along the bottom of the sleigh. Each curl sits right next to the last one. These swirls turn a plain sled into Santa's sleigh. Take your time here.
Your curls do not need to match the video. Any swirl looks festive.
Draw a small raindrop shape inside the front scroll and a bigger one inside the back scroll. Then draw a second line right inside the outside edge of the sleigh, all the way around. That border gives the sleigh a trim, like real painted wood. Extend the back of the runner and connect it. Turn your paper as you go around.
Keep the border close to the outline. A thin gap looks like trim.
Above the sleigh, draw a small U, then two curved lines out and a wavy line across the top. That is the open end of the sack. Wrap a rope around it, add a circle for the knot and two small loops so it looks like a bow. Then draw a big curve down into the sleigh so the sack looks full of toys. Add wrinkle lines.
Make the sack big. A huge sack tells you it is full of toys.
Behind the sack, draw a curved upside down V for the top of a little Christmas tree. Add a wavy line under it, then two more layers of branches, each one wider. Stop the lines where they hit the sack, so the tree sits behind it. That overlap makes the drawing look 3D. Finish with a short trunk down into the sleigh.
Ask yourself which thing is in front. Only draw the lines you could see.
Draw small circles on the tree for round ornaments. Rob's daughter adds little hooks on hers, and then a star on top. You can decorate the tree any way you like. Rob also suggests filling the sleigh with other things, like wrapped presents. When the line drawing looks done to you, pick out your colors.
Space the ornaments out. A few round ones read better than lots of tiny dots.
Now add color. They use orange, green, a light red and a dark red. Color the sleigh body red and the border trim green. Make the runners and swirls orange so they look like gold. Color the tree green with yellow ornaments, and make the sack red with a gold rope. Oil pastels give bold color, but markers or colored pencils work too.
Color the big red parts first. Small details go faster at the end.
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How to Draw a Sleigh
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5 questions covering what you just read. No signup, no score saved, and you can stop after this one.
Question 1 of 5
What everyday shape does the sleigh body start as?
Quick reference
5 questions, answers, and one-line explanations. Tap to expand.
1.What everyday shape does the sleigh body start as?
Answer: A long flat U
A long flat U, like a bathtub, gives the sleigh its seat.
2.What do the long runners under a sleigh do?
Answer: Slide over snow
Runners are the skis a sleigh glides on, so draw them long and flat.
3.How do you make the sleigh trim look like gold?
Answer: Use orange
Orange or yellow on the swirls and runners reads as gold trim.
4.What does a second line just inside the outer edge add?
Answer: A painted border trim
A line traced inside the edge becomes a border you can color a different shade.
5.Why draw the tree behind the sack and stop lines where they meet it?
Answer: So the sack looks in front
Stopping lines at the overlap is how a drawing shows one object in front of another.
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