We love q-tip painting over here and there is no other time more perfect to break out the q-tips and paint than Christmas with our Free Printable Q-Tip Painting Templates for Christmas!
These free printable Q-tip painting templates are a simple way to create holiday artwork, one little dot at a time.
With cotton swabs, washable paint, and a printed template, you can set up a Christmas activity at home or in the classroom. Children can experiment with colours and patterns as they fill their pictures with dots.
What Is Q-Tip Painting?
Q-tip painting uses cotton swabs to dab small dots of paint onto paper. Children dip the cotton tip lightly into paint, then press and lift to make each mark.
For templates with printed circles, invite children to place a dot inside each circle. For outline templates, they can fill the shapes with their own arrangements of dots.
What You’ll Need
- Free printable Christmas Q-tip painting templates (available below)
- White paper or cardstock
- Q-tips or cotton swabs
- Washable paint
- A paint tray or paper plate
- A table covering
Red, green, white, and yellow make a festive palette. You can also offer blue, purple, or pink so children can choose their own Christmas colours.
How to Use Your Christmas Painting Templates
1. Choose and print a template
Print your chosen design on white paper or cardstock. Cardstock holds up well when children use a little extra paint.
2. Set out the supplies
Pour small amounts of paint onto a tray and provide a separate cotton swab for each colour. This helps keep the colours clear as children paint.
3. Dip, dab, and lift
Show children how to dip just the cotton tip into the paint, press it onto the dot outline on the page, and lift it straight up. A small amount of paint makes a clearer dot.
4. Explore colours and patterns
Invite children to alternate colours. They can follow the template or add their own details around the picture.
5. Leave the artwork to dry
Lay the finished pages flat until the paint is dry. Then display them on a wall, classroom board, or fridge for a handmade touch of Christmas.
Tips for Little Artists
- Offer just two or three paint colours at a time for a simpler setup.
- Encourage gentle dabbing to help the cotton tips hold their shape.
- Replace cotton swabs when they become too soggy.
- Let children take breaks and return to their artwork later.
Each finished page will look a little different, with its own mix of dots, spaces, and colours.
Ways to Display Your Christmas Paintings
Mount dry paintings on coloured paper for a festive border, or bring several together to create a classroom Christmas gallery.
You can also print templates at a smaller size and attach the finished artwork to folded cardstock for homemade Christmas cards. Invite children to add a holiday message inside.
Download Your Free Christmas Q-Tip Painting Templates
Gather your paints and cotton swabs, print your favorite templates, and enjoy a little Christmas creativity together. These easy painting pages are a lovely addition to a holiday craft morning or classroom art table.
Simply enter your name and email address and you will be directed immediately to where you can download a pdf of all the templates. There are 13 different Christmas themed q-tip painting templates. Here is a list of what is included in the package:
- Christmas tree
- Santa
- Christmas Ornament
- Christmas Present
- Wreath
- Elf
- Reindeer
- Sleigh
- Stocking
- Hot Cocoa
- Gingerbread House
- Candy Cane
- Gingerbread Man
Already a subscriber? No problem! If you enter the same email address and name you will not be signed up twice but you can still get access to our free templates.
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
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Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
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Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
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Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
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Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
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Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
