Ideas

16+ Simple Ornament Drawing Ideas for Your Home

Grab your favorite fine-tip markers because drawing your own ornaments is the ultimate relaxing craft project for a cozy afternoon. I have gathered my favorite simple patterns and doodles that look stunning on blank ceramic or wooden baubles.

1. Botanical Line Art

White ceramic ornament decorated with simple black ink botanical doodles — Draw simple botanical leaves on ceramic

I always start my crafting sessions with simple botanical line art because it feels so forgiving. You just need a blank white ceramic ornament and a black permanent pen to sketch out tiny leaves and vines. The trick is to vary the size of your leaves and let the stems curve naturally around the shape of the bauble. If you mess up, a little rubbing alcohol usually wipes it clean so you can try again. Try mixing these elements:

delicate ferns
tiny berries
eucalyptus branches

2. Modern Geometric Shapes

Wooden disc ornament with gold and black geometric triangle patterns — Geometric patterns on a wooden disc

This creates a striking modern geometric look on plain wooden discs.

Grab a ruler or just freehand some intersecting triangles and diamonds across the surface. Filling in alternating shapes with a gold metallic paint pen gives it an instant high-end finish.

3. Monochromatic Doodles

White bauble covered in intricate navy blue star doodles — Navy blue doodles on white baubles

Sticking to a monochromatic color palette makes even the messiest doodles look intentional.

I love using navy blue ink on a crisp white background to mimic vintage porcelain.

You can fill the entire surface with tiny overlapping stars or simple dots for a beautiful texture.

fine-tip navy marker
matte white ornaments
clear acrylic sealer

4. Fingerprint Reindeer

Matte glass ornament featuring a thumbprint turned into a reindeer face — Turn simple thumbprints into cute reindeer

My kids actually inspired this fingerprint reindeer drawing technique last winter. You just press a brown ink pad onto your thumb and stamp it right in the center of a matte glass ornament. Once it dries, use a micro-pen to draw tiny antlers, eyes, and a bright red nose. It becomes an instant keepsake that takes less than five minutes to make.

5. Classic Snowflakes

Dark green ornament with crisp white snowflake drawings — Draw easy snowflakes on dark ornaments

It takes exactly three basic shapes to draw a classic snowflake pattern.

Start with a simple cross, add an X through the middle, and finish with tiny V-shapes at the tips.

Drawing these in white ink on dark green or black ornaments makes the design pop beautifully.

white gel pen
dark matte ornaments
a steady hand

6. Faux Cross-Stitch

Wooden ornament with tiny drawn X marks forming a red heart — Draw tiny X marks for cross-stitch

Faux cross-stitch designs look incredibly cozy on smooth wooden blanks. You simply draw tiny X marks in a grid pattern to form hearts or little trees.

Why it works: The rigid grid structure forces you to keep your design neat and symmetrical without needing advanced drawing skills.

7. Cookie Cutter Silhouettes

Ornament featuring a bell silhouette made entirely of swirling pen lines — Trace cookie cutters for perfect silhouettes

Trace the outline of a small cookie cutter to get perfectly proportioned holiday silhouettes.

Once you have the light pencil outline of a bell or stocking, fill the inside with tiny swirling lines.

Erase the pencil border afterward for a crisp, free-floating design.

8. Cascading Icicles

Clear ornament with silver drawn icicles dripping from the top — Draw silver icicles dripping from the top

Use a silver metallic pen to draw cascading icicles from the top down. Varying the lengths of your lines gives the ornament a natural, frozen look that catches the light perfectly.

9. Woodland Creatures

Wood slice ornament with a simple pen drawing of a sleeping fox — Draw minimalist woodland animals on wood slices

I am slightly obsessed with drawing tiny woodland creatures on unfinished wood slices. The raw bark edge acts as a natural frame for a sleeping fox or a little owl. Keep the details minimal and focus on the outline to maintain a rustic, handmade charm. You will want to gather:

wood slices with bark
fine point black pens
white colored pencil for highlights

10. Continuous Line Art

White bauble with a modern continuous line drawing of a dove — Try sophisticated continuous line art

A continuous line drawing creates an incredibly sophisticated, minimalist aesthetic. You place your pen on the ornament and draw a face or a dove without ever lifting the tip from the surface. It takes a few practice runs on scrap paper to get the muscle memory down. The final result looks like expensive modern art hanging right on your tree. Just remember to use a pen that dries quickly so you do not smudge the continuous path.

11. Meditative Mandalas

Flat ceramic ornament covered in an intricate black ink mandala pattern — Draw relaxing mandalas starting from the center

I keep a dedicated sketchbook just for practicing these mandala patterns before I commit them to an ornament. Starting from a central dot and working outward in concentric circles is practically a form of meditation.

12. Handwritten Recipes

Clear glass bauble with a recipe written in tiny cursive script — Write family recipes around glass baubles

Write out favorite family recipes in tiny cursive around the circumference of a large glass bauble.

Use a flexible fine-tip marker so it glides easily over the curved glass. The text becomes a beautiful, abstract texture from afar and a meaningful story up close.

Why it works: Wrapping text around a sphere naturally hides any slight variations in your handwriting size or spacing.

13. Mountain Peaks

Clear ornament with drawn black mountain silhouettes and white snow caps — Sketch mountain peaks on clear ornaments

Draw a series of overlapping mountain peaks around the bottom half of a clear ornament.

Fill the base with solid black ink and leave the peaks white to mimic snow caps. Adding a few tiny dotted stars in the clear sky above completes the outdoorsy vibe.

14. Retro Florals

Matte black ornament covered in bright neon retro daisy drawings — Draw bold retro florals on black matte

The contrast of bright neon ink on a matte black surface makes retro floral doodles completely pop.

Sketch out chunky, 70s-style daisies and bold leaves all over the bauble. It is a fun departure from traditional holiday colors and adds a massive punch of personality to your decor.

15. Drawn Plaid

White ornament with red and green drawn lines creating a plaid pattern — Layer straight lines to draw plaid

It only takes two contrasting colors to draw an elegant plaid pattern.

Draw thick vertical stripes first, let them dry completely, and then add thin horizontal lines.

You can add tiny diagonal hash marks at the intersections for extra detail.

Why it works: The layered grid tricks the eye into seeing a complex woven fabric texture instead of simple drawn lines.

16. Winter Cityscape

Frosted ornament with a black ink drawing of a miniature winter village — Sketch a tiny winter village silhouette

Sketch a miniature cityscape around the equator of a frosted ornament. Keep the buildings simple with basic rectangles and tiny square windows to create a charming winter village silhouette. Mix in these shapes:

tall clock towers
A-frame houses
tiny pine trees

17. Abstract Watercolor Line Art

Ceramic ornament with abstract painted spots and loose black floral doodles — Doodle over abstract watercolor spots

Abstract watercolor blobs outlined in black ink create a beautiful, loose style that requires zero drawing experience. You just dab a few spots of watered-down acrylic paint onto a ceramic blank and let it dry. Then, use a fine-tip pen to draw loose, squiggly floral shapes slightly off-center from the painted spots. The deliberate misalignment looks incredibly artistic and modern. It is the perfect project for when you want to craft but do not want to stress over perfection.