Santa Coloring Pages

Santa in all his forms: cute and chubby for toddlers, riding an ornate sleigh, and one speedy detailed sleigh scene for older kids. Plenty of trees, gifts, and stars to go around.

About Santa Claus

The Santa in these pages has many ancestors. The oldest is Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop in what is now Turkey, famous for secret gifts to the poor. Dutch settlers carried his feast-day traditions to America as Sinterklaas, while Britain had its own Father Christmas, a merrier, older figure tied to feasting rather than presents. Over the 1800s, poems, cartoons, and eventually advertisements blended these figures into one: a round, bearded gift-bringer in a fur-trimmed red suit, flying reindeer included, living at the North Pole with his workshop of elves.

Santa has not always worn red, which is good news for colorists. Early illustrations dressed him in green, brown, blue, and even patriotic stars and stripes, and in parts of Europe his companions and coats still vary. The red suit became standard through popular twentieth-century advertising, but a green-coated Santa or a deep burgundy one is just as traditional. His other constants are easier: white fur trim, a wide black belt with a gold buckle, rosy cheeks, and a beard that takes up half the page. However you dress him, that silhouette reads as Santa instantly.

All 10 Santa Coloring Pages

Scroll down to browse every page below, or use the Print button under any image to print just that page.

A cute Santa holds a Christmas ornament and a gift box while standing next to a decorated Christmas tree. Medium — great for kids.

Classic red does the heavy lifting here: a rich scarlet suit, white fur trim left bright, and a black belt with a gold buckle. The ornament in Santa's hand can echo the tree's decorations, so pick one metal, gold or silver, and repeat it. The gift box pops in teal or plum against all that red and green.

Give the tree a two-green treatment, darker at the branch bottoms and lighter on top, so the ornaments sit forward. A white gel-pen dot on the ornament Santa holds makes it gleam like glass. Rosy circles on his cheeks, blended softly outward, finish the friendly face kids expect from this Santa.

Santa carries a gift box beside a Christmas tree topped with a star, presents piled at its base. Medium — great for kids.

Carrying the gift means the box is a focal point, so wrap it boldly: deep blue or purple paper with a bright gold ribbon. Santa's suit stays classic red, the tree behind him a steady mid-green, and the star on top the warmest yellow on the page. Presents at the base can repeat the gift's colors in smaller doses.

Try a simple rhythm for the piled presents: alternate two wrapping colors and two ribbon colors rather than making every box unique, and the pile looks designed instead of busy. Shade one side of the carried gift slightly darker to give it weight. A pale floor shadow under Santa's boots grounds the whole scene.

Santa stands between two wrapped gifts in front of a tall Christmas tree with a star on top. Medium — great for kids.

Symmetry is the charm here, so mirror the two gifts: same ribbon color family, different paper, like cranberry and forest green with gold on both. Santa stands center in full red regalia, and the tall tree's star crowns the composition. Keep the tree ornaments small, bright, and evenly spaced so the eye travels up to that star.

Because the shapes are generous, this page suits markers, but leave the fur trim and beard for last so stray marker edges do not bleed into the white. A light gray shadow inside the beard's curls adds roundness. Finish with a glitter-gel star to crown the tree's neat, balanced look.

A bold Santa with thick outlines holds a ribbon-tied gift, his beard and belt big and simple. Easy — best for toddlers.

Bold outlines call for bold, simple color: one strong red for the suit, black for the belt, gold for the buckle, and the ribbon-tied gift in a single happy color like turquoise or purple. The beard and fur trim stay clean white, and the background can stay empty so Santa fills the page like a friendly giant.

This is a first-marker page, so chunky tips are welcome. Show a toddler the one-color-per-shape game: red shape, black shape, gold square. A pink circle on each cheek and a red nose are the only details needed. Print it big, and it becomes an easy holiday decoration for the fridge door.

A jolly Santa rides in an ornate sleigh covered in scrollwork, stars and snow dots swirling around him. Medium — great for kids.

An ornate sleigh deserves jewel tones: deep burgundy or emerald for the sleigh body, with its scrollwork picked out in gold. Santa's red suit sits inside like a jewel in a setting. The stars and snow dots swirling around him can alternate gold and pale blue, keeping the night sky feeling magical rather than dark and heavy.

Metallic gel pens were made for scrollwork, so trace the sleigh's curving lines in gold after the base colors are down. Work from the center of each swirl outward to keep the pattern crisp. A soft navy wash behind the stars, if your paper allows, turns the whole ride into a midnight scene.

Santa races in his sleigh with a sack of gifts, speed lines and fine hatching giving it a sense of motion. Detailed — best for teens and adults.

Motion lines ask for cooler, faster colors: a deep red suit slightly darkened on the trailing side, the sack in brown or olive canvas, and the sleigh in a rich wood tone with metal runners in gray. Speed lines and hatching stay light pencil-gray so they read as wind rather than decoration, and the gift shapes inside the sack stay bright.

Layering sells the speed here. Build the suit in two reds, base first, darker strokes sweeping backward, then add white gel-pen streaks along the hatching to sharpen the wind effect. Keep the beard's front edge brightest white, like it is catching moonlight, and let the background stay almost empty for maximum velocity.

A simple Santa face-front with a big mustache, fluffy beard, and belt, drawn in thick bold lines. Easy — best for toddlers.

All face means the skin tones and beard carry everything: warm peach for the cheeks and nose, with a rosier pink blended on the nose tip and cheek rounds. The mustache and beard stay white but need light gray shading in the curls and under the chin of the mustache so the face has depth instead of looking flat.

Draw the smile with your coloring: shade the beard slightly darker as it curves away at the edges, keeping the center under the nose lightest. Big shapes mean washable markers work beautifully for little kids. A tiny white highlight left in each eye, if the drawing leaves room, makes this simple Santa look twinkly.

A sturdy Santa with a long floppy hat and pom-pom, his coat shaded with bold stripes. Easy — best for toddlers.

That long floppy hat is the star, so give it the boldest red on the page and a big white pom-pom, shaded lightly gray underneath. The coat's bold stripes can alternate red and a slightly deeper red rather than two clashing colors, keeping the sturdy Santa tidy. Black boots and belt anchor the bottom of the design.

Thick outlines forgive wobbly hands, so this is a confident page for preschoolers with crayons. Try coloring the hat's long tip a different shade, or even green, as a fun variation Santa would approve of. One rosy cheek circle per side is enough detail at this scale, and it photographs beautifully for classroom walls.

A round-cheeked Santa with a big circular nose and fluffy beard smiles warmly. Easy — best for toddlers.

Round cheeks mean round shading: use a soft peach across the face, then blend a clear pink circle onto each cheek and the big circular nose, darkest red right at the nose's center. The fluffy beard rings the face in white, with the faintest gray under its top edge where it meets the cheeks and mustache.

Keep tools simple and strokes circular, following the face's roundness, so the coloring itself feels plump and soft. A white gel-pen shine dot on the nose sells the chilly, cheerful look. If a young artist wants a twist, a green hat instead of red turns him into Santa's equally jolly cousin without breaking the design.

A waving Santa with a wide happy grin and simple bold shapes. Easy — best for toddlers.

A wave is pure greeting-card energy, so dress him in the brightest classic palette: cherry red suit, snowy trim, black belt, gold buckle, and the widest grin in the set. The simple bold shapes leave lots of friendly white space, so one accent, like a green sack or a blue background wash, is plenty to finish the picture.

Because there is so much open space, this page begs for a drawn addition: a few falling snowflakes, a simple pine tree beside him, or a Merry Christmas banner overhead in bubble letters. Color Santa first, then add your extras in lighter pencil so he stays the hero of his own hello.

Coloring Tips for Santa

• The suit: true red with white fluffy trim — leave the trim white and shade it with the faintest gray.
• Beard and fur: keep beards white; a light blue-gray shadow under the chin adds depth.
• Skin tones: peach or light brown for Santa's face, with pink cheeks for that jolly look.
• Palette ideas: (1) Classic — red suit, white trim, black boots; (2) Vintage — deep burgundy suit with cream trim; (3) Frosty — blue suit with silver trim for a winter twist.
• Crayons for the bold simple Santas; fine markers or colored pencils for the detailed sleigh scenes.

FAQ

Can I use these in my classroom?
Yes — free for personal and classroom use.

What size paper should I print on?
US Letter (8.5x11) works best; A4 is fine with fit-to-page enabled. Each coloring page below has its own Download and Print buttons.

Does Santa's suit have to be red?
Not at all. Victorian Santas often wore green, and early American illustrations used brown, blue, and burgundy too. Red became the standard through popular advertising in the 1900s. A green or plum suit with white fur trim still reads instantly as Santa, especially with the black belt and gold buckle colored in.

More Coloring Pages You'll Love

If you enjoyed these, try our Christmas Tree Coloring Pages, Christmas Elf Coloring Pages, or Christmas Gingerbread Coloring Pages next.