Christmas face paint ideas that are easy to do

You don’t need to be an artist to do brilliant festive face paint. Most of the best face paint ideas for Christmas are just a few bold shapes, a bit of white for highlights and a steady hand. This guide walks you through the easiest designs, what kit you need and how to make it last through the school disco or the Christmas party.

Planning the rest of the outfit too? Have a look at our Christmas fancy dress ideas for costume inspiration to go with your design.

What you need before you start

Good results come from the right kit more than skill. Here’s the basic setup:

• Water-based, cosmetic-grade face paint. Never use craft or acrylic paint on skin. Look for paints sold for face and body use.
• A couple of brushes: one fine round brush for lines and one flat brush for blocks of colour.
• A damp sponge for base colours. Half a sponge goes further than you’d think.
• Baby wipes and a cup of clean water for fixing mistakes.
• Red, white, brown, green, black and gold or yellow. That covers almost every Christmas design.

Easy Christmas face paint ideas for beginners

These easy Christmas face paint ideas take five minutes or less and are perfect if you’ve got a queue of wriggly kids.

Rudolph nose and freckles

Paint a big red circle on the tip of the nose, add a small white dot for shine, then dot brown freckles across the cheeks. Add a brown top and some antlers and you’ve got a full reindeer.

Holly on the cheek

Two green leaf shapes with pointed edges and three red berries. Outline the leaves in a darker green or black for definition. It takes about two minutes.

Christmas tree cheek

A green triangle (or three stacked triangles), a brown trunk, dots of colour for baubles and a gold star on top. Kids love choosing their own bauble colours.

Rosy elf cheeks

Pink or red circles on each cheek, sponged on softly, plus a few brown freckles and pointy eyebrows drawn upwards with a fine brush. Pair it with an elf hat.

Face paint ideas for Christmas that look more impressive

Once you’ve got the basics, these designs take a bit longer but get a lot of compliments.

Full reindeer face

1. Sponge a light brown base over the face, leaving the area around the eyes clear.
2. Add a lighter cream patch over the mouth and chin.
3. Paint a red or dark brown nose, with a white highlight.
4. Draw antlers up the forehead in dark brown, and add a few freckles.

Snowman

Sponge white over the whole face, add rosy cheeks, a small orange carrot nose, black dots for a coal smile and a little blue shading at the edges for frost.

Gingerbread person

Use a light brown base, then add white wiggly icing lines around the face edge, little white buttons on the chin and two red cheeks. It’s very forgiving if your lines aren’t perfect.

The Grinch

Green all over, with darker green shading at the cheeks and under the brows, yellow-tinted eyes drawn around (not on) the eyelid, and a wide sly smile. Great for adults and older kids.

Snowflake swirl

A white and pale blue snowflake on one side of the face, framed with swirls. Add sparkle with cosmetic glitter on the cheek only, never near the eyes.

Christmas face paint for kids: tips that save tears

Christmas face paint for kids is all about speed and comfort. A few tricks help:

• Ask them to close their eyes and stay still for ten seconds, then count out loud. It turns it into a game.
• Keep paint away from the eyelids and lashes for little ones. Cheek and forehead designs are safer and quicker.
• Use a hairband to pull hair back, and an old T-shirt or towel over their clothes.
• Let them pick between two designs. Too much choice leads to a meltdown.
• Have a mirror ready. Half the fun is the big reveal.

If it’s for a school event, pair the face paint with something from our kids costumes range, or keep it simple with a festive jumper from our kids Christmas jumpers.

Xmas face paint ideas at a glance

Here’s a quick guide to which xmas face paint ideas suit which situation.

Design	Skill level	Time	Colours needed	Goes well with
Rudolph nose	Beginner	Two minutes	Red, white, brown	Antlers and a brown top
Holly cheek	Beginner	Two minutes	Green, red, black	A Christmas jumper
Rosy elf cheeks	Beginner	Three minutes	Pink, brown	An elf hat
Christmas tree	Beginner	Five minutes	Green, brown, gold, mixed	Anything festive
Snowman	Intermediate	Ten minutes	White, orange, black, blue	A white outfit and scarf
Gingerbread	Intermediate	Ten minutes	Brown, white, red	A brown jumper
Full reindeer	Intermediate	Fifteen minutes	Brown, cream, red, white	A reindeer onesie
Grinch	Confident	Fifteen minutes	Green, dark green, yellow	A green hoodie and Santa hat

Making it last and taking it off

Even the simplest face paint ideas for Christmas look scruffy if they smudge before you’ve left the house. Water-based paint can smudge, so let each layer dry before adding the next. A light dusting of translucent powder can help it last for an evening. Avoid touching your face, and keep a few cotton buds in your pocket for touch-ups.

To remove it, use warm water and a gentle soap or cleanser, then moisturise. Don’t scrub. Darker colours like green and red can leave a slight stain on very dry skin, so a bit of moisturiser before you start helps too. For more kits and colours, browse our face paint and make-up range.

Finishing touches go a long way too. A Santa hat, antlers or a headband from our Christmas accessories makes the face paint pop in photos, and our elf costumes pair nicely with the rosy cheek design.

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest Christmas face paint?

A Rudolph nose with freckles is the easiest, taking about two minutes with just red, white and brown. A holly leaf or small Christmas tree on the cheek is just as quick. Both look good even if your brushwork is shaky.

Is face paint safe for young children?

Water-based, cosmetic-grade face paint designed for skin is generally fine for children, but always patch test first. Avoid the eye area on little ones, never use craft paint, and keep glitter well away from the eyes. Remove it gently with warm water before bed.

How do you do a simple reindeer face paint?

Sponge a light brown base, add a cream patch around the mouth, paint a red nose with a white highlight, then draw antlers up the forehead. Finish with a few freckles on the cheeks. It takes around fifteen minutes.

How do you stop face paint smudging?

Let each layer dry fully before adding the next, and don’t overload the brush with water. A light dusting of translucent powder helps it set. Avoid rubbing your face, and carry cotton buds for quick fixes.