How to Draw a Christmas Train (Easy Step by Step)
A Christmas train is a cheerful drawing made mostly of rectangles and circles. You will build a cab and boiler for the engine, a little car full of presents, and a puffy cloud of steam. It is a great way to practice joining simple shapes together.
- Medium
- 15 minutes
- 9 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw a Christmas train step by step
How to Draw a Christmas Train · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch this oval. It only shows where the big parts go, so press softly. You will erase it at the end.
Step 2: The cargo car
Draw a wide rounded box for the little car, then add a long flat rounded lid on top that sticks out a bit past both sides.
Step 3: The engine cab
Next to the car, draw a long rounded roof, then draw two straight lines going down from it to make the sides of the cab.
Step 4: The boiler
Draw a wide box with a rounded front corner that joins onto the cab. This is the engine's round tummy.
Step 5: Wheels, track and trim
Draw five circles under the train with a little dot in each middle, two for the car and three for the engine, and one long straight line under them for the track. Then add a small trapezoid chimney on top of the boiler, one leaf shape on its front, a short bar joining the car to the cab, and a little curved cowcatcher at the very front.
Step 6: Chimney cap and window
Put a flat rounded cap on top of the chimney. Then draw a small rounded square window in the middle of the cab.
Step 7: Presents on the car
Stand a tall gift on the lid with ribbon lines down it and a bow on top, and set a short wide gift beside it with its own little bow.
Step 8: Cloud of steam
Above the chimney, draw a puffy cloud with a few bumps along the top and a flat bottom.
Step 9: Second holly leaf
On the front of the boiler, draw one more small leaf next to the first one, so the two leaves make a little holly sprig.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your Christmas train? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw mistletoe or how to draw a toy soldier next.
Tips for drawing a Christmas train
- Draw the wheels carefully and make the first one a circle before you copy it, so all five match in size.
- The roof of the cab is wider than the cab itself, so draw it slightly longer on both sides to make it look like a real overhang.
- For the cloud, draw three or four small bumps in a row and then connect them with a flat bottom line instead of trying to draw one big curvy shape.
Free Christmas train coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this Christmas train coloring page at full size and print it. It is the same drawing you just learned, with clean lines ready for crayons or markers.
How to color your Christmas train drawing
Try a red engine with a green cab and bright wrapped presents on the car. Give each present a different color, and make the holly leaves green.
Christmas train fun fact for kids
The Stockton and Darlington Railway in England opened in 1825 and was the first public railway to use a steam locomotive.
Questions about drawing a Christmas train
What shapes do I need to draw a Christmas train?
You need rectangles for the car, cab and boiler, circles for the wheels, and a trapezoid for the chimney. The cloud is just a few little bumps joined together.
How do I make my train look like it is moving?
Draw the steam cloud above the chimney and keep the track line long and straight under the wheels. You can also draw the cloud a little farther from the chimney so the steam looks like it is drifting away.
How can I make the presents look nicer?
Add ribbon lines down each gift and a small bow on top. Using different sizes of gifts makes the pile look more interesting.
