How to Draw a Christmas Sloth (Easy Step by Step)
A sloth hanging from a branch in a Santa hat is a happy mix of silly and sweet. It is built from simple shapes: a rounded head, a rounded body, long curved arms, and a few ovals for the hands and feet. Once you can draw those, the hat and the little ornament are easy extras.
- 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 sloth step by step
How to Draw a Christmas Sloth · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch these 2 ovals. They only show where the big parts go, so press softly. You will erase them at the end.
Step 2: The head
Draw a rounded shape for the sloth's head, a little wider than it is tall. Give the top edge a gentle wavy dip in the middle. Leave lots of room above it.
Step 3: The round body
Under the head, start with a short curved line for the top of the body. Then curve a line down each side so the body is a wide rounded shape. Leave the bottom open for now.
Step 4: Two little feet
At the bottom of the body, draw two flat ovals side by side, almost touching in the middle. They close up the bottom of the body.
Step 5: Long arms
Draw two long, curved arms that start at the sides of the body and reach up past the head. Draw each arm with an outer line and an inner line, so it looks like a tall bending shape.
Step 6: Bar and left hand
Across the top, draw a long rectangle with rounded ends, leaving a gap in the top and bottom lines in the middle. Draw an oval hand over the left end of the bar, then two short curved claws hanging down from it.
Step 7: The sleepy face
Inside the head, draw two tilted oval eyes. Add a tiny dot for the nose between them and a small smiling curve below it.
Step 8: The Santa hat
Above the head, draw a tall bell shape with a flat band across the bottom. Finish with a small circle at the tip for the pom-pom.
Step 9: Right hand and ornament
Draw an oval hand over the right end of the bar, with two short curved claws hanging down from it. Then draw a small circle by the hat, joined to the hat band with a tiny line, for the ornament.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your Christmas sloth? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw a Christmas unicorn or how to draw a reindeer with Christmas lights next.
Tips for drawing a Christmas sloth
- Draw the two arms one at a time, starting at the side of the body and curving up past the head. Try to make them about the same height so the sloth looks balanced.
- The hands sit on top of the bar. Draw the bar first, then add the oval hand over the end of it. Do the left hand with the bar and the right hand at the end.
- Keep the hat tall and narrow like a bell, and draw the pom-pom last so it does not get squashed against the top of the page.
Free Christmas sloth coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this Christmas sloth 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 sloth drawing
Try soft brown for the fur, a bright red hat with a white band and pom-pom, and a wood brown bar. For a creative twist, color the ornament with stripes or polka dots.
Christmas sloth fun fact for kids
Sloths really do spend most of their lives hanging upside down from tree branches. They move so slowly that algae can grow in their fur, which gives it a slightly green tint.
Questions about drawing a Christmas sloth
What shapes do I need to draw a Christmas sloth?
You need a rounded shape for the head, a bigger rounded shape for the body, long curved lines for the arms, and a few ovals for the hands, feet, and eyes. A bell shape makes the Santa hat.
How do I make my sloth look cuter?
Draw the eyes tilted and add a small curved smile. A round pom-pom on the hat also adds a lot of charm.
How do I draw a sloth hanging from a branch?
Draw the arms reaching up first. Then add the branch as a long rounded rectangle across the top, with oval hands over the ends and a few claws hanging down.
