How to Paint Watercolour Christmas Trees with and added Festive Sparkle

For the last challenge of the month at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, we have been challenged to use watercolours as our technique. I’ve always admired watercolour artists and have tried a few times on my own projects. I followed an amazing tutorial on Youtube – Art by Monica – to paint simple yet beautiful watercolour Christmas trees. Using Kuretake Watercolours, Kuretake Gansai Tambi Starry Colours in gold, and adding a heartfelt sentiment from the Mama Elephant Holiday Messages stamp set, we can create stunning handmade Christmas cards that are sure to bring joy to friends and family.

In this blog post, I’ll walk you through how to paint watercolour Christmas trees with a touch of golden shimmer and a festive sentiment to make your cards truly special. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or just starting with watercolours, this project is simple and perfect for all skill levels.

Materials You’ll Need

Before we begin, gather your supplies:

• Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolours (standard set)
• Kuretake Gansai Tambi Starry Colours (specifically the gold shades)
• Watercolour Paper (300gsm is ideal)
• Round Watercolour Brushes (I used Daler Rowney sizes 2 and 8 which work well for trees)
• Water and Paper Towels
• Tape or Masking Tape (for securing your paper)
• Mama Elephant Holiday Messages Stamp Set (or any festive sentiment stamps you love)
• Black or Gold Ink Pad (depending on the desired effect)
• Embossing Powder and Heat Gun (optional, for a more refined stamped sentiment)

Step 1: Prepare Your Workspace

Begin by taping your watercolour paper to a flat surface. This will prevent warping when you apply the watercolours. Taping also gives you a clean, crisp border once you’re done painting. Fill your water jar and lay out your brushes, watercolours, and the Kuretake Starry Colours gold palette for easy access.

Step 2: Create Simple Watercolour Christmas Trees

Start by lightly sketching some simple triangle shapes across the paper. Now, let’s start painting!

Using your Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolours, choose a blue shade from your palette. Kuretake offers a variety of rich, vibrant blues and purples, and you can mix them to create the perfect colour. First, use clean water to wet the first tree shape. Load your brush with pigment and a good amount of water.

Begin with the outline of your tree. Start by painting in the triangular shape, tapering the brush strokes as you work from the top of the tree downwards. Don’t worry about being too precise – the beauty of watercolour is its unpredictability, and a looser style can often look more organic and festive.

For variation, you can paint several trees on a single card, experimenting with different sizes or shades – I chose blues and purples. You might want to layer a lighter wash for the base layer, then add deeper colour strokes to suggest shadows.

Allow the trees to dry completely before moving on to the next step.

Step 3: Add Festive Sparkle with Kuretake Starry Colours

Now that your Christmas trees are dry, it’s time to add that magical festive sparkle!

The Kuretake Gansai Tambi Starry Colours set offers a beautiful range of metallic golds, perfect for adding a shimmer that catches the light. Select a gold shade that complements your trees – I personally love the “Blue Gold” for its subtle cool tone or “Yellow Gold” for a more traditional look.

Using a fine brush, gently apply the gold paint to the outline of the trees, as if your trees have been dusted with golden snow. Then add small gold dots, lines and star shapes for a modern look. The gold paint blends beautifully with the watercolours, adding a touch of elegance without overpowering the natural beauty of the watercolour trees.

Tip: If you’re feeling bold, consider using the gold to create a large star atop each tree for a classic Christmas symbol.

Step 4: Add a Sentiment with the Mama Elephant Holiday Messages Stamp Set

No Christmas card is complete without a heartfelt message. The Mama Elephant Holiday Messages stamp set offers a range of festive greetings that will pair perfectly with your watercolour artwork.

Choose a sentiment that resonates with you – “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Holidays,” or even something more whimsical like “Tis the Season to Sparkle!” Using your chosen ink pad, stamp the message either at the top or bottom of your card, wherever it feels balanced with your artwork.

For an extra touch of elegance, try embossing the sentiment in gold. Simply stamp your sentiment using a clear embossing ink, sprinkle gold embossing powder over it, and set it with a heat gun. The raised, shiny letters will coordinate beautifully with the golden accents on your trees.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

Once you’ve added your sentiment and the paint is fully dry, carefully remove the tape from the edges of your paper to reveal your clean border. If you wish, you can use a fine black pen to outline the trees lightly or add hand-drawn details like snowflakes or stars to the background. However, sometimes less is more, and the simplicity of watercolour trees with golden highlights can make a strong, elegant statement on their own. I mounted my watercolour creation on a base card in the shade elegant eggplant.

Final Thoughts

Hand-painting watercolour Christmas cards is not only a beautiful way to express your creativity, but it’s also a thoughtful and personal way to share holiday cheer. Using Kuretake watercolours with the stunning gold shimmer from the Gansai Tambi Starry Colours, you can create elegant designs that sparkle with the warmth and magic of the season. Adding a heartfelt message from the Mama Elephant Holiday Messages stamp set completes the perfect holiday greeting.

So, grab your brushes, pour yourself a hot cup of tea, and get ready to dive into some festive crafting! Happy painting and happy holidays!

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What Christmas crafts are you creating this year? I’d love to hear your ideas and see your creations. Share your card at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown and tag me on social media with your festive cards—I’d love to see what you create!