Draw a holiday object into a character!

I don't have a black pen or fancy colouring materials—what can we use instead?

If you don't have a black pen, trace over your favorite pencil lines with a fine-tipped permanent marker, dark crayon, or gel pen, and substitute colouring materials with colored pencils, markers, crayons, watercolor, or glued-on torn colored paper for fills and patterns.

My drawing looks messy after tracing or erasing — how can we fix smudges and keep the pose right?

Let the black pen or marker dry completely before erasing gently with a soft eraser, keep your original light pencil sketch so you can adjust limb positions and tilt the head to correct the pose, and retrace any bold lines if needed.

How can we change the activity to suit different ages or skill levels?

For preschoolers simplify to choosing a familiar object, lightly sketching its basic shape and adding a face with thick markers or stickers, while older kids can follow every step—sketch costume details, trace with a black pen, carefully erase pencil lines, color with varied materials, and write a two-sentence backstory to share on DIY.org.

How can we make the character more special or turn it into a keepsake?

Enhance the design by adding small details like glued fabric, glitter, or stickers for texture, cutting and folding a paper tab to make a standing figure or punching a hole and adding string to turn it into an ornament, and finish by naming it and writing the short backstory.