What is Drawcember? Rules, prompts and tips

Below you'll find how Drawcember works, our 31 prompts for December 2026 and a few tips for making it to the 31st. Past years' lists are at the bottom of the page.

What is Drawcember?

Drawcember is a month-long art challenge: you make one drawing every day of December. The name says it all, draw plus December, and it has stuck around for over a decade. It's often traced back to Disney's kids' art site Disney Create around 2012, but these days nobody runs it. There's no official website, host or prompt list: artists share their own lists on social media every November, and everyone draws along with whichever one they like.

That makes it the simplest challenge of the month. No themes to decode and no rules to memorize, just you and your sketchbook versus December. Like the other December art challenges, it runs on daily prompts, so even on a blank-brain day you know what to draw.

How Drawcember works

• One drawing a day. From December 1 to December 31. Quick sketches count.
• Any prompt list. Ours below, one you found online, or your own ideas. Some artists skip lists altogether.
• Any medium. Pencil, ink, paint, digital, collage. Switching every day is allowed and encouraged.
• Share if you want. Post with #drawcember and #drawcember2026 to find everyone else drawing along.

Drawcember prompts 2026

This year's theme is small December rituals. Each prompt gives you a ritual, and you decide the details. Tangled lights? Maybe there's a cat in there. Maybe it's you.

1. First advent door: What's behind it? Your call.
2. The decorations box: Something unexpected is in there.
3. Tangled lights: Who or what got caught this time?
4. Bringing the tree home: Picking it, carrying it or wrestling it into the stand.
5. Frosted window: Draw what's on the other side of the glass.
6. The wish list: Who's writing it, and how long is it?
7. Scraping ice off the car: The windshield is frozen and you're already late.
8. The ugly sweater: Design it, then decide who has to wear it.
9. Holiday market: One stall, up close.
10. Baking cookies: Something has gone slightly wrong.
11. The cookie thief: Caught in the act.
12. Hot drink, cold walk: Mittens optional.
13. Wrapping gifts at 1 a.m.: Not enough tape, far too much paper.
14. Hiding the presents: The perfect spot, or the worst one.
15. Writing cards: Who made the list this year?
16. The winter concert: Someone forgot their lines.
17. Snow day: The first footprints.
18. Building a snowman: Give it a personality.
19. The office party: The one person dancing.
20. Last-minute shopping: The final item on the list.
21. Solstice night: The longest night of the year. How is it spent?
22. Packing for the trip home: What doesn't fit?
23. Too many cooks: The family kitchen, two days before Christmas.
24. A snack by the fireplace: Left out for Santa, a reindeer or someone else entirely.
25. Unwrapping: The moment just before the paper tears.
26. Leftovers: Reinvent them.
27. The post-feast nap: Who fell asleep first?
28. New toy, old box: Guess which one gets more attention.
29. Board game night: Someone is definitely cheating.
30. Resolutions: One you'll actually keep.
31. Midnight countdown: The last ten seconds of the year.

Our list is just a suggestion. Pick the prompts you like, mix ideas into your own, or let our random drawing idea generator decide for you.

How to join Drawcember

1. Pick your prompts. Ours above, a past list below, or any list you like.
2. Grab your tools. Whatever you enjoy drawing with, or something new to try.
3. Draw one piece a day. Five minutes or five hours, both count.
4. Share it with #drawcember and #drawcember2026, if you like.
5. Missed a day? Skip it or catch up tomorrow. December is busy enough.

Why try Drawcember?

• It beats creative block. A prompt gets you past the blank page, even on days when you feel uninspired.
• It builds confidence. Drawing every day, even a little, makes your tools feel familiar and new techniques less scary.
• You'll meet other artists. Thousands of people draw along each year, so there's always someone to cheer on (and someone to steal ideas from, nicely).
• You'll see your progress. Lay day 1 next to day 31 and the difference is often surprising.

Tips to make it to December 31

• Set a realistic goal. If 31 drawings sounds like a lot, try a mini-Drawcember: every weekend, or every other day. Fewer pieces still count.
• Experiment. Use the month to try a style, color palette or medium you've been curious about.
• Plan for the busy days. Christmas week fills up fast. Keep a few quick prompts for the days you only have ten minutes.
• Ran out of ideas? Spin our holiday art prompt generator and give the result a December twist.

Share your Drawcember

Drawcember lives online, so sharing is half the fun. Post with #drawcember and #drawcember2026, and take a minute to comment on other people's work too. The Drawcember subreddit is a good place to see what everyone's making, and plenty of art subreddits fill up with December pieces as well.

Drawing along with our prompts? Tag us: @drawing.prompts.g on TikTok or @drawingideaprompts on Instagram. We'd love to see your December.

Past Drawcember lists

Every year gets a new list. The older ones stay here, in case you'd rather draw one of those.