Tests every pen, paper and design she recommends — most evenings around 10:30pm.
Published October 12, 2026 · 5 min read
In this article · 9 sections
In short. Choose a Christmas coloring book you can finish in December: bold festive designs, large shapes, thick paper and a binding that lies flat. If you want a countdown, color one page a day from December 1.
I'm Caroline. Every December I see the same thing happen. Someone buys a gorgeous, intricate Christmas coloring book in a burst of good intentions, colors half of one snowflake page on the first Sunday of Advent, and finds the book again in March.
December is the busiest month of the year. It's the worst possible time for a page that needs six hours and forty-eight pencils. So this guide is about choosing a Christmas coloring book for adults that fits the month you're really going to have.
Why coloring suits December
The American Psychological Association notes that stress shows up in the body as well as the mind, and December piles it on: lists, travel, money, family. The Cleveland Clinic describes coloring as relaxing partly because it pulls attention away from your own thoughts and onto one simple task.
That's the whole appeal in December. Twenty quiet minutes with nothing to plan, while the rest of the month asks you to plan everything.
The five styles of Christmas coloring book
1. Bold and cozy. Thick lines, large shapes, familiar scenes: a tree, a fireplace, a mug by the window. A page takes twenty to forty minutes. This is the style most people finish.
2. Intricate and ornamental. Detailed baubles, snowflakes and patterned wreaths with hundreds of small sections. Lovely to look at, and slow. Choose it only if you enjoy long sessions.
3. Christmas mandalas. Circular festive designs. Calming for people who like symmetry, tiring for people who dislike choosing many colors.
4. Advent colouring books. Twenty-four or twenty-five pages, one a day. More on these below.
5. One color. Bold shapes you fill with a single pen. There's no palette to choose, which matters on an evening when you've already made too many decisions.
| Style | Time per page | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Bold and cozy | 20 to 40 minutes | Most people, busy evenings |
| Intricate | Several sessions | Patient colorists with time off |
| Mandalas | 1 to 3 hours | People who enjoy symmetry |
| Advent | One short page a day | A daily ritual |
| One color | About 20 minutes | Tired evenings, beginners, gifts |
Advent colouring books: a calm countdown
An advent colouring book turns December into a small daily ritual. One page each day, from the first to Christmas Eve.
Two things make it work.
- Pages you can finish in one sitting. If day three takes two hours, day four won't happen.
- A fixed moment. After dinner, or with the first coffee. The habit matters more than the artwork.
You don't need a book labeled "advent" to do this. Any set of quick festive pages will do. Our free pack has seven, which makes a gentle one-week countdown to Christmas, and you can print it as often as you like.
What to check before you buy
Paper weight. Look for a number in gsm. Around 160gsm takes markers comfortably. If no weight is given, assume thin paper and keep a spare sheet behind each page.
Binding. A spiral lets the book lie flat on a lap or a tray, which is where most December coloring happens.
Single or double-sided pages. Single-sided if you want to hang a finished page or turn it into a card.
Size of the shapes. Look at a sample page, not the cover. A festive cover can hide very dense pages.
Subjects. Choose scenes you'd like to see on your own mantel.
For the full checklist, see my guide on how to choose an adult coloring book.
Start today with free Christmas pages
Before you buy anything, try the style. We've made a free pack of Christmas coloring pages for adults: a wreath, a tree, a fireplace, baubles, cocoa on a windowsill, a pile of presents and a small village at night. One page downloads at once with no email.
They're drawn in the one-color style: fill the shapes marked with a small dot and leave the rest white. Black is crisp. A deep green or a warm red looks festive on a fridge door.
Giving a coloring book for Christmas
A coloring book makes a kind present for someone who is always looking after everyone else. Three things make it land.
- Make it feel like an object. Thick paper and a spiral feel very different from a thin paperback.
- Add a pen. Most coloring books don't include one. A pen in the parcel means they can start on Christmas afternoon.
- Choose the subject for them. A cat lover, a dog lover, someone who likes quiet interiors.
This is where our own book fits. The One Color Coloring Book is spiral bound on 160gsm paper, and you fill it with a single pen. It isn't a Christmas-themed book: the designs are for every evening of the year, which is rather the point of a gift that outlasts the tree. There are Cats and Dogs editions for animal people, and a new Woodland Edition whose firs and moonlit windows feel quietly wintry.
For more ideas, see my coloring book gift guide.
Pens for festive pages
Water-based markers and brush pens are the safest choice. Use one color for a graphic result, or keep to three: green, red and one neutral. If you're choosing a set, I've compared the options in my guide to the best markers for adult coloring books.
Whatever you use, test it on a back page first. Fill a small square, wait a minute and turn the page over.
Five small rituals for December
- One page after dinner. Phone in another room, a cup of something warm.
- A table for everyone. A stack of printed pages and a handful of pens on Christmas afternoon. A grandmother, a teenager and a tired host will all sit down to it.
- A page as a card. Print at half size on card stock and fold.
- A finished page as a gift tag. The baubles page works well small.
- Date each page. By the 25th you'll have a small record of the month.
In short
Pick a Christmas coloring book for the December you'll really have: bold designs, pages you can finish, paper that holds ink and a binding that lies flat. Try the free pages first, add a pen, and give yourself twenty minutes a day. That's the gift.
The One Color Coloring Book
50+ bold designs, one single color, zero decisions — on 160 gsm paper with a lay-flat spiral, engineered for the wind-down ritual described above.
Pair it with the 3 Dual Tip Brush Pens — $5 instead of $9.95 in the Book + Pens bundle.Sources & further reading
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Christmas coloring book for adults?
What is an advent colouring book?
Is a coloring book a good Christmas gift for an adult?
Are there free Christmas coloring pages for adults?
What pens should I use for a Christmas coloring book?
Know someone who needs a quieter evening? Pin it · Share on Facebook ·
↑
