The Happy Christmas Sketch Book
The Happy Christmas Sketchbook Design • Sketch • Paint
Tuesday mornings, 3rd November–8th December 2026 10.30am–12.30pm | Six-week course
Make a little space for festive creativity and join me at The Art Cabin for six mornings of sketching, painting and exploring your own Christmas ideas.
From cheerful gonks and winter greenery to welcoming doorways and cosy Christmas treats, we’ll enjoy a different theme each week, building a sketchbook full of colour, character and inspiration. Every design has the potential to become a Christmas card—something personal to share with friends and family.
We’ll work with watercolour and gouache, with gentle warm-up exercises and technique demonstrations to help you get started. Along the way, we’ll explore composition, colour and those little finishing touches that bring a design together. There will be plenty of guidance, alongside time and space to experiment and make each theme your own.
An inspiration email will arrive every Friday before your Tuesday session, giving you time to gather ideas if you wish. You’re welcome to bring photographs, festive objects or anything that sparks your imagination. Preparing beforehand is entirely optional—I’ll have plenty of inspiration ready for you, and there’s time to think, explore and develop ideas during each session.
Our six festive themes are:
3rd November — O Christmas Tree! Decorated trees, little potted firs and playful patterns.
10th November — A Botanical Christmas. Holly, mistletoe, winter berries and festive wreaths.
17th November — Gonks & Festive Friends. Characterful gonks, elves and snowmen.
24th November — Christmas on the Doorstep. Welcoming doors, glowing windows and snowy cottages.
1st December — Winter Wildlife. Robins, deer and woodland creatures with a festive twist.
8th December — Comfort & Joy. Favourite Christmas treats, stockings, candles and treasured traditions.
All materials are included, along with a sketchbook to keep and weekly notes on the techniques we explore.
The course takes place at The Art Cabin, Hut 2, Craft Village, Coolings Garden Centre, Rushmore Hill, Knockholt, Kent, TN14 7NN, behind Arthurs Café. Free parking is available.
Refreshments aren’t provided, but you’re very welcome to bring your own or pick up a drink from Arthurs Café to bring along.
For any questions, contact Sara at sara@theartcabin.org or 07540 688720.
Come and enjoy a little creative breathing space in the run-up to Christmas, one happy sketchbook page at a time.
