New: 24 Doors, a free advent calendar by email.Join free

Step by step · ages 3 to 8

How to draw a hot air balloon

Santa travels by hot air balloon in our book, so that's the one we draw here, candy cane and all.

It's a big round balloon with stripes across it, ropes, a basket and a candy cane hanging underneath. The harder balloon has panels and a woven basket.

Watch it draw itselfThe stepsPrint the step sheet

Watch, then draw

Watch it draw itself

The red lines are the new ones. Draw them on your paper, then press Next step. Or press play and watch the whole thing first.

Step 1 of 5

Let's draw a hot air balloon! First, a big round circle.

The video, with a voice for every step

0:30 long, the easy version. Pause it after each step while the pencils catch up.

How to draw a hot air balloon, step by step

Easy, ages 3 to 5 · 5 steps

  1. Step 1. Let's draw a hot air balloon! First, a big round circle.

  2. Step 2. Now two curvy lines from the top to the bottom.

  3. Step 3. Now two stripes across the balloon, like two pretty ribbons.

  4. Step 4. Now the ropes going down, and a little basket at the end.

  5. Step 5. Last, a candy cane hanging on the basket. Up, up, and away!

A bit harder, ages 6 to 8 · 7 steps

  1. Step 1. Let's draw Santa's hot air balloon! First, the big balloon, down to the basket.

  2. Step 2. Now three long curved lines from the top of the balloon to the bottom.

  3. Step 3. Now a wavy band across the top, with two wavy lines.

  4. Step 4. Now a second wavy band across the middle.

  5. Step 5. Now a smaller wavy band near the bottom, and a line across the neck.

  6. Step 6. Now the basket: a rim, ropes, and a woven pattern.

  7. Step 7. Last, a candy cane hooked on the basket, with stripes. Up, up, and away!

Print · free, no sign-up

Two pages: every step with its words, then a frame to draw your own hot air balloon in. Black and white, US Letter or A4.

  • Easy, ages 3 to 5

    5 steps on page 1, a frame to draw in on page 2.

    PrintUS LetterA4

  • A bit harder, ages 6 to 8

    7 steps on page 1, a frame to draw in on page 2.

    PrintUS LetterA4

Free for home and classroom use. To pass them on, please share the link to this page and not the file.

Make it yours

  • Put Santa in the basket, waving.
  • Draw the mountains underneath and the stars above.
  • Make it a balloon of your own: your colors, your passenger, your destination.

Rather color one in? Santa's hot air balloon coloring pages, free to print or color on a phone or tablet.

Our own book

The Christmas Secret

A Christmas Eve picture book with a read-along · ages 3 to 7 · out on October 20

Santa's red balloon plays a tune as it floats over the Golden Mountains, and a girl runs after it all the way to his secret circus.

Out on October 20See inside the book

Questions

Grown-ups ask

How do you draw the balloon shape?

Draw a big circle that gets a little narrower at the bottom, like an upside down drop. Then draw two curved lines across it for the stripes, and two straight ropes down to the basket.

Which level should my child try?

Start with easy, whatever their age. Easy is a handful of big shapes, and a bit harder adds the small details. If easy is done in a minute, switch.

What do we need?

Paper and a pencil, and crayons or markers to color it in afterwards. A thick marker is easier for little hands than a pencil, and an eraser saves a lot of tears.

Can I print the steps?

Yes, free, in US Letter or A4, one for each level. Print at 100% so the steps come out big enough to copy. All 16 drawings in one file come by email, from the box on this page.

More Christmas drawings

More Christmas

Or see all of them on one page, from the weeks before Christmas to the night itself.