Paint and Draw a Nutcracker Canvas or Leaner Board

Christmas time wouldn’t be Christmas without nutcrackers. and the Nutcracker ballet. There is something about hearing the music of the Sugar Plum Fairies that brings the immediate feeling of the holidays. Nutcrackers are so festive and there are so many ways to decorate with them. Plus, they are so much fun to paint.With this project Paint and Draw a Nutcracker Canvas or Leaner Board for your shelf. If you don’t have a board this can also be painted on a canvas.

A hand-painted wooden board features a nutcracker soldier in festive colors, framed by a border of green leaves and red berries.

While you can make your own nutcracker drawing from this post, you can also grab our template below and transfer it to the board to paint in.

Supplies for Painting Your Own Nutcracker Leaner

-Wood board or canvas

-Template

-Chalk

-Pencil

-Painter’s tape

-Craft paint in black, white, red, green, tan, brown, skin tones, gray, gold and pink

-Brushes

Prep and Paint the Board

For the first nutcracker step, paint the board or canvas with a tan base color and let dry. Add painter’s tape to tape off the edges. Use a lid or other round object to mark off the half circle at the top. Once this step is completed, paint in the black background. This may need a few coats of paint.

A pencil traces around a red plastic lid on a taped, partially painted board; workspace is splattered with white paint. The text “Jennifer Rizzo” appears in the lower right corner.

Once the background is paint is painted, remove the painter’s tape before the paint is dry, and then let it dry the rest of the way before moving onto the next step.

A hand peels blue painter’s tape from a wooden board partially painted black, with some painting supplies and paper sketches in the background.

Transfer the Nutcracker Template Image

Print out the template ( this prints best on 11 x17, but any size can be printed) and flip the image over to the back. Rub the back of the template with chalk. Shake off any dust.

A hand uses chalk on a strip of white paper placed on a craft table with paint splatters. A rectangular wooden item and tools are in the background. “Jennifer Rizzo” is written at the bottom.

Place the transfer over the board, chalk side down, and tape it into place.

A wooden board with a black-and-white nutcracker drawing outlined in marker, taped at the edges, on a paint-splattered surface. “Jennifer Rizzo” is written in the lower right corner.

Use a pencil to trace over the lines and press, transferring the chalk onto the board from the back of the paper.

A hand uses a pencil to trace a nutcracker drawing on paper taped to a painted wooden board.

Once all of the lines are traced over, lift the template and place to the side. It can be used several times before discarding. if the lines seem to0 light, re-chalk the back of the paper before transferring again. The lines don’t have to be super dark, they just need to be visible ad a painting guide.

A rough chalk sketch of a nutcracker is drawn on a black painted wooden surface with white edges. “Jennifer Rizzo” is written in the bottom left corner.

Paint in the Nutcracker

Once the image is transferred it’s time to start painting! This is where it can be customized by color and style! Feel free to copy our paint colors. We started by painting in the coat first, and then the hair of the nutcracker. We painted it in red, but a dark green or navy blue coat is lovely too. You could make a set of these with different coat colors!

A hand paints brown details over a chalk outline and red shapes on a wooden surface, with a pencil and paintbrush visible. “Jennifer Rizzo” is written in the bottom left corner.

Paint the hat in black paint , the skin tones, and then add in the details like the eyes and gold accents. The paint may need several coats of paint for full coverage. At this time you can also add glitter or other embellishments to decorate the nutcracker.

A hand paints a nutcracker soldier on a rectangular wooden board, using a detail brush and various acrylic paint colors visible in the background.

Add a Berry and Leaf Painted Border

With a round brush, paint a thin wavy line and add green leaves. Using the back of a paint brush, dip it in red paint and create clusters of dots for berries.

A paintbrush adds red detail to a painted wooden plaque featuring a nutcracker with a black hat, surrounded by green leaves and red berries.

Seal the Nutcracker Canvas or Leaner Board with a Varnish

Once the paint is dry on your painted nutcracker, seal it with an indoor varnish. Once the varnish is dry, your shelf leaner is ready to decorate with!

A hand-painted wooden plaque features a nutcracker soldier in red and green uniform, surrounded by art supplies and paint on a messy work surface.

You can also add a hanger on the back and hang it on the wall.