Christmas Paint by Numbers: Which Design and How Many Colours?
There are two decisions to make in the Christmas Paint by Numbers collection and they are easier than they look: single canvas or duo set, and how many colours. A duo set is two canvases that share one palette, so a single marker set finishes both — from €65.95. A single canvas starts at €54.95. For the colours, pick up to 20 (Essential) for a relaxed first project, or up to 40 (Premium) if the person loves precision. Not sure where to start? Christmas Cats is the duo that suits almost everyone.
In short
- A duo set is two canvases, one marker set: both designs use exactly the same palette, so nothing is bought twice and the pair hangs together as a diptych.
- Three colour levels: up to 20 colours (Essential), up to 30 (Detailed) and up to 40 (Premium) — ten more shades at each step.
- Markers, not paint: no water, no brushes, no drying time, so it can live on the dining table through the holiday week.
- Eight sizes, 30×40 cm to 60×80 cm. Single canvas from €54.95, duo set from €65.95.
- 75 Christmas designs, with free worldwide shipping and no minimum order.
What a duo set actually is
This is the part people misread, so it is worth being plain about it. A duo set is not two kits in one box. It is two pre-printed canvases that were designed as a pair, using an identical colour palette, plus one numbered marker set that covers both.
That has three practical consequences. You are not paying for a second set of markers you do not need. Two people can colour side by side from the same markers, passing number seven back and forth. And when both canvases are finished they hang together as a matching pair, because the greens, golds and midnight blues are literally the same ink.
Doggy Christmas is a good illustration: a dachshund peering out of a burgundy stocking on one canvas, a golden retriever beside the tree on the other, the same festive palette running through both. North Pole Christmas does the same with penguins in Santa hats and a polar bear carrying a present. Our fuller guide to two-canvas sets and choosing a theme goes deeper on which pairs look best hung together.
Single canvases exist for a reason too. If you want one specific scene and nothing else — Reindeer with Lights in Its Antlers, say, or Cat by the Window on Christmas Eve — a single canvas is the cheaper and simpler choice, and it still comes with its own marker set.
How to pick a colour level
Every design is offered at three levels, and the number is a maximum rather than a promise: up to 20 colours (Essential), up to 30 (Detailed) or up to 40 (Premium). Each step adds roughly ten more shades.
More colours does not mean a better painting. It means smaller numbered areas, finer gradients and more time. Essential keeps the areas generously large, which is why it is the level we suggest for anyone who has never done this before: the picture resolves quickly and nobody gives up on a sky made of ninety tiny fragments. Premium is the opposite pleasure — soft transitions in a night sky, real depth in fur and snow — and it is a treat for someone who already enjoys precision work.
| Colour level | What it feels like | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 20 colours (Essential) | Large, clear areas; the image appears fast | A first project, a gift for someone untested, evenings with interruptions |
| Up to 30 colours (Detailed) | Noticeably more shadow and detail, still comfortable | The safe middle choice, and the one most people end up happiest with |
| Up to 40 colours (Premium) | Fine gradients and smooth transitions; slower going | Experienced hobbyists, night skies, fur, snow and lamplight |
Size pulls in the same direction. A bigger canvas gives each colour more room, so 40 colours on 60×80 cm is a very different experience from 40 colours on 30×40 cm. If you want a realistic sense of how many evenings you are committing to, how long a Paint by Numbers canvas takes breaks it down by size and level.
What it costs
The price depends on three things: single canvas or duo set, the size, and the colour level. There are eight sizes from 30×40 cm to 60×80 cm. Here is how that works out at the smallest, the middle and the largest size — every other size sits between them, and each product page shows its own figures.
| Size | Up to 20 (Essential) | Up to 30 (Detailed) | Up to 40 (Premium) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30×40 cm — single canvas | €54.95 | €68.15 | €81.35 |
| 30×40 cm — duo set | €65.95 | €80.25 | €94.55 |
| 40×50 cm — single canvas | €64.85 | €78.05 | €92.35 |
| 40×50 cm — duo set | €76.95 | €91.25 | €106.65 |
| 60×80 cm — single canvas | €93.45 | €106.65 | €120.95 |
| 60×80 cm — duo set | €104.45 | €118.75 | €133.05 |
Note how little the second canvas adds. At 30×40 cm the duo costs €11 more than the single and you get a whole extra painting, because the markers are already paid for.
Which Christmas design for whom
With 75 designs the collection can feel like a lot. It helps to sort them by who is receiving them rather than by motif.
| Who it is for | Design | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Almost anyone on your list | Christmas Cats (duo) | Festive without being gaudy, and cats land well across ages. The default safe choice. |
| A dog household | Doggy Christmas (duo) | A dachshund in a stocking and a golden retriever by the tree — specific enough to feel chosen. |
| Someone who likes a bit of drama | North Pole Christmas (duo) | Deep midnight blues and snow white; the pair makes a strong statement above a sofa. |
| A cosy, characterful interior | Highland Christmas (duo) | Highland cattle in Christmas hats: warm, a little wry, and good company on a wall in January. |
| One canvas, one clear subject | Reindeer with Lights in Its Antlers | A single striking scene where lamplight and snow do the work. Lovely at Detailed or Premium. |
| A quiet, atmospheric gift | Cat by the Window on Christmas Eve | Cold night outside, warm light inside — the kind of picture that stays up past Twelfth Night. |
Why markers make it a Christmas-week hobby
You colour with numbered markers rather than paint, and in December that is the whole point. There is no water to fetch, no brushes to rinse, nothing drying on a radiator and nothing that can ruin a tablecloth. You cap the markers, slide the canvas aside when dinner arrives and pick it up again tomorrow. We set out the practical differences in Paint by Numbers with markers versus paint.
Each kit arrives with the pre-printed canvas or canvases, the numbered marker set, a colour legend and step-by-step instructions written for complete beginners. No drawing skill, no painting experience, nothing extra to buy.
Shipping is free worldwide with no minimum order, and you will see the exact delivery time for your address at checkout — December is the busiest postal month of the year, so order earlier than feels necessary. If you are weighing this up as a present rather than as a hobby, Paint by Numbers as a Christmas gift approaches it from that angle. Prefer thread to markers? There are 52 kits in the Christmas cross stitch collection. And for winter scenes that stay up long after the tree comes down, try the Dutch winter Paint by Numbers range.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Paint by Numbers duo set?
Two pre-printed canvases designed as a pair, sharing one identical colour palette, with a single numbered marker set that completes both. You are not buying two marker sets, two people can work side by side from the same markers, and the finished canvases hang together as a matching pair. Duo sets start at €65.95.
Should I choose up to 20, 30 or 40 colours?
Up to 20 colours (Essential) keeps the numbered areas largest and is the kind choice for a first project or a gift to someone untested. Up to 30 (Detailed) is the comfortable middle and the level most people are happiest with. Up to 40 (Premium) gives the finest gradients and takes the longest — a treat for someone who already enjoys precision work.
How much does a Christmas Paint by Numbers kit cost?
A single canvas starts at €54.95 and a duo set at €65.95, both at 30×40 cm with up to 20 colours. The price rises with the size, across eight sizes up to 60×80 cm, and with the colour level. Shipping is free worldwide with no minimum order.
Do you colour with markers or with paint?
With numbered markers. Each area on the canvas carries a number that matches a marker, so there is no water, no brushes and no drying time. That makes it genuinely practical on a dining table during the holidays — you cap the markers and carry on the next day.
Which Christmas design is best for a beginner?
Pick a scene with clear, recognisable shapes and choose up to 20 colours (Essential). Christmas Cats is a reliable starting point as a duo, and Reindeer with Lights in Its Antlers works well if you want one single canvas instead.
Can two people colour one duo set together?
Yes, and that is exactly what it is designed for. Both canvases use the same palette, so you split the pair, share the marker set and end up with two finished paintings that belong beside each other on the wall.