Christmas Gift Paint by Numbers Kits

A paint by numbers kit is one of the easier presents to get right. It costs less than most gifts that feel this personal, it gives someone a few quiet evenings with a brush, and it ends with a painting they made themselves and can hang on the wall. Everything on this page starts at £21.99, whether you choose a ready-made design or the Custom Paint By Numbers Kit made from your own photo.

If you want something truly personal, the custom kit is the one to choose. Upload a photo of a pet, a person, or a place that means something, and we turn it into a fully guided, numbered canvas with all the paints and brushes included. If you would like to see the design before it is made, just ask and we will send you a preview. If you are working to a firm deadline, a ready-made design is the safer route: pieces such as Highland Cow Portrait, Golden Retriever Puppy, Cherry Blossom Branch and Snow Sunset Mountain ship without a design step.

What a kit costs

Ready-made kits start at £21.99 for a 20x30cm canvas with 24 colours and no frame. The largest, a 60x70cm canvas with 48 colours and a DIY frame, is £74.99. Pre-framed kits start at £36.99 and come in 20x30cm, 30x40cm and 40x50cm. The custom kit runs from £21.99 to £93.99, depending on the size, the frame and whether you pick 24, 36 or 48 colours. Tracked delivery is free wherever you are in the world.

How long each design takes to paint

Worth checking before you choose, because a kit that takes forty hours is a treat for someone who already paints and a chore for someone who does not. These are our own estimates at 40x50cm, and each product page carries the detail behind them.

• 6 to 10 hours: Sunflowers in a Vase and Colourful Cat Portrait, the two quickest here.
• 8 to 12 hours: Highland Cow Portrait and Golden Retriever Puppy, usually three or four evenings.
• 10 to 15 hours: Mystical Fox, Northern Lights Aurora and Lavender Field at Sunset.
• 12 to 20 hours: Caribbean Beach Cove, Lighthouse on Rocky Coast and Elephant Family.
• 18 hours and up: Cherry Blossom Branch at 18 to 25 hours, Snow Sunset Mountain at 20 to 26, and Cornish Fishing Harbour at 25 to 40 for a confident painter.

A custom kit lands anywhere between 10 and 40 hours, because the photo and the colour count decide how much detail ends up on the canvas.

Sizes, frames and what is in the box

Ready-made kits come in five sizes: 20x30, 30x40, 40x50, 50x60 and 60x70cm. The custom kit comes in seven: 20x30, 30x40, 40x40, 40x50, 50x50, 50x60 and 60x80cm. Every kit is sold with 24, 36 or 48 colours, and more colours means finer detail and a longer paint.

Each one arrives with a pre-printed numbered canvas, numbered acrylic paint pots matched to the colour count, three brushes in fine, medium and broad, a full-colour reference print and a getting started guide, packed in a gift box. There is nothing else to buy. No Frame means the canvas comes rolled with a blank border so it can be framed later, a DIY Frame fixes to the canvas with thumb tacks, and Pre-Framed is ready to hang as soon as the last section is dry. Pre-framed is the easiest gift if you want something that needs nothing doing to it on Christmas morning.

Ordering in time for Christmas

Christmas is our busiest time of year, and timing is the one thing worth planning around. Every kit is made to order and dispatched within 3 to 5 working days, then tracked delivery takes 5 to 7 working days to the UK and the US, 7 to 10 within Europe and 10 to 14 to the rest of the world. Custom kits need your photo before that clock starts, so they want ordering earlier than a ready-made design. We have set out the exact order-by dates, for the UK and for international delivery, in our Christmas order-by dates guide.

Where our reviews come from

Our Etsy shop holds 4.8 out of 5 from more than 1,400 reviews across more than 9,600 sales, a score calculated and shown by Etsy rather than by us, so you can check it without taking our word for anything. Ready-made kits are also covered by our 30-day happiness guarantee: if you are not happy with one, tell us within 30 days and we will replace it, and refund you if a replacement does not put it right. Custom kits are made to order from your own photo, so they cannot be refunded, but if one arrives with a defect or a quality problem, send us a photo within 30 days and we will replace it.

Running late, or not sure which design they would choose? A Paint A Moment gift card from £10 to £100 is emailed instantly and never expires.

Browse by subject: animals, florals, landscapes, seascapes, or see all of our best-selling kits.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best paint by numbers kit to give as a Christmas present?
For the most personal gift, choose the Custom Paint By Numbers Kit made from a photo of the recipient's pet, family, or a place they love. If you want something that ships without a design step, our best-selling ready-made designs such as Highland Cow Portrait and Cherry Blossom Branch are the safest choice.

How much does a paint by numbers kit cost as a gift?
Ready-made kits are £21.99 to £74.99, and pre-framed ones start at £36.99. The custom kit made from your photo is £21.99 to £93.99. Price depends on the canvas size, whether you add a frame, and whether you choose 24, 36 or 48 colours. Tracked delivery is free worldwide.

How long will it take them to finish it?
At 40x50cm, our quickest designs take 6 to 10 hours and the most demanding take 25 to 40. Most sit between 10 and 18 hours, which is three or four evenings. A custom kit from your own photo is 10 to 40 hours depending on the colour count you choose.

Do they need anything else to start painting?
No. Every kit comes with the numbered canvas, the numbered acrylic paints, three brushes, a full-colour reference print and a getting started guide, in a gift box.

When do I need to order a custom kit to get it before Christmas?
Order your custom kit in good time: we dispatch within 3 to 5 working days of receiving your photo, then UK delivery takes 5 to 7 working days. See our Christmas order-by dates guide for the exact date for your country.

Should I choose a framed or unframed kit for a gift?
Pre-framed is the easiest gift: it arrives ready to hang, with nothing else to buy or assemble. A DIY frame is a good middle ground if the recipient enjoys a project. Unframed (canvas only) suits someone who already has a frame in mind or wants to choose their own.

Can I send a Christmas kit as a gift to a different address?
Yes. Choose "ship to a different address" at checkout and add a gift message in the cart notes. We keep the price off the packing slip.

What if the kit does not arrive in time for Christmas?
Order by the dates in our order-by dates guide and you are covered by our stated delivery windows. If you are ordering close to a date, message us first and we will tell you honestly whether it will make it.

If you are weighing up sizes or working out what a kit will cost framed, our kit facts page sets out every size, colour count and framing option with its price, alongside dispatch and delivery times.