Custom Pet Paint by Numbers: A Thoughtful Christmas Gift
Some gifts get opened, admired and put away. A paint by numbers of someone’s own pet is different. It’s a portrait of a family member, and it gives them hours of calm painting before it ends up framed on the wall.
If you’re looking for a personal Christmas present for a pet lover, here’s how to make it a good one: choosing the right photo, knowing what to look for in a custom kit, and leaving enough time for it to arrive.
Why a pet portrait makes such a good gift
People adore their pets, and a portrait shows you’ve noticed. But a paint by numbers adds something a printed photo can’t: the person gets to paint it themselves. Brush stroke by brush stroke, the familiar face slowly appears, and by the end they’ve made something with their own hands.
It suits almost anyone, too. You don’t need to be good at art to paint by numbers: every area has a number, and you fill it with the matching colour. That makes it a lovely gift for a grandparent, a friend who’s always wanted a calm hobby, or someone who has recently lost a pet and would like a way to remember them. Thinking of the whole family instead? See how to turn a family photo into a meaningful Christmas gift.
Choose the right photo
The photo makes or breaks the finished painting. Before you send anything off, look through your options with these in mind:
- The face, up close. The pet’s face should fill a good part of the picture. Eyes are what make a portrait look like them, and they need enough space to keep their detail.
- Sharp focus. A photo that’s crisp around the eyes and nose turns into cleaner outlines and neater areas to paint.
- Soft, even light. Daylight from a window or outdoors in the shade is ideal. Harsh flash, deep shadows and strong backlight all lose detail.
- A simple background. A plain wall, a blanket or a lawn keeps the attention on the pet and is easy to paint.
- The original file. Photos sent through messaging apps are often heavily compressed. Ask for the original from the owner’s phone or photo library if you can.
The best photo is often the one that captures the pet’s personality: the head tilt, the sleepy sofa pose, the expectant look at dinnertime. Our guide on turning a photo into a paint by numbers goes into more detail on what works and why.
Keeping it a surprise? You may need to find a good photo without asking. Look through photos they’ve shared, or quietly ask a family member who has some on their phone.
What to look for in a custom kit
Plenty of sellers will turn a photo into a printed paint by numbers kit. Most send a canvas printed with the numbered outlines, a set of acrylic paints matched to the design, and a few brushes. Beyond that, the options vary, so it’s worth checking a few things before you order.
Size
Common sizes run from roughly 30 × 40 cm up to 50 × 65 cm, sometimes larger. A bigger canvas has more, smaller areas, which means more detail in the finished painting but also more hours of painting. For someone new to paint by numbers, a medium size is usually the happy middle.
Number of colours
Custom kits often come with somewhere between 24 and 48 colours. More colours give a more lifelike result, especially for fur with lots of subtle shades, but they’re also more to keep track of. A pet with simple markings looks lovely with fewer colours.
A preview
Good sellers show you a digital preview of the numbered design before they print it. Check the eyes and face carefully. If they look muddled at the preview stage, they’ll be hard to paint and won’t look right when finished.
Framed or unframed
Some kits come on a canvas stretched over a wooden frame, ready to paint and hang. Others arrive rolled, which is cheaper to send but needs framing later. If it’s a gift, a ready-to-paint frame is the nicer surprise to unwrap.
When to order for Christmas
Custom kits are made to order, so they take longer than a gift off the shelf. Sellers commonly quote one to three weeks for making and delivery, and posting times stretch in the run-up to Christmas. Order by late November if you can, and earlier still if the kit is coming from abroad.
If you leave it late, you can still give it beautifully: print the preview on a card and promise the kit in the new year.
Make the gift feel special
A few small touches turn a kit into a memorable present:
- Add a frame or easel so the finished painting has somewhere to go.
- Write a note about why you chose that photo.
- Include a few extras, like a fine detail brush, a small cup for rinsing, or a cozy candle for painting evenings.
- Add our beginner tips. If they’re new to it, how to paint by numbers covers everything they need for their first picture.
A no-mess option: paint it on a screen
Not everyone has the space for paint pots on the kitchen table. A paint by numbers app lets someone paint their pet on a phone or tablet instead: no setup, no drying time and no cleaning up.
That’s what Brushee, coming soon to iPhone and iPad, is for. With AI Studio, you pick a photo of the pet, choose a style (Storybook, Movie Magic or Anime), and a few minutes later the canvas is ready to paint with real brush strokes. AI Studio is part of Brushee Pro, and the photo is kept with the account, never shown to other people or used for ads.
Whichever you choose, a paint by numbers of a much-loved pet is a gift that keeps giving long after Christmas morning. It’s hours of calm, relaxing painting, and a portrait they made themselves at the end of it.