
Watch it draw itself · tap to replay
How to Draw a Sapling
Draw a sapling in 12 easy steps, about 9 minutes. Free, with a printable worksheet.
Each picture adds one red line. Draw that line, then scroll to the next picture. Rub out any dashed helper lines at the end. First up: soil mound.
Step 1: Soil mound
Near the bottom start on the left. Draw a soft hill up and over, stopping level on the right.
Tip Leave lots of room above for the little tree.
Step 2: Thin trunk
Start on the mound. Draw 2 lines up, wide apart at the soil, to end close together.
Tip Make the trunk about 3 mounds tall.
Step 3: Top leaf
From the top of one trunk line draw a big leaf up to a point and back to the other.
Tip Make the leaf fat near the bottom and pointed at the top.
Step 4: Low branches
Start low on the trunk. Draw a thin pointed branch out to the left and back. Mirror it.
Tip Each branch is 2 lines that meet at a point.
Step 5: Low leaves
From the point of each low branch draw a big fat leaf out to a point and back.
Step 6: High branches
Start higher on the trunk. Draw 2 more thin pointed branches, one out to each side and back.
Step 7: High leaves
From the point of each high branch draw a big leaf going up and out, then back.
Tip Try to make all 5 leaves the same size.
Step 8: Leaf veins
In each of the 5 leaves draw one line from the bottom toward the tip, stopping just short.
Step 9: Ground and grass
Draw a ground line out from each side of the mound. Flick 2 little grass blades up on each side.
Step 10: Light brown trunk
Colour the trunk and the 4 little branches light brown.
Step 11: Green leaves
Colour all 5 leaves green.
Tip Colour right up to the lines.
Step 12: Dark brown soil
Colour the mound of soil dark brown. Go over your lines and your sapling is done!

Your finished drawing
Follow the steps above and this is where you end up: a sapling, drawn by you.
Every step in one picture
