Are you the creative type, who is tired of finger painting? If you’re in need of an art project upgrade, we’ve found some easy, unique ideas and pinned them to our Getting Crafty Pinterest board.
Art is for everyone and can be a great activity no matter what the weather is! Taking a familiar art activity and adding a simple twist makes the experience even more fun. Keep the creative flow going for you and your kids this winter with some of our favorite art projects:
Watercolor Silhouette
Photo by Pretty Prudent
Turn a predictable watercolor painting on its head but creating a silhouette painting! It is easy to execute and the finished product looks elegant.
Materials
Watercolor paper
Watercolor paints
Brush
Cutting blade or scissors
Pencil
Print out of any subject with an interesting silhouette (animal, plant, etc)
To compose your watercolor silhouette painting, make sure your print out fits comfortably on the watercolor paper. Cut the object out from the print and place it on the watercolor paper. Lightly trace the cut-out with a pencil. This is the key: use your brush to wet the entire background around your tracing (you can even tint the water with a dab of watercolor paint to see if you missed a spot. Next, load your brush with we paint and touch your brush to the paper. The paint will spread only on the wet areas, leaving the inside of your tracing dry. Continue filling in the background with watercolors. Step back occasionally to see if your object’s silhouette is defined. Once you a satisfied, let the painting dry and then display it!
Painted Branch
Photo by Art Bar
Painting a branch can be a collaborative art project in the classroom or completed solo at home. Painting a branch opens the possibilities of what a canvas can really be, while creating a unique piece of décor with texture.
Materials
Branch
Butcher’s paper
Tempera paints
Jars
Brushes
Glue
Pom-poms
Line the workspace with butcher’s paper to limit messes and make clean-up easy. Place the branch on top. Fill each jar with paint and use brushes to color the branch. To prevent missing a spot, flip the branch over to color the other side. Once painting is complete, attach pom-poms with the branch with glue. Once the branch has dried, it can be placed against a wall or mounted.
Geometric String Art
Photo by Babble Dabble Do
Geometric string art provides opportunities for a bit of art, design, and math! It’s a colorful project that helps both kids and adults visualize geometry and fractions.
Materials
Wood frame (preferably square)
Finishing nails
Hammer
Pencil
Ruler
String or yarn
To make this geometric concoction, you’ll start by laying out the nail holes. Determine the center of the frame by drawing a diagonal line from corner to corner. Using your center point, mark the center on each side of the square. Then divide each half into three equal sections. Repeat until you have equally spaced marks along the entire square. There will be where your nails go. Hammer in a nail at each mark and then cut a long length of string. Tie the string around one of the frame’s corner nails and began making string art! By wrapping the string around various nails that are opposite each other, you will begin to see geometric patterns. For a visual step-by-step guide, check out Babble Dabble Do.
Raised Salt Painting
Photo by The Artful Parent
Add dimension to your next art piece by creating a raised salt painting. This project is easy, fun, and uses everyday items that can be found at home!
Materials
Thick paper (card stock, watercolor paper, paper plates, cardboard, etc)
Glue
Table salt
Liquid Watercolors OR food coloring
Paint brushes or droppers
Start by drawing an image onto your paper with squeeze glue. The image can be anything from the shape of an elephant to the spelling of your name. While the glue is still wet, sprinkle it with salt until the glue lines are thoroughly covered. Tip the paper to remove any excess. Next, dip your brush (or use your dropper) into liquid water color paint or watered-down food coloring. Gently touch the colored brush to the salt-covered glue lined. Watch the paint “magically” travel in both directions! Once all the salt is colored, let the painting dry thoroughly, which may take a day or two. Once dry, you’ll have a really eye-catching textured art piece!
Cactus Pet Rocks
Photo by The Best Ideas for Kids
If you don’t have a green thumb, this is the project for you. Use your imagination to create cactus pet rocks that will never need tending to!
Materials
Rocks that are flat on at least one side (for the eyes to fit nicely)
Acrylic paint (use outdoor paint if your cactus will be outdoors)
Terra Cotta Pots
Glue
Start rocking out with this activity by cleaning your rocks and letting them dry. Paint them with various shades of green and add another layer of paint as needed. Once the green paint is relatively dry, add the spines and edges. The spines can be short straight lines, white dots, or anything your imagination comes up with! The edges can be expressed through vertical white lines that go from top to bottom. Once the rock is dry, glue on the googly eyes. Then it’s time to pot them! If they do not sit high enough in the pots, you can use soil, gravel, or foam as substrate. Once they’re potted, your cactus pet rocks are done! If you’d like to upgrade this project to a more elegant version, try making a cactus rock garden like this one:
Photo by stonzie_by_idilo
