drawing assignments for middle school

Make a Mark Studios

My Favorite Middle School Art Projects

After a decade of teaching high school art, I’ve recently moved to teaching middle school art. It’s a blast and there is truly NEVER a dull moment. Through some trial and error, I’ve learned that some projects are more engaging than others. Below are some of my favorite middle school art projects that have yielded engagement and great visual end products! The ideas below use a variety of art media and include a range of 2d and 3d art projects. I hope you enjoy! Feel free to comment below if you’d like to share some of your personal idea for successful middle school art projects.

#1- 3D Shadowbox Collages

Student goal: Use found collage images to create layers of depth inside a 3D foam core shadowbox. Click here for the full lesson of this 3d shadowbox collage project.

#2- Colored Light Self Portraits

Student goal: Use colored pencils on toned paper to draw a self portrait of yourself photographed with a colored light source (we used 3 light sources- red, blue and green bulbs). Click here for more information about this lesson using colored light sources.

A variation with a cropped composition on expressive eyes.

#3- Vortex Drawings

Student goal: Use a media of your choice to draw a vortex that shows depth, rhythm and movement. Click here for a full lesson on how to draw a variety of vortexes.

#4- Alien Point of View Perspective Drawings

Student goal: Use paint stix, oil pastels, or colored pencils to render an exaggerated “alien’s point of view” space drawing. Click here for free lesson a guided worksheet of this fun, alien perspective drawing.

#5- 1/2 Cartoon Face Digital Portraits

Student goal: With a photographed portrait, creatively divide the face in half and use digital drawing methods to stylize one side as a cartoon. Click here for free guided steps on how to do the 1/2 cartoon face portrait.

*This project was inspired by a viral challenge called #cartoonme. Lots of cool inspiration photos online!

#6- Plaster Masks

Student goal: Using plaster strips upon a cardboard armature, create a wearable 3d mask. **In my class, we connected this to Hispanic heritage month and created Sugar Skull and Alebrije masks. We used this free template to create the armature for the mask.

#7- Elements of Art Project

Student goal: Divide one subject into seven sections. In each section, illustrate each of the elements of art using a variety of materials. For more information on this lesson including step by step directions, click here.

#8- Monochromatic Posterized Portrait Paintings

Student goal: Using a portrait of your choice, create a monochromatic, posterized portrait. **We used this method (with the free webpased program Pixlr) to digitally posterize our photo references prior to drawing and painting them on canvas.

#9 Limited Color Scheme Landscapes

Student goal: Using a random color scheme of only 5 colors, create a composition of a landscape that shows a sense of space with foreground, mid ground and background. ** Click here to check out how I randomly assign students their 5 colors and their landscape setting. There is also a free guided video to show students how to begin this project.

#10 Surreal Collage Perspective Rooms

Student goal: Draw a room with accurate 1 point perspective techniques and add color to all sides of the room. Then, creatively incorporate surreal collage images into the room. Click here to check out my FREE guided step by step instructions on how to draw a 1 point perspective room interior.

#11- Open ended art challenges

Student goal: Using a random art challenge prompt (such as the #blendartchallenge) , artists will use a style and medium of their choice to compose a solution.

#12-Monster Dolls (inspired by kid drawings)

Student goal: Using a drawing of a monster from a young child for inspiration, create a hand sewn stuffed animal. Use a variety of materials including felt, cloth, yarn, buttons, and more!

#13- Wire Stocking Sculptures

Student goal: Using a block of wood as your base and a nylon stocking stretched over a manipulated wire hanger, create an interesting 3d form. Use acrylic paint to create a gradient of at least 3 colors.

This is a really popular project, if you are looking for step by step directions a quick google search of ‘wire stocking sculptures’ should get ya there!

#14- Dictionary Page Drawings

Student goal: Given a random dictionary page, find at last one word on the page to illustrate visually. Use a variety of art media to contrast your drawn image with the busy background. ** For more info on this lesson, check out this link here.

#15- Geometric Creatures

Student goal : On a watercolor wash background, draw a silhouette of a creature. Break your creature into polygonal shapes and add color with marker.

#16- Collaborative School Logo “Quilt” Drawings

Student goal: Create a quilted tile section of the school logo. Use a material of your choice and a style of your choice to show your individual personality. **Note, the entire logo is visually connected by the black lines.

#17- Faux Lined Paper Illusion Drawings

Student goal: On a white piece of paper, create a “faux” lined piece of paper with bending blue lines over a shaded pencil drawing. **My students used this awesome website by Julianna Kunstler to aid in our drawings. It was very helpful.

#19 Linoleum block printing

Student goal: Create high contrast prints using a hand carved linoleum block.

#20-Oil Pastel Dragon Eyes

Student goal: Use oil pastels to create a colorful drawing of dragon eye. Imply the texture of the scales through use of blending gradients. **Note- I am definitely not the teacher who created this idea, it’s pretty popular and oh-so-fun! I would love to credit whoever originally got this going, so let me know! My students used t his resource by Art by Ro to help us draw the dragon eyes.

#21- Line Drawing Landscapes-in-a-shape

Student goal: Create a landscape in a shape that shows a sense of depth. Explore a variety of line drawing techniques such as hatching and stippling to add texture and value. **Note, this lesson comes from this post from Cassie Stephens who was inspired by an artist named Jen Aranyi.

#22- ANYTHING op art!

Student goal: Choose from a choice board (I gave them lots of choices!), create an original op art drawing! **If you are interested in a fun op art drawing from Make a Mark Studios, check it out here! 🙂

#23 Art History Reproductions

Student goal: Analyzing the brushstrokes, colors, and composition, recreate a famous artwork. **We created ours on our ceiling tiles as our 8th grade legacy works. C lick here for tips we learned along the way for painting on ceiling tiles.

#24 Non Objective Abstract Art

Student goal: Use sharpie to draw a non objective abstract artwork with a variety of lines and shapes. Using oil pastels, color in the composition fully.

#25 3D Creature Heads

Student goal: Use recyclables to build an armature of a 3d fictional creature head of your own imagination. Use paper mache or plaster strips to finalize your head . For full lesson on how to do this, check out my blog post here—

#26 Glowing Light Bulb Drawing

Student goal: Use colored pencils on black paper to create the illusion of a glowing light bulb. For step by step guided tutorial and video, check out my full post here.

#27 Watercolor Mosaic

Student goal: Create a mosaic using cut tiles from a painted watercolor background. Explore either random polygonal tile shapes or a geometric repeated shape. For full lesson, check out my blog post here.

#28 2 point perspective graffiti wall

Student goal: Create a personalized graffiti tag on an illustrated 2 point perspective brick wall. For a FREE full guided drawing lesson of how to do this, check out my blog post here.

#27 Bauhaus Geometric Shape Paper Collages

Student goal: Create an asymmetrically balanced, geometric Bauhaus-inspired paper collage. For more info on this creative shape challenge, check out my blog post here.

#28 Mixed Media Abstract Art with EMPHASIS

Student goal: Create a mixed media abstract artwork that employs the principle of design EMPHASIS to create a defined focal point. For more info on this lesson, c heck out my blog post here.

#29 Hand Sewn Pop Tart Plushies!!

Student goal: Hand sew a pop art plushie inspired by contemporary felt artist, Lucy Sparrow! Step by step tutorial for how to sew a pop tart can be found here!

#30- Primary color, Pop Art Inspired Onomatopoeia Compositions!

Student goal: Create a composition of an onomatopoeia inspired by the pop artists using techniques such as ben day dots, primary color schemes, bold outlines, and more! Click here for the lesson on how to complete this Pop art project..

#31- Color wheel in an Eye

Student goal: Using only 3 primary colors of paint, create a color of 12 analogous colors in an iris of an eye. Click here for a step by step tutorial of how to create a color wheel in an eye.

Thanks for checking out this blog post! Please  follow Make a Mark Studios on Facebook  to keep up with the latest posts! Thanks in advance!

-Stephanie Villiotis , creator of Make a Mark Studios

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Best Ed Lessons

The Best Free Educational Lessons for Homeschool, Primary, Middle and High School Students and Teachers – we are non-profit, no fees, no ads

35 Art Lessons and Projects for Middle School – HS

Here are 35 wonderfully written art lessons and projects for student in middle school and high school. These handouts were created by S. Wagner-Marx, and teach and cover a range of areas that will stretch artistic abilities and skills. You can also check out all of our  Art related pages here .

Abstract Watercolor Paintings Animal Collage Ceramic Lanterns Ceramic Ocarinas (Whistles) Cezanne Still Life Clay Looms and Weaving Common Threads Emotional Portraits Environmental Art Etched Mirror Figure Sculptures Futuristic Cityscape Gargoyles and Grotesques George Segal Inspired Figure Sculpture Illuminated Letter Japanese Batik Lanterns Multi-Stage Print Nested Glass Sculpture Notan Pop-Art ala Roy Lichtenstein Recycled Assemblage Sculptures Repousse Mask Design Repousse Masks Sacred Circles Scranimals Self-Portrait in Style of Modigliiani Silly Faces Book Social Issues Print Soda Can Stages Spirit Vessels Surreal Hand Drawing Surrealist Collage Drawing Surrealistic Imagery Tile Boxes Zoomorphic Tripod Vessel

– love learning -your best ed lessons guide, Scott

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Great art lessons and ideas, thank you.

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The 30 Best Art Activities For Middle School Students

Categories Activities & Ideas

Art is one of those subjects that many middle schoolers look forward to.

It provides a welcome creative outlet and gives them a break from math and languages.

Coming up with compelling new art project ideas isn’t always easy, though.

Sometimes, as teachers, our creative juices just run dry.

Fear not, you bring the paints; we’ve got the ideas covered.

Below, we’ve pulled together a list of the 30 best art activities for middle school students – you’re welcome!

1. Self-Portraits With Mixed Media

Have students create self-portraits using various materials like magazine clippings, fabric, paint, and colored pencils.

This activity encourages self-expression and lets students experiment with different mediums.

2. Art History Timeline

Guide your middle school students to research different art movements, from ancient to modern times, and then have them create a timeline using drawings, paintings, or collages that represent each period.

3. Cultural Art Study

Assign different cultures or countries to students and have them research traditional art forms from that culture. They can then create their own artwork inspired by their research.

4. Nature Impressions

Take students outside and have them choose a natural object.

They can then create artwork using this object, either by drawing or painting it or using it to make impressions in clay.

5. Comic Strips

Encourage students to create their own short comic strips.

This activity can be integrated with literature, allowing students to adapt scenes from books or plays they’re studying.

6. Mural Project

As a group, students can brainstorm a theme and then create a large mural that represents that theme. This promotes teamwork and allows students to contribute to a bigger project.

7. Recycled Art

Have students bring in old or discarded items from home and challenge them to turn these materials into a new piece of art.

This teaches resourcefulness and environmental consciousness.

8. 3D Sculpture

Using materials like clay, wire, or papier-mâché, students can create three-dimensional sculptures.

This can be based on a theme, or they can have free rein to create what they wish.

9. Stop Motion Animation

With the use of simple apps or software, students can create their own stop-motion videos.

They can sculpt characters, design sets, and develop short narratives.

10. Printmaking

Introduce students to the basics of printmaking using materials like rubber, foam, or linoleum. They can carve their own designs and then make prints using various colors of ink.

11. Photography Exploration

If the right equipment is available at your school, students can delve into photography, learning about composition, lighting, and subjects.

They can then hold a small exhibition of their best shots.

12. Abstract Watercolor Backgrounds

Equip students with watercolor paints and let them create abstract backgrounds by mixing and blending different colors.

Once dry, they can use black ink or thin markers to overlay patterns or doodles on top.

13. Thematic Sketchbook

Provide each student with a sketchbook and introduce a theme every week.

This will not only improve their drawing skills but also encourage them to think creatively within set parameters.

14. Monochromatic Painting

Challenge students to choose one color and create a painting using only shades, tints, and tones of that color. This is a great way to teach them about color depth and variation.

15. Landscapes In Perspective

Teach students the basics of one-point, two-point, and three-point perspectives, and have them create a landscape or cityscape based on these principles.

16. Ceramic Tile Painting

Get your hands on some blank ceramic tiles and let students paint on them with specialized ceramic paints.

Once dried, these can be glazed and fired for a lasting piece of art.

17. Pop Art Portraits

Introduce students to the world of Pop Art, highlighting artists like Andy Warhol.

Have them create their own pop art-style portraits using bold colors and patterns.

18. Collaborative Story Illustration

Start a narrative and ask every student to draw a continuation of the story based on the previous student’s artwork. This can result in a fascinating visual story at the end.

19. Interactive Art

Allow students to create art pieces that viewers can interact with.

This could be tactile art, pieces with movable parts, or even art that involves light and shadow.

20. Origami And Paper Sculpture

Go beyond the traditional paper folding methods and challenge students to create intricate paper sculptures or large-scale origami installations.

21. Mosaic Madness

Provide students with broken tiles, glass pieces, or colored paper and have them create mosaics. This could be on boards, pots, or even furniture.

22. Clay Busts

Give each student clay and tools, and ask them to create a miniature clay bust of themselves.

23. Art Inspired by Literature

After reading a story, poem, or play in class, students can be asked to interpret and depict a scene, character, or emotion through their artwork.

24. Kinetic Sculptures

Introduce the concept of art in motion. Using wire, beads, and other materials, students can craft sculptures that move, rotate, or balance.

25. Resin Art

Introduce your students to resin as a medium and have them create coasters or hangers made with resin and filled with materials like buttons, glitter, or even flower petals.

26. Digital Art Exploration

If resources allow, students can explore digital mediums like graphic design, digital painting, or even 3D modeling.

There are many free software options available that are user-friendly for beginners.

27. Fashion Design

Engage your students in the task of designing clothes for the future. They can use bold pens or different materials to create shapes and textures.

28. Geometric Shapes

Share the concept of geometric shapes in art with your students and ask them to draw an animal using only geometric shapes.

29. Jewelry Making

Introduce students to the world of jewelry design. Using beads, wire, thread, and other adornments, they can create earrings, necklaces, and bracelets.

As they advance, techniques like bead weaving, macramé, and even simple metalwork can be explored.

This activity can be particularly rewarding as students can wear and showcase their creations.

30. Handmade Greeting Cards

Incorporate printmaking, collage, and drawing techniques to create unique greeting cards.

Students can design cards for specific holidays, birthdays, or other special occasions.

This activity can teach students about design composition and the importance of conveying a message through their artwork.

Further reading: Drawing games for your students .

Art is an opportunity to let your imagination run wild while learning about the concepts and techniques that have influenced the world of art.

It’s an important part of the curriculum that allows children to express their creativity.

Above, we’ve given you 28 art activities for middle school students that they’re sure to enjoy.

Hopefully, this will help to keep your lessons fresh and exciting.

Ready for more inspiration? Take a look at these STEM ideas .

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Teaching Middle School Art Lessons

Home » Teaching Middle School Art Lessons

More Learning Levels

Kindergarten to Grade 2

Grades 6-8 (Middle School)

Grades 9-12 (High School and Adults)

Teaching Art to Middle School Students (11-14yrs

Middle School students are comfortable with inventing new images and are flexible with changing visual symbols.

They are comfortable working with a variety of media but are critical of their own work and the work of others. They can often become discouraged with their efforts and may lose interest in art if not redirected.

Emphasis should be on hands-on studio activities and enhancing visual literacy.

Grade 6, 7 and 8 Emphasis:

• Establish self-esteem and self-confidence.
• Refine motor skills and sharpen intuitive abilities.
• Expand aesthetic awareness and develop aesthetic judgement.
• Increase exposure to art history. Analyze a work of art by comparing it to another from a different time or culture.
• Discuss elements of art and principles of design while identifying aspects that contribute to the effectiveness of art.
• Use personal and cultural experiences as subject matter.
• Analyze how technical and aesthetic elements contribute to the ideas communicated in works of art.
• State preferences for works of art based on detailed analysis.
• Describe how a society or culture influences the arts.
• Create art by selecting and using elements of art and technical skills to achieve a desired effect.
• Analyze works of art.
• Explore areas of artistic interest in greater depth as they develop their own critical and problem solving skills.
• Use a variety of materials to create art.
• Describe the benefits of gaining skills in the arts.

>>Click HERE for our list of Middle School Art Lessons<<

Favourite art lessons for middle school.

A Unique Drawing Experience Blind Contour Drawing Chuck Close Portrait Drawing Classic Still Life Drawing Color Collision Creative Principles and Elements of Art Doodle Drawings Emotion Painting Face Study (Draw the Other Half) Gesture Drawing

Gesture Drawing Happy Accident Painting How to Draw Shaded Bottles Line Painting Flowers Op Art Shaded Shapes Media Collages Metal Tooling Craft for Kids Mixed Media Still Life Painting No Fire Clay Heads Pattern Drawing and Painting Pen and Ink Drawing Positive/Negative Bugs

Rock and Wire Mobile Spider Web Pattern Drawing Tissue Paper Collage Flowers Tissue Paper Landscapes Viewfinder Painting Wandering Ink Drawing Exercise Weaving a Watercolor Wet Chalk Drawings Yarn Painting

>>MORE

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creativity and coziness

10 Sketchbook Prompts Your Students Will Love!

Wooo! You decided to (or at least thinking about) start bringing in student sketchbooks in your art class! In my previous blog post, I talked about the many benefits I have found from having students work in sketchbooks every single day. These range from enhancing creativity, improving drawing skills to building classroom communities. I genuinely cannot say enough positive things about the possibilities they can create. But the burning question is always: What the HECK do we draw in them? The short answer is- a variety of different things. With prompts I try to find ideas that are simple enough for a beginning artist to complete, but broad enough that an advanced student can expand upon and add lots of details. I also try to give prompts that require them to put their own interests into to allow me to learn more about them. I also open up my supply cabinets and let them experiment with whatever medium they choose- charcoal, watercolor paint, markers, color pencils, gel pens, etc. I have found by giving them a range of options and choices they feel more inspired to actually *do* the assignments. I also try to find time during the week to do the prompt with them during class. This is just a fun thing to do. It gives me an opportunity to make art with them and they see me modeling what I want them to do. With that being said- here are some of my all time favorite prompts I have done with my students throughout the years. These are all images of my students’ artwork! Feel free to check out the packet of these prompts and others in my TPT shop if you are interested in trying them out with your students!

Circle Challenge

“Fill a page in your sketchbook up with circles and decorate each of them however you want. No less than 45 circles.” Why it’s great: This is a great prompt that pushes their creative skills. What are all the different ways you can take a circle and turn it into something else? How many things can make up a circle? (Donuts, fruit, planets, pizza, peace signs, emojis, more..) It’s also a great exercise to create variety in artwork.

Design a skateboard.

Why it’s great: This is the first prompt I give every year. It’s simple and easy for the students to come up with different ideas. Who doesn’t love a good skateboard design??

Watercolor Doodle Strokes

My students love working with watercolor paint. And the ones that are a bit iffy with it, this is a great way for them to get their feet wet in it (no pun intended). Why it’s great: There’s very minimal drawing needed for this one! They pick a color scheme, fill their pages up with watercolor strokes and fill them in with fun doodles. The doodles can be simply line designs or patterns- or they can be detailed little drawings that advanced students will enjoy doing.

Arrows Challenge

Similar to the circle challenge except it’s “fill up a page with different arrows”. Once they have them all sketched out, they pick a fun color scheme. Why it’s great: One of the biggest challenges with my students and their sketchbooks is making sure they utilize ALL their page space. This prompt is a great way to practice overlapping, variety and space usage.

Song Illustration

Everybody and I mean eeeeeeeverybody loves music and has that one song that speaks to them on so many levels. I love seeing what my students’ favorite songs and music groups are. Why it’s great: The majority of this prompt can be text from the lyrics with a smaller, simpler drawing to compliment the design. Good for beginner art students but your advanced kids will come up with a plethora of creative ideas!

Draw something inside of a jar/envelope.

These are 2 different prompts with the same idea. It’s basically a “free draw” prompt but in a more enclosed space. Why it’s great: These give the students a lot of freedom to draw whatever they want but they don’t have to worry about filling up the *entire* page.

Favorite Decades

Dedicate a page in your sketchbook to your favorite decade. You can include everything from music, toys, fashion, fads and trends to celebrities and movies/TV shows. Why it’s great: This is another prompt that allows you to see your students’ interests. It always warms my millenial heart when someone does a 90s spread!

Keyhole Bedrooms

For this, I recommend they look up photo references (you can also show them a few from the internet). Pinterest (if it’s not blocked from your school server) tends to have the best pictures of bedrooms. I recommend dorm room photos as well because the furniture tends to be very simple and not elaborate. I tell the kids to not worry about achieving a realistic perspective on this one… just try and design a really cool looking room. Why it’s great: This prompt is challenging for many students! It definitely pushes them but they usually end up really enjoying it in the end. If you want to incorporate writing, have them write a story about their room on the back of their sketchbook page. 

Rubber Duck Challenge

I did not even know this was a thing until I saw it in one of my many art teacher facebook groups. It’s definitely being used by many teachers everywhere and for good reason. Ya’ll. They are HILARIOUS. I was seriously wheezing laughter when I was flipping through grading them. It makes me want to turn it into a full blown project- which I may actually do in the future. Why it’s great: This prompt is so freaking weird. And the kids LOVE. IT. They come up with SO many great ideas and it always ends up being a class favorite.

I hope these prompts give you a good place to start with your students. Feel free once again to check out my prompt packet on TPT if you would like to try them out with your students. Happy Art Making!

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Leah Newton Art

Explore. Discover. Create.

Creative Color Wheel

August 13, 2019 8 Comments

Leah Newton Art is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This post may include affiliate links, and I may receive a commission when you click on one of these links and make a purchase.

Middle school students will use color theory in this creative color wheel project. Designing individual parts to make a creative whole is so fun! This project covers Common Core Standards for Math for grade 7 which can be found at the end of the lesson.

Grade Level

5th, 6th, 7th, 8th grades- The examples in this lesson are by 7th graders

Objective  

In this Creative Color Wheel lesson, students will design a creative color wheel using primary, secondary and tertiary colors.

3 – 60 min lessons

Materials 

• Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple Acrylic Paint. Acrylic Paint – Crayola Washable Kids Paint Set, 10 Count
• 12×18 Watercolor paper – Canson XL Series Watercolor Textured Paper Pad for Paint, Pencil, Ink, Charcoal, Pastel, and Acrylic, Fold Over, 140 Pound, 12 x 18 Inch, 30 Sheets
• Brushes – Acrylic Paint Brush Set, 1 Packs / 10 pcs Nylon Hair Brushes for All Purpose Oil Watercolor Painting Artist Professional Kits
• Rulers (yard and foot if possible)
• Black – Tru-Ray Sulphite Construction Paper, 12 x 18 Inches, Black, 50 Sheets – 054150

Inspiration/Artist 

I was inspired to make this project from this site: Click Here

Instruction with Questions

Show a couple of videos.  I like all of these, but depending on what background they have about color theory, you may only need a couple of them.  After watching them, have a discussion reviewing what they learned.

Youtube: The Colors Song | The Colours Song | Scratch Garden: Click Here

Beginning Graphic Design: Color:  Click Here

Elements of Art: Color | KQED Arts: Click Here

Brain Games – Visible Spectrum: Click Here

Use this Color Theory for kids inspired by Disney PowerPoint Presentation: Click Here

Another idea is to use this color wheel and have them color in the areas with the appropriate color.  Click Here for the PDF

An alternate plan would be to have students cut up magazines to find colors for each area of the template.

Students divide a 12×18 size paper into three sections (4 inches apart each)

Then divide it again. They should have 12 four inch size squares.

In each corner you can see (in the image below) that I had them label each corner with R for Red, RO for Red Orange, O for Orange and so on. It just amazes me that some students will ask me what comes between green and blue. Hmmmm. Anyway, this is a great reinforcement of tertiary colors.

On separate paper plates, I labeled them the same way. Only due to time, and expense, I pre-mixed the colors and set them throughout the room like stations, but I think it is even better when they mix them themselves.

Remind them to make the paint thick but smooth. Sometimes some students went back for a second coat. As you can see from the image below, I encouraged them to leave a bit of white around each edge so the paint did not bleed or mix.

Next, on a blank 4 inch size square, preferably card stock or more watercolor paper, have them draw an image. Now that sounds pretty simple, but it actually will require some practice images first. The main thing they want to do is to make lines and designs in the image. Like a face or in this case the place the hands go on the bat and the lines on the ball. I remind them we are only doing a silhouette. Like a shadow. Only the outline. I remind them to try to fill the paper with the image. In the case of the bat, use the diagonal so the image is as large as possible. It is natural for all of us to draw “small.”

I show the students how to use a window to trace each image exactly. First have them tape their large, dry colored paper to the window with the color facing out, away from them. Then trace the image on the paper. Once they are all traced, they are cut out.

Finally, pass out pre-cut 12×12 size square black construction paper. If I did this project again, I would give them a circle to place in the middle of the paper. It is really hard to find a circle when laying out the pieces. I love the ball and bat – one student did them facing out and another student inverted them. I also love the use of paw prints to add to the design. If you have more advanced students, you could use the scraps to add a complimentary color accent onto each piece.

Here are some finished Creative Color Wheel pieces!

Common Core Standards

7th grade – math – geometry.

Draw, construct, and describe geometrical figures and describe the relationships between them.

• Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different scale.
• Draw (freehand, with ruler and protractor, and with technology) geometric shapes with given conditions. Focus on constructing triangles from three measures of angles or sides, noticing when the conditions determine a unique triangle, more than one triangle, or no triangle.
• Describe the two-dimensional figures that result from slicing three-dimensional figures, as in plane sections of right rectangular prisms and right rectangular pyramids.

Solve real-life and mathematical problems involving angle measure, area, surface area, and volume.

• Know the formulas for the area and circumference of a circle and use them to solve problems; give an informal derivation of the relationship between the circumference and area of a circle.
• Use facts about supplementary, complementary, vertical, and adjacent angles in a multi-step problem to write and solve simple equations for an unknown angle in a figure.
• Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, volume and surface area of two- and three-dimensional objects composed of triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, cubes, and right prisms.

About Leah Newton

February 26, 2021 at 2:29 pm

September 1, 2021 at 2:40 am

I absolutely love this activity! I will be using this with my middle school art class at our homeschool co-op. Thank you!

September 2, 2021 at 11:13 pm

Thank you for the feedback. Let me know how it goes!

September 18, 2021 at 1:49 pm

I teach 5th grade and my group this year is so creative and artistic. I am not an artist and have no artistic talent, but work hard to bring quality art projects to my classes. I have searched everywhere for a creative way to teach color. This project is amazing and thanks for sharing this for teachers like me.❤️

September 19, 2021 at 7:02 pm

I am so excited you found this lesson. I hope your students enjoy it! Let me know how it goes and how else I can support you.

October 5, 2021 at 12:52 am

This is so great! We had a lot of fun with it. I let the kids mix the colours…it was chaotic and stressful for me, but when I focused on their “talk” it was all about the colours, how much of each, no that’s too green, we need more blue…etc. So the kids got a lot out of it. Thanks so much for sharing, I will definitely do this again!

October 5, 2021 at 7:02 pm

I am so glad it was so successful! Let me know how else I can support you. Thank you for reaching out!

January 28, 2024 at 5:34 pm

Nice idea and different from the norm! Thank you for sharing!

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100 Silly Drawing Prompts to Engage Your Students

The first five minutes of any art class can become chaotic quickly. It’s important to have a daily routine for students to follow. Using bell ringers is a great strategy to help settle students and save time. It sets the tone for a productive class.

Bell work can be presented in various ways. From answering questions to writing down vocabulary words , the possibilities are endless!

One engaging idea is to start each class by having students complete “The Daily Draw.”

Students come into class, take out their sketchbooks, and complete the drawing prompt as they wait for further instructions. This practice serves as a way to get students involved and ready to learn in a quick, easy way.

A drawing prompt is a great way to start class, but it’s just one option. If you’re looking for more ways to get your students seated and settled, be sure to check out the  Insider Secrets for Successfully Managing the Classroom PRO Learning pack! There’s an entire section devoted to successfully starting each class period.

The key to effective bell work is to make it as engaging as possible.

Below you’ll find a list of 100 Silly Drawing Prompts . These prompts are a great way to get your students warmed up for class. You might even find your students rushing to your room to see what silly drawing idea you’ll come up with next!

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100 Silly Drawing Prompts

• Draw a llama surfing.
• Draw a fish swimming in something other than water.
• Combine two animals to create a new one.
• Draw a shark eating a cupcake.
• Draw a crab at a birthday party.
• Draw a seahorse in a blizzard.
• Draw a dinosaur crying.
• Draw an animal with arms for legs and legs for arms.
• Draw a pug on a treadmill.
• Draw a horse throwing a horseshoe.
• Draw a shark waterskiing.
• Draw a walrus in a beach chair.
• Draw a circus elephant standing on a ball.
• Draw a koala bear sitting on a trash can.
• Draw a lizard putting on lipstick.
• Draw a squirrel roasting a marshmallow.
• Draw an octopus with spoons for legs.
• Draw a mouse riding a motorcycle.
• Draw a flamingo doing ballet.
• Draw a butterfly eating a steak
• Draw a cat chasing a dog.
• Draw a lobster dancing.
• Draw a cat playing a sport.
• Draw a chicken skydiving.
• Draw a piece of fruit in outer space.
• Draw a Pop Tart lifting weights.
• Draw a loaf of bread at a disco.
• Draw a rainstorm of sprinkles.
• Draw french fries on a rollercoaster.
• Draw a food eating another food.
• Draw a walking taco.
• Draw chicken wings flying.
• Draw a banana slipping on banana peels.
• Draw a cookie with googly eyes instead of chocolate chips.
• Draw a pineapple rollerblading.
• Draw a piece of asparagus snowboarding.
• Draw an annoying orange.
• Draw a donut riding a skateboard.
• Draw a turkey leg eating a turkey sandwich.
• Draw a cheeseburger wearing a dress.
• Draw a banana in pajamas.
• Draw a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on vacation.
• Draw an apple talking to your art teacher.
• Draw a hot dog flying.
• Draw a lemon making orange juice.
• Draw an ice cream cone eating a Popsicle.
• Draw a garden of lollipops.
• Draw your art teacher on an island.
• Draw a teacher eating a pizza while dancing.
• Draw a person with fruit for hair.
• Draw a basketball player dunking a chicken.
• Draw a pirate in a hammock.
• Draw your teacher as a zombie.
• Draw your art teacher with a beard.
• Draw yourself with a super power.
• Draw a clown sneezing out flowers.
• Draw a person with donuts for eyes.
• Draw a cowboy in Antarctica riding a polar bear.
• Draw yourself as a fairy.

Make Believe

• Draw something other than a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
• Draw a troll riding a unicorn.
• Draw what your imaginary friend would look like if we could see them.
• Draw a dragon breathing rainbows.
• Draw an alien driving a car.
• Draw an elf jumping on a trampoline.

Objects/Places

• Draw a super scary Valentine’s Day card.
• Draw the strangest pair of glasses you can imagine.
• Draw a design for a $3 bill.
• Draw a bicycle riding a bicycle.
• Draw a Ferris wheel on top of a mountain.
• Draw a pencil sharpener eating something other than a pencil.
• Draw a marker painting.
• Draw a sweater made out of candy.
• Draw a pair of shoes made out of flowers.
• Draw a bowl of cereal under the sea.
• Draw a crying crayon.
• Draw a cabin on top of a cloud.
• Draw your own version of Mount Rushmore.
• Draw a pair of scissors running.
• Draw a squirt gun squirting paint.
• Draw a mountain topped with glitter.
• Draw the Statue of Liberty eating pizza.
• Draw lightning striking the tallest building in the world.
• Draw a treasure chest in an underground cave.
• Draw the Eiffel Tower eating a baguette.
• Draw an eye with tree branches for lashes.
• Draw a snowman sailing.
• Combine two holidays to make a new one.
• Draw a plant with a face.
• Draw the moon fighting the sun over a turkey sandwich.
• Draw a crime scene where a donut lost its donut hole.
• Draw a foot doing a handstand.
• Draw a stick figure falling.
• Draw something gross.
• Reinvent your favorite team’s logo.
• Draw an emoji in real life.
• Draw a cactus in a milkshake.
• Draw the moon howling at a wolf.
• Draw a can of soda pouring out rainbows.
• Draw your name as an animal.

These ideas are not only great for bell work but can be used for sketchbook prompts as well. If you’re looking for even more sketchbook ideas, check out an additional 100 right here .

What silly drawing prompt would you add to this list?

What kind of bell work do you do in your art room?

Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.

Abby Schukei

Abby Schukei, a middle school art educator and AOEU’s Social Media Manager, is a former AOEU Writer. She focuses on creating meaningful experiences for her students through technology integration, innovation, and creativity.

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20 Scale Drawing Activities For Middle School: Video Lessons, Assessment, Guide, And Resources

March 22, 2024 //  by  Rachel Rear

Are you a teacher looking for ways to teach your students lesson topics on scale drawing, proportions, and ratios in a variety of lively and interesting ways? Are you a parent looking for supplementary things to do to reinforce what your child is learning at school, or offer them educational but fun things to do in the summer or over a break?

The following engaging scale drawing activities will help middle school math learners gain knowledge about proportions and ratios and excel in scale drawing through engaging exercises and projects that are fun for students!

1. Video Introduction to Scale Drawing

To start off, here’s a video that’s really easy to understand and explains basic knowledge of scale drawings and mathematical relationships. It’s so easily accessible that most middle school students would be able to follow it in a whole class lesson.

Learn More: YouTube

2. Teach How to Measure Landmarks

Here’s another video (with music, too!) that teaches students how to come up with proportions to calculate the true size of different things in a campground, such as a lake or a totem pole! Then it explores and offers examples of how some art uses scale to create impressively huge pieces!

3. Teach Scale Drawing Using Grids

Pique the interests of the budding artists in your classroom with this ingenious method of creating scale drawings! You’ll teach them how to use a grid to accurately recreate a picture of their choice using skills like geometry and measurement. Once they’ve mapped out an identical grid on their pictures and on a blank piece of paper, you’ll encourage them to pay attention to the details as you have them recreate each square using the appropriate line strokes and shading techniques.

4. In-depth Lesson on Ratio and Proportion

This website is a collection of four videos designed to explore different aspects of scale drawings, ratios, and proportions. Each contains a pretty basic lesson that can connect back to earlier lessons! Students could use these to refer to on their own if they need a refresher or to answer review questions! The videos offer clear and concise instruction that will help reinforce student understanding.

Learn More: Virtual Nerd

5. Pop-up Quiz

A great “check-in” activity in class after students learn what scale drawings are. This activity quizzes kids with review questions on their understanding of scale factor as they help a student draw a floor plan of his classroom! This would be a great “check for understanding” to see how much of these concepts students have absorbed.

Learn More: Open-up Resources

6. Scale Drawing of Geometrical Figures

This simple lesson introduces the concept of proportion to students using scale drawings of geometrical figures. It’s a great tool to help direct students to acquire a basic understanding of these geometry principles.

Learn More: Mrs. E Teaches Math

7. Comic Strip Drawing

For kids who “can’t draw”… Show them a way to use scale to create art with this cute activity! This activity takes smaller comic strips and requires students to draw them on a larger scale. It’s super fun and gets middle school students excited about proportions (because there are kid-friendly comics involved!) This coloring activity could turn into some lovely classroom decor!

8. Beginner-Friendly Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s another follow-up lesson that uses a comic strip image to help students learn about scale and proportion-this one has a simple step-by-step guide for teachers (or whoever is assisting students,) too!

Learn More: Math-n-spire

9. Incorporate Sports Themes!

For students who are into sports, this next one will be fun! Students are asked to calculate the actual dimensions in the size of a basketball court based on a scaled drawing… This kind of real-life application helps students understand how math is relevant to their world!

Learn More: Il Classroom

10. Add a History Angle!

As an added benefit, this lesson utilizes an art history angle, as it uses the work of Piet Mondrian to get kids interested in both art and math by recreating the work Composition A using its actual measurements on a smaller scale. Colorful, educational, and fun!

Learn More: Bits and Pieces of Middle School

11. Scale Draw Everyday Objects

This one is sure to catch kids’ attention because it involves actual objects-snacks and candy, which middle schoolers love and can’t resist! Students can scale their favorite food wrappers up or down! This could be really fun around a holiday if you wanted to have a party as a treat and let kids eat the snacks and candy they are scaling!

Learn More: Fast Times of a Middle School Math Teacher

12. Learn Basic Geometry

This lesson teaches students to use different colors to help them identify the missing side of a rotated congruent triangle and would be a great lesson to connect some of the more artistic or creative ones in this collection by touching on the “real math” of geometric figures.

Learn More: Equation Freak

13. Learn Scale Factor

This video does a great job of explaining scale factor using appealing actual objects like cars, paintings, dog houses, and more! This could really help students who needed a review after learning about scale and congruency.

14. Play “Interior Decorator”

This project uses a hands-on approach by including the actual lengths of real materials to help students play “interior decorator” for a dream house, and you could even add a layer to it by having students calculate the total cost of their room design on a separate piece of paper!

Learn More: Everybody is a Genius

15. Incorporate Art Techniques!

Give your middle schoolers a real challenge by introducing them to the concept of vanishing points. They can follow along as you demonstrate the step-by-step procedure to draw a landscape that disappears off into the distance, perfectly demonstrating to them how to use scale in their artwork! The end results are stunning pieces of artwork to display proudly in your classroom!

Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers

16. Group Puzzle

For more of a collaborative approach to understanding the concept of scale, this activity takes a well-known work of art and divides it into squares. Students are only responsible for redrawing one square on a piece of paper, and as they find where their square belongs in the larger piece, the work of art comes together like a group puzzle!

17. Scale Draw an Aircraft

Here’s a really interesting project that would pair well with a field trip to an Air and Space Museum, or with participation in The Starbase Youth Program, if it is accessible to you! (https://dodstarbase.org/) Students use scale measurements to draw an F-16 to scale and then decorate it however they want!

Learn More: For Love of Learning

18. Learn About Proportions

This is a really quick and simple video that explains proportional relationships and their purpose to shrink the scale of larger things down so they can be worked with!

19. Incorporate Social Studies

This mapping activity is meant to pair with a study of Lewis and Clark in a history or social studies class, but it could be modified for any class that has outdoor access to a park, garden, playground, or really any outside area! Students would turn a real space, filled with three-dimensional objects, into a map of the area!

Learn More: Our Journey Westward

20. Create Scale Models of Animals

How big is big? This more complex project provides a challenge for students by asking groups to create models of enormous animals. It would make a great culminating project to a unit on scale drawings!

Learn More: California Academy of Sciences

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37 of Our Favorite Easy Art Projects for Kids

Get their creative juices flowing.

The stress of tests and social dynamics can prove challenging for students, and for this reason, they need an opportunity to express themselves freely. Art provides a powerful outlet for creative expression while also proving therapeutic. Plus, a good art project can be particularly effective at getting kids to unplug from their devices. A simple art project can even fill some of downtime during the day for early finishers. Regardless of whether you teach preschool or high school, there is an art project for everyone. So gather some art supplies and try one of these easy art projects for kids!

Easy Art Projects for Pre-K Students

1. paper bag jelly fish.

As far as easy art projects for kids go, this one is perfect for preschoolers since it works on their hand-eye coordination and their cutting skills in particular. In addition to paper bags and scissors or pinking shears, you will need some paints, paintbrushes, googly eyes, and glue. If you’re really feeling ambitious, you can grab some sparkles too!

Learn more: Paper Bag Jelly Fish at No Time for Flash Cards

2. Tissue Paper Apple

Since everyone associates apples with fall and the start of school, this will be the perfect craft to start the school year off on the right foot. Simply draw an apple outline on a piece of paper and have small red and green tissue paper squares ready to be crumpled and glued by tiny hands.

Learn more: Tissue Paper Apple at Burlap + Blue

3. Fork Print Tulips

This project is both cute and simple, requiring only a fork, some heavyweight paper, and some paints. This project would be especially perfect for a Mother’s Day gift.

Learn more: Fork Tulip at Toddler at Play

4. Paper Bag Monster

First, paint the bag any color you want. Once dry, cut out shapes from card stock and assemble your monster!

Learn more: Paper Bag Monster Puppets at I Heart Crafty Things

5. Paper Plate Lion

All you need to re-create this adorable lion is orange and black paint, paintbrushes, paper plates, and scissors. Grab some Popsicle sticks to glue to the back and you’ll have a ferocious puppet show on your hands in no time! ADVERTISEMENT

Learn more: Paper Plate Lion at My Bored Toddler

6. Popsicle Stick Rainbow

Grab some blue card stock, cotton circles, and Popsicle sticks and have your students work on their gluing skills. This craft will prove effective at teaching little ones their colors. Choose either colored Popsicle sticks or have kids color them themselves.

Learn more: Popsicle Stick Rainbow at My Bored Toddler

7. Paper Plate Octopus

Kids love octopuses, especially adorable ones like these! This craft would be perfect for little ones still learning to count since they have a whopping eight legs to make.

Learn more: Paper Plate Octopus at Simple Every Day Mom

8. Macaroni Necklace

A staple of many of our childhoods, macaroni necklaces work on the dexterity of little fingers while also making perfect gifts. Add in some large beads as well for variety.

Learn more: DIY Macaroni Necklaces at Made To Be a Mama

Easy Art Projects for Elementary School Students

9. paper plate snake.

Have your students paint a paper plate with watercolors and then once dry, help them cut it in a swirl shape. Finally, add some googly eyes.

Learn more: Colorful Paper Plate Snakes at Pink Stripey Socks

10. Paper Roll Koala

This super-cute koala would make an adorable desk buddy since it stands up on its own. Kids will enjoy personalizing their koala’s face!

Learn more: Paper Roll Koala at Arty Crafty Kids

11. Leaf Pattern Drawing

We just love art projects that fill the entire page, and this one certainly fits the bill. The combination of crayon and watercolor paint create this multi-dimensional leaf print.

Learn more: Leaf Pattern at Art Projects for Kids

12. Woven Rainbow Fish

This project is perfect for working on students’ hand-eye coordination while being a cursory introduction to sewing. It’s challenging enough for even upper elementary school students while still being relatively simple.

Learn more: Rainbow Fish at Crafty Morning

13. Thumbprint Bugs

These thumbprint doodles are just so sweet and would perfectly complement a science lesson all about bugs. After having students try their hand at some of the thumbprint examples, let them use their imagination to see what other ideas they can cook up. You can even have them create bug jars out of card stock to put their new friends in!

Learn more: Thumbprint Bugs via Toot’s Mom Is Tired

14. Umbrella With Rain

Another fun art project that is really affordable to create since you only need paper plates, some paints, a roll of string, and some blue beads. We just love this clever approach to creating raindrops!

Learn more: Umbrella With Rain at Easy Peasy and Fun

15. Popsicle Stick Pencil

Nothing says back to school more than a cute pencil-themed craft. Have students add their names to them and then use them to decorate a September bulletin board in your classroom.

Learn more: Popsicle Stick Pencil at Crafty Morning

16. Craft Stick Airplane

Kids will unquestionably go crazy over these clothespin-and-Popsicle-stick airplanes. Regardless of whether they choose paint or permanent markers, students will enjoy personalizing their tiny flying machines.

Learn more: Craft Stick Airplane at Making Life Blissful

17. Pom-Pom Caterpillars

Since kids love pom-poms and caterpillars, this will be the perfect craft to grab their attention. Make sure to supply them with a fun variety of pom-poms and googly eyes.

Learn more: Pom-Pom Caterpillar at Easy Peasy and Fun

Easy Art Projects for Middle School Students

18. chalk christmas lights.

This is the perfect easy art project to do around the holiday season. You’ll need to create a stencil from card stock so you can create your light shapes. Once that is done, you can begin creating “light” with some chalk pastels. A silver Sharpie can be used to create your light string since it will show up nicely against the black paper.

Learn more: Christmas Light Chalk Stencil Art at Buggy and Buddy

19. Gratitude Journal

This project doubles as an art and writing activity since students can use their finished journals for writing prompts. These personalized journals beat store-bought ones any day!

Learn more: Handmade Gratitude Journal at Kids Activities Blog

20. Textured Hot-Air Balloon

This project is the perfect excuse to use up all your crafty odds and ends like feathers, glitter, and sequins. We love how unique each creation will be once they’re done.

Learn more: Textured Hot-Air Balloon at Artsy Momma

21. Layer Cakes

Regardless of students’ experience with oil pastels, this project will be a good introduction to the medium. Have students follow a step-by-step tutorial for drawing the outline of the layer cake, then let them use the pastels to bring their drawings to life.

Learn more: Cakes at Little Yeti

22. Chalk Planets

This is an inexpensive way to enhance a science unit on space while still getting creative. It’s inexpensive too since all you will need is some black paper and chalk.

Learn more: 18 Awesome Art Projects for Your Classroom at Teach Junkie

23. Back-to-School Rocks

Kids love painting rocks so why not make it school-themed? Show students some of these examples to copy or let them come up with some of their own, then spread them around the school’s grounds.

Learn more: Painted Rock Ideas at Color Made Happy

24. Dictionary Page Drawing

Easy art projects for kids that also double as vocabulary lessons? Yes, please! This project will prove especially educational as students are tasked with illustrating a word on an old dictionary page.

25. Paper Collage Painting

Students will enjoy creating their collages from a variety of materials. Even better—this project is a great way to encourage recycling since old cereal boxes and other food labels can be ripped into strips and repurposed.

Learn more: Painting With Paper at Megan Coyle Artist & Illustrator

26. Crayon Resist Art

This simple project can be done without a lot of instruction and will work for students of any age. This project runs on the same idea as some Easter egg–decorating kits in that the paint or dye sticks to the areas not covered in wax, or in this case, crayon.

Learn more: Fun Watercolor Resist Art at Kids Activities Blog

27. Number Art

If you have some math whizzes in your class, they will likely enjoy this number-themed art project. Grab some large number stencils and paints and you’ll be ready for this low-setup project.

Learn more: 5th Grade Number Project at Art Room Blog

28. Woven Baby Turtle

Select three mini Popsicle sticks, paint them, and then glue them together to form your turtle’s body. Finally, select your yarn and weave it around your turtle. Be sure to have a lot of fun colors to choose from!

Learn more: Weaving Cute Baby Turtles at Pink Stripey Socks

Easy Art Projects for High School Students

29. yarn-wrapped letter.

All you will need to create this craft is some leftover cardboard, a bunch of different yarns, and some scissors. Teens especially will enjoy this project as the end result can be used as decoration in their bedrooms and eventually their dorm rooms!

Learn more: 14 Crafts for Teens and Tweens at Art Bar Blog

30. Elevated Macaroni Necklace

Some easy art projects for kids and teens can even double as fashion! Despite their association with preschool, these are definitely not your little brother’s or sister’s macaroni necklaces. Swapping out twine with an actual chain makes these necklaces look surprisingly high-end.

Learn more: 12 Pasta Necklaces We Need Right Now at Mum’s Grapevine

31. Neuro Doodle Design

This is a simple and mindful art project that can be enjoyed by students regardless of their art experience. This art process was invented by Russian psychologist and architect Pavel Piskarev in 2014.

Learn more: Simple Mindful Art Project at Inside Out Art Teacher

32. Crepe Paper Flowers

This is the perfect project for early finishers to do since each flower only takes 5 minutes to create. In addition to being a fun project, these flowers would also make for beautiful classroom decor.

Learn more: Easy Crepe Paper Flowers at DIY Candy

33. CD Fish

Easy art projects for kids that utilize outdated technology? Why not? Although this project could work for any age group, older kids will be able to personalize their fish using a variety of add-on materials. Be prepared to explain to your students what CDs are since they were born long after their demise!

Learn more: Make Your Own Fish Aquarium at Super Simple

34. Pencil Sculpture

While this project can get complicated, simpler structures can be completed using fewer pencils. The preparation is minimal, requiring just a bunch of pencils and elastics, but the reward will be big when you see what your students create!

Learn more: Geometric Sculpture From 72 Pencils at Instructables

35. Ribbon Garland

This project is another good time-filler since it can be worked on and then picked up again later and continued. It’s also a good lesson in recycling since you can ask students to bring in any fabric or ribbons that may be sitting around their houses unused.

Learn more: Easy DIY Fabric Garland at Project Nursery

36. Origami

Origami paper is inexpensive and can be bought in bulk, making this an affordable and low-preparation art project. Additionally, it is perfect for high school students who are better equipped to follow along with an instructional video.

Learn more: 12 Origami Projects for Kids at Mom Loves Best

37. Layered Landscape

Keep those cereal boxes and old magazines since they’re perfect for ripping up to create layered art! We especially love how much room there is in this project for individual creativity.

Learn more: Layered Landscape at Art Camp Studio

What are your favorite easy art projects to do in the classroom? Come and share your ideas in our  We Are Teachers HELPLINE group  on Facebook.

Plus,  get ideas for great auction art projects .

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