Fall Tree with Blowing Leaves

The basic concept behind perspective is learning that the further away objects are, the smaller they appear. This painting idea comes from o...

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Line Pattern Leaf

This is a study of patterns that could be simplified for kinder and 1st grade students. I drew my leaf and filled it in, but a large templat...

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How To Draw Another Turkey

Here’s another version of how to draw a turkey – a bit more realistic than my original post, but still very symmetrical and easy to draw. Ju...

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Scratch Art Turkey

This scratch art technique is called “sgraffito’, and it works well with turkeys drawings that need lots of lines on their feathers. 1. I ma...

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How To Draw the Mayflower

In 1620, the Mayflower landed near Plymouth, Massachusetts. This amazing ship is made of dozens of sails, ropes, masts and windows. I simpli...

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Hand Colored Thanksgiving Day Cards

This is my gift to all you super-busy creative types who like to make homemade holiday cards, but have trouble finding the time. I used deco...

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Chalk Pastel Fall Landscape

This kind of loose, simple landscape lets chalk pastels do what they do best – make smudgy, soft colorful shapes. 1. Starting with an orange...

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Layered Leaf Drawing

Metallic markers are great for adding a bit of “highlight” to any drawing or painting. 1. Draw many large simple leaves that are overlapping...

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Layered Apple Basket

This basket of apples is a good project for young students that are ready to add layers to their artwork. 1. Draw the basket by starting wit...

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Cardboard Weaving Necklace

I saw this project on Pinterest thanks to Artrageous Afternoon , and loved it immediately. It’s a great way to make a little weaving project...

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Friendship Bracelets

This project was a hit not only with girls but with boys as well. I think they are just “surfer” looking enough to work for both. 1. These b...

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Pastel Tigers

Henri Rousseau was a French artist that lived in the late 1800s. He tried to paint in the schooled manner of the traditional artists, but th...

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Fall Oil Pastel Tree

I found this project on  Artsonia.com .  I love how it makes students think of trees as a series of branches, and not just a fluffy shape th...

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Watercolor Witch Hats

I don’t know how many times I have to relearn that the simplest ideas are often the best. Apparently once more, because I first thought that...

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Cubist Paper Bag Costume

A Halloween book that included faces on paper bags inspired my “Cubism” costume.  I used a regular brown grocery bag, and started by drawing...

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FREE Download Spider Template

If you give students half of a symmetrical image, they will have all the info they need to complete the missing side. If you search for spid...

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Coffee Painting

I saw this idea in a recent   Arts and Activities   magazine. I thought a haunted house would be a good subject matter because of all the mo...

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Printed Pumpkins

I introduced my kinders last week to their first printmaking project. Learning how to draw different expressions on the faces, like those in...

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Crazy Watercolor ATCs

It turns out that lemon juice does a pretty cool thing if you leave it on a watercolor painting. Give it a few minutes to soak, dab away wit...

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Positive / Negative Scratch Tree

This starts as a “negative” scratch art picture and is completed as a “positive” marker drawing. Students can become more familiar with both...

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