Drawing first, then make something
Art projects for kids
Simple art projects that start with a drawing lesson and end with something to give, hang up or play with.
A drawing becomes a project when it has a job: a card for Grandma, a monster for the fridge, a street for the toy cars. Each project below is a handful of lessons plus a way to put them together. Pencils and crayons are enough; paint, scissors and glue make them bigger.
Make a birthday card
Fold a sheet in half, draw on the front, write inside. The cake and balloons are the classics.
How to Draw a Birthday Cake
11 steps
How to Draw Balloons
11 steps
How to Draw a Present
12 steps
How to Draw a Cupcake
12 steps
How to Draw a Birthday Balloon
12 steps
How to Draw a Party Hat
12 steps
Four-seasons tree
Divide a page into four and draw the same tree in each season.
How to Draw a Tree
11 steps
How to Draw an Autumn Tree
11 steps
How to Draw a Winter Tree
10 steps
How to Draw a Cherry Blossom
10 steps
How to Draw a Snowflake
11 steps
Design a monster
Draw two or three of these, then invent your own using the same shapes. Name it.
How to Draw a Love Monster
11 steps
How to Draw a Huggable Blue Monster
11 steps
How to Draw a Furry Blue Monster
11 steps
How to Draw a Plush Monster with Teeth
11 steps
How to Draw a Lava Monster
11 steps
How to Draw a Cyclops
11 steps
How to Draw an Ogre
11 steps
How to Draw a Troll
12 steps
Build a city street
Draw the buildings along the bottom of a long strip of paper, then add vehicles and people.
How to Draw a Skyscraper
12 steps
How to Draw a Shop
11 steps
How to Draw a Bakery
11 steps
How to Draw a Bus Stop
12 steps
How to Draw a Taxi
14 steps
How to Draw a Bus
13 steps
How to Draw a Traffic Light
10 steps
How to Draw a Street Lamp
12 steps
Garden collage
Draw and cut out flowers and bugs, then arrange them on green paper.
How to Draw a Sunflower
11 steps
How to Draw a Tulip
11 steps
How to Draw a Daisy
11 steps
How to Draw a Bee
13 steps
How to Draw a Butterfly
12 steps
How to Draw a Ladybug
12 steps
How to Draw a Snail
10 steps
How to Draw a Flower Pot
11 steps
Holiday projects
Drawings that become decorations: hang them, stick them in windows, put them on the table.
How to Draw a Pumpkin
10 steps
How to Draw a Ghost
10 steps
How to Draw a Snowman
13 steps
How to Draw a Christmas Ornament
12 steps
How to Draw a Gingerbread Man
12 steps
How to Draw a Valentine Heart
10 steps
How to Draw an Easter Egg
10 steps
How to Draw a Shamrock
12 steps
Painting with the drawings
- Draw in pencil first, go over the lines with a black crayon or marker, then paint inside. The waxy line stops the paint spreading.
- Watercolour over a crayon drawing makes a resist: the crayon lines stay bright. Good for the under-the-sea and weather themes.
- For a group mural, each child draws one lesson on their own sheet, then everything is cut out and glued on one big background.
Questions parents and teachers ask
What are easy art projects for 6 year olds?
The birthday card, the garden collage and the monster project: short lessons, cutting and glueing, and a clear result. Eight-year-olds like the city street and the four-seasons tree.
Can these be done at school?
Yes. Each project is a directed drawing plus a making step, which fits an art period. The directed drawing page has classroom tips.