25 Unique 5th Grade Art Projects To Tap Into Kids’ Creativity

Fifth grade art students are starting to master more advanced skills and techniques, and the work they create is really something to be proud of. We’ve partnered with some of Instagram’s most creative art teachers to bring you the best art projects for 5th graders!

“I believe the art room is a joyful place where every child’s imagination can bloom and grow, with the right amount of nurturing!” says elementary art teacher Caroline M., known on Instagram as @scs.artteacher. “I love creating mixed‑media projects with my students, especially those that celebrate nature and the world around us.”

Caroline loves using a wide variety of materials to invite experimentation: “My goal is to provide an environment that supports curiosity, celebrates process over perfection, and is ultimately a welcoming space where every student’s creative voice and spirit will grow and flourish.”

Explore some of Caroline’s favorite 5th grade art projects below, along with ideas from Lauralee Chambers (@2art.chambers) and Yvette Ackerman (@ackermans_amazing_artists), more Instagram favorites. Visit each of their pages to find tips, how-to instructions, and many more project ideas!

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5th Grade Art Projects

Four-Letter Word Art

Students can choose any word they like for this project, inspired by Robert Indiana’s famous LOVE sculpture. This is a multi-step project, with a bleeding tissue paper background, hand-drawn lettering, and negative space created with black paint or marker. The results are so impressive!

Learn more: Four-Letter Word Art

Peace Signs

Take inspiration from Jason Naylor’s colorful work for these peace signs. Lauralee’s students used Wonder Stix and Prismacolor pencils to create theirs.

Learn more: Peace Signs

Van Gogh style blooming branches on blue backgrounds — Courtesy of @2art.chambers

Van Gogh Almond Blossoms

The story of this artist’s life is one that holds many lessons for kids, who might not realize that he saw very little success in his lifetime. “We create because we were born to and we need to in different ways, at different times, for different reasons, to live,” says Lauralee. Visit her Instagram post for instructions for this project.

Learn more: Van Gogh Almond Blossoms

Colorful striped Christmas trees on black backgrounds — Courtesy of @2art.chambers

Colored Pencil Trees

Need a simple project in the weeks leading up to winter break? Use bright-colored pencils on black paper for some brilliantly beautiful trees!

Learn more: Colored Pencil Trees

Oil pastel hearts with colorful backgrounds, made by 5th grade art students — Courtesy of @2art.chambers

Jim Dine Hearts

Start by using bleeding tissue paper to create the backgrounds, then paint the hearts on top. “Highlights and shadow with black and white charcoal create form and dimension,” Lauralee explains. “5th graders understand that. It’s more than just copying marks.”

Learn more: Jim Dine Hearts

Self-portraits of 5th grade art students made of clay — Courtesy of @scs.artteacher

Clay Self-Portraits

By 5th grade, art students have likely created at least several self-portraits, but have they ever tried making one in clay? We love this unique twist on a sculpture project—learn more from art teacher Caroline (@scs.artteacher) in her Instagram post.

Learn more: Clay Self-Portraits

Colorful, smiling city buildings in a row — Courtesy of @scs.artteacher

James Rizzi Cities

Rizzi’s pop art brought a sense of joy to all who saw it. Share his work with 5th grade art students to inspire them to create their own colorful cityscapes!

Learn more: James Rizzi Cities

Owls painted with a variety of different patterns and designs — Courtesy of @scs.artteacher

Directed Drawing Owls

A directed drawing lesson builds confidence, showing kids that yes, they really can make art! Let students put their own fun spin on the owls once you’ve guided them through the general design.

Learn more: Directed Drawing Owls

A shark and jellyfish drawn against an oceanscape background — Courtesy of @scs.artteacher

Into the Reef

These mixed-media collages incorporate a variety of art skills, creating results that every 5th grader can be proud of! See Caroline’s Instagram page for photos of more of her students’ oceanscapes for inspiration.

Learn more: Into the Reef

5th Grade Art: Dragon Eyes — Courtesy of @scs.artteacher

Clay Dragon Eyes

What might a dragon eye look like? Ask students to sketch some ideas, then choose one to create from clay. You can use air-dry or kiln-fired clay for this 5th grade art project.

Paper Weaving

By 5th grade, students have almost certainly done paper weaving before, but this project adds an intriguing op-art twist.

Learn more: Paper Weaving

Black and white designs with colorful paint brush strokes drawn overtop — Courtesy of @scs.artteacher

Paintbrushes

A simple black-and-white background sets off the colorful paintbrushes in this mixed-media project. For a twist, use colorful backgrounds and make the paintbrush and brushstroke white instead.

Learn more: Paintbrushes

Miniature cakes made of clay with candles on top — Courtesy of @2art.chambers

Clay Cartoon Birthday Cakes

The black edging on these little sweet treats is the key to making them look like they’ve jumped straight out of a cartoon! Start by having kids draw their designs, then move on to creating them from air-dry clay.

Learn more: Clay Cartoon Birthday Cakes

Colorful ears of corn made from beads and raffia — Courtesy of @2art.chambers

Colorful Beaded Corn

This beaded corn craft is terrific for fall. You’ll need a lot of beads (160 per ear), along with pipe cleaners and raffia for the tassels at the top. Then, let students create their own colorful designs.

Learn more: Colorful Beaded Corn

Clay suns against blue backgrounds — Courtesy of @2art.chambers

Relief Sculpture Clay Suns

Crayola’s Model Magic is the perfect medium for these bright, cheerful suns. Lauralee notes that there’s always the risk of breakage, so she coats them in Elmer’s glue and advises kids to handle them with care.

Learn more: Relief Sculpture Clay Suns

Record albums painted with Posca paint markers in a variety of designs — Courtesy of @2art.chambers

Painted Record Albums

“Designing on records with Posca pens is super satisfying,” says art teacher Lauralee Chambers. If you don’t have an easy supply of vinyl albums, use old CDs instead.

Learn more: Painted Record Albums

Poseable paper human figures made by 5th grade art students — Courtesy of @2art.chambers

Poseable Paper Figures

These paper figures are a project in themselves, but you can also use them for drawing practice! Each student can choose their own pose to work on and pose their figure accordingly.

Learn more: Poseable Paper Figures

Pumpkins painted black and covered in designs using metallic markers — Courtesy of @2art.chambers

Klimt Painted Pumpkins

Explore the work of Austrian painter Gustav Klimt, then use it for inspiration for this pumpkin project. Start by painting the pumpkins black, then add designs with metallic markers.

Learn more: Klimt Painted Pumpkins

Simple weaving project made with a variety of different types of yarns to create texture — Courtesy of @ackermans_amazing_artists

Textured Yarn Weaving

Fiber weaving is always a favorite in the 5th grade art classroom. Encourage students to mix a variety of yarn colors and textures for impressive results.

Learn more: Textured Yarn Weaving

Simple clay gnome head with a blue ombre hat — Courtesy of @ackermans_amazing_artists

Ombre Clay Gnomes

No kiln? No problem! You can get these shiny results with air-dry clay by sealing it before and after painting with acrylic varnish.

Learn more: Ombre Clay Gnomes

Paper boot with colors inspired by Skittles candy — Courtesy of @ackermans_amazing_artists

Candy-Inspired Shoes

Provide students with a variety of shoe coloring outlines to choose from. Then, ask them to choose their favorite candy, and use those colors to design their shoes. Yvette has instructions for the whole project on her Stories!

Learn more: Candy-Inspired Shoes

Emoji sewn from felt by a 5th grade art student — Courtesy of @ackermans_amazing_artists

Felt Emojis

Sewing is an excellent way to continue developing fine motor skills and hand-coordination with your students. First, have them design their own emoji on paper. Then, cut out the shapes from felt and sew them together to create key chains they can hang on their backpacks!

Learn more: Felt Emojis

A simple yellow flower shown in four different art styles — Courtesy of @ackermans_amazing_artists

One Object, Four Styles

This is an excellent 5th grade art project to review what kids have learned throughout the year. Let each student choose any object they like to represent in four different styles. (If they’ve learned about more than four styles, let kids choose the ones they like best.)

Learn more: One Object, Four Styles

Sun setting over the sea, drawn in blended chalk pastels and black silhouette — Courtesy of @ackermans_amazing_artists

Blended Seascapes

Get ready for summer with a brilliant beach scene! “We started with chalk, added liquid starch to blend with our fingers, and then used india ink for the silhouettes,” explains art teacher Yvette Ackerman.

Learn more: Blended Seascapes

Colorful hearts in a checked optical illusion pattern — Courtesy of @2art.chambers

Optical Illusion Hearts

The trick to this project? Sharpies, clear rulers—and plenty of precision and focus! Kids will be blown away by the results of their hard work.

Learn more: Optical Illusion Hearts

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