15 Easy Art Project Ideas You’ll Have Fun With 24 October, 2020   

Nothing compares to the joy of making something with your own two hands. If you’re a little low on time but want to do something creative, here are fifteen easy art project ideas you’ll have fun with:

01. Bubble painting:

This is one of those art project ideas that look more complicated than they really are.

What you’ll need:

• Dish soap

• Paint (preferably washable)

• Cups

• Straws

• Paper (preferably construction or watercolor)

• Plastic table cover

Instructions:

• In half a cup of water, mix dish soap and paint. Fill the cups with different colors.

• Dip straws in each cup, blow out through them to create bubbles.

• Hold the paper over the bubbles to print the design on it.

• Leave to dry.

02. Tie-dye bookmarks:

Are you looking for art project ideas that would make a great gift? Here’s one!

What you’ll need:

• An empty plastic jug 

• Sharpie fine-tip permanent markers

• Rubbing alcohol (99% isopropyl)

• Spray varnish (such as polyurethane)

• Medicine dropper/pipette

• Ribbon/twine/cording

• Button or decorative beads

• Scissors

• Hole punch

Instructions:

• Using a bookmark as a stencil, cut around it to make bookmarks.

• Color your bookmarks in with permanent markers.

• Use the pipette to drip alcohol onto the bookmark in small drops.

• Once your design is done, let it dry, then finish it with a coat of spray varnish.

• Using the hole punch, you can tie ribbons, twine, or cording to the bookmarks and add accessories such as beads or buttons.

03. Button art tree:

This project would be a great activity for the kids.

What you’ll need:

• A plain, painted picture on a reasonably large canvas

• Buttons

• Glue (such as Tacky glue or Elmer’s glue) 

Instructions:

• Keep the buttons in a pile next to the canvas.

• Stick them to the painted tree by gluing the buttons' backs and attaching them to the paper.

• Dry completely and enjoy it.

04. Sakura(Japanese cherry blossom) tissue paper flower craft:

What you’ll need:

• Paper

• Glue

• A template for the Sakura tree (or you could draw your own)

• Paper plate

• Pink tissue paper (cut into squares)

Instructions:

• Draw your Sakura tree, or go to the site and download the template.

• Fill your paper plate with glue.

• Make the flowers by scrunching up the tissue paper. Dip them into the glue and stick them along the branches of your Sakura tree. 

• Dry, and enjoy it!

05. Rainbow flowers:

Graceful and elegant art project ideas are hard to come by when they’re this simple!

What you’ll need:

• A sharp knife

• Cutting board

• Food coloring

• Water

• Glasses

• White flowers

Instructions:

• Get your glasses of water. Drip about 25 drops of food color in each, till saturated.

• Split each stem crosswise by cutting twice or once depending on thickness. Cut the stems high enough for them to stand in the glasses of colored water.

• Leave the flowers to stand in the water for a few hours. The color will travel up the stems and into the flowers. Enjoy!

06. Pretty playdough:

This is one of many art project ideas that you’re better off making than buying. It’s all in your hands!

What you’ll need:

• Cookie cutters (optional)

• 2 cups flour

• 2/3 cups salt

• 4 tablespoons cream of tartar

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 1/3 cup water + 2/3 cups non-permanent black liquid watercolor (You can make a natural-colored version of this playdough by using just the 2 cups of water)

• Glitter and confetti

Instructions:

• Mix all the ingredients except the glitter and confetti in a saucepan

• After stirring for a few minutes, the mixture will thicken and become a ball.

• Take it off the heat, and empty the dough onto a smooth surface for kneading (once cool).

• Once the dough is cool, you can add color and the other ingredients to it.

• You can roll out the dough and cut it into shapes with the cookie-cutter for use or presentation.

07. Stained glass pasta:

What you’ll need:

• Lasagna sheets

• Liquid Watercolors/Food Coloring

• Ziploc Bags

• Rubbing Alcohol

• 2 sheets of sticky back paper

• Scissors

• Masking tape

• Black sharpie markers

Instructions:

• Break the lasagne into shards.

• Dye it. 

• Place the non-sticky part of the sticky paper on the canvas, and fix it with masking tape.

• Peel off the sticky part of the paper and attach the lasagne pieces to it.

• Color in the spaces in between with a black sharpie marker.

• You can seal in the lasagne pieces with a top sheet of contact paper to secure them.

08. Mini wooden pallet coasters:

What you’ll need:

• 1/2″ square balsa wood rod

• wooden craft sticks

• pliers with wire cutting blade

• Exacto knife

• sandpaper

• hot glue gun

• Mod Podge

• washi tape

• scissors

Instructions:

• Cut 4” sections off the wood rods using a craft/Exacto knife, and 4” sections off your pallets using the pliers.

• Sand off the rough edges.

• One good measure for a coaster is 7 craft stick pieces for 3 balsa wood pieces.

• Attach the washi tape to each craft stick, along its entire length

• Space the balsa wood evenly, and lay the washi tape sticks across their length side-by-side, as in the picture. Use the glue gun to glue the plain back of the washi sticks to the balsa wood.

• Dry and use mod podge to seal everything. Done!

09. Mason jar lights:

What you’ll need:

• Glass pebbles

• Glue

• Mason jars

• LED candles

Instructions:

• Glue the glass pebbles to the outer surface of the mason jar

• Place an LED candle in each jar.

10. Cereal box notepads:

What you’ll need:

• Cereal boxes

• Mod Podge

• Wide thin paintbrush

• 2Large binder clips

• 2Paint stir sticks

• Glue

• Exacto knife and ruler or paper cutter

• Notepaper

Instructions:

• Line up the notepaper, cut it to the size you want it with a ruler and paper cutter

• Cut the cereal box cardboard to the size of the paper. You’ll need two panels, front and back.

• Assemble the cereal box panels on top and bottom, with the notepaper in the middle.

• Wedge them between two paint stir sticks and clamp together with binder clips.

• Brush the top of the pad with glue

• Brush the top (glued) edge of the pad with mod podge, alternately removing either binder clip and replacing it when that side is dry. 

• Once dry, detach the clips and sticks. 

• Your notepad is ready!

11. Earphone holder:

What you’ll need:

• Old container (like a mint tin)

• Colorful paper

• Mod Podge

• Paintbrush

• Earphones

Instructions:

• Clean your container, and remove the label.

• Cut the paper to cover the container.

• And stick it by brushing on the Mod Podge at the back.

• Once dry, put your earphones in it. Enjoy!

12. No-cook edible slime:

What you’ll need:

• ¼ cup chia seeds and 2 cups of water

• 1 tsp xanthan gum

• A few drops of food coloring

• 450g – 500g corn-starch

Instructions:

• Mix the chia seeds and water, and leave to set in the fridge for about 12-24 hours.

• Once gelatinous, remove the mix from the fridge, add the xanthan gum and food coloring and stir.

• Knead in the cornstarch (450 grams). If it’s too sticky, add more cornstarch. If it’s too dry, add a tsp of water.

• Your slime is now ready. It can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

13. String heart:

What you’ll need:

• piece of wood 

• string 

• box of nails

• spray paint

• white paper

Instructions:

• Spray the wood.

• Once dry, draw a heart on the paper, and place it on the wood.

• Hammer the nails on your paper template, then remove the paper.

• Knot the string around each nail head till you’re done.

14. Marbled clay ring dish:

What you’ll need:

• White, black, and colored oven bake clay 

• Gold liquid gilding and paintbrush

• Oven safe dish

• Craft knife

• Rolling pin 

• Large jar to shape the dish

• Glaze to seal dish (optional)

Instructions:

• Twist each type of clay into a 6” rope, and then combine them into a ball. Roll them out into a disk about ¼” thick.

• Use your jar to press out a shape roughly 6” wide.

• Place your pressed clay over a dish a little smaller so that it would curve in the middle.

• Bake it according to package instructions.

• Once cool, paint the rim of the dish with gold gilding.

• Craft knife

• Oven-safe ramekin

15. Thumbtack wall art:

What you’ll need:

• 18 x 24” canvas

• House Paint

• Brass thumbtacks

• Gold duct tape

Instructions:

• Paint your canvas

• Make a design with masking tape

• Push thumbtacks into the canvas, then remove the masking tape.

• Wrap the duct tape around the edges of the canvas. Done.

Now that you have seen some of the many easy art project ideas out there, why don’t you unleash your creativity and try them out?