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. These art projects for 5th graders will expose them to new artists and concepts and help them find the creative artist within!
FREE PRINTABLE
Art Portfolio Templates Bundle
The bundle contains art portfolio cover sheets for preschool to grade 5, as well as a template that works for any grade. The bundle also includes an art project planning sheet and an artist study worksheet.
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!
Take inspiration from Jason Naylor’s colorful work for these peace signs. Lauralee’s students used Kwik Stix Wonderstix and Prismacolor pencils to create theirs.
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.
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.”
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.
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!
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.
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.
Start by having kids hold crazy poses while you snap their photos. Then, they choose one they like and cut out silhouettes to match from colored paper, and mount them on black paper. So cool!
Start by mixing paint and paste to create a thick mixture to spread on paper. Then create patterns with your fingers, a fork, or any other object. Finish by cutting one page into strips and weaving it into the other.
Explore the concepts of positive and negative space with this cool paper craft. Kids will have to be very careful as they cut so their reflections will be exact.
The color wheel is a basic art concept your students have probably mastered by now, so take things a step further by crafting 3D color wheel spheres instead. This is an easy project that requires nothing more than paper plates, paint, and paper clips.
Hokusai’s woodblock prints are the inspiration for these paper lanterns. Use watercolors to create soft images, then fold the paper into lanterns to hang from the ceiling.
This sculpture project requires your fifth grade art students to tap into their engineering skills too. They’ll have to figure out how to balance their letters in a way that’s pleasing to the eye but also stable enough to stay in place.
The coiling method of ceramics is really accessible for everyone. Though it’s often used to make pots, we love how it works for these colorful coil sculptures too.
Every kid has their own idea of what a dragon might look like, so they’ll have fun bringing their ideas to life. Be sure to stress the use of texture in this fifth grade art project.
Most kids have made plenty of clay pots by fifth grade, but adding a lid makes this project a little more advanced. Students roll the clay rather than pinching or coiling, giving the result a nice smooth finish.
This is another one of those art projects most fifth graders have done at least once. But you can put a new spin on it by adding more sticks into the project. This is a great idea for your sub folder.
Click the button below and fill out the form on this page to receive our free printable bundle with art portfolio cover sheets for every grade, as well as an art project planning sheet and an artist study worksheet.
