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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This bundle contains art portfolio cover sheets for preschool to grade 5, as well as a template that works for any grade. It also includes an art project planning sheet and an artist study worksheet.
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5th Grade Art Projects
Courtesy of @2art.chambers
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!
Take inspiration from Jason Naylor’s colorful work for these peace signs. Lauralee’s students used Wonder Stix 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.
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.
Courtesy of @scs.artteacher
Paper Weaving
By 5th grade, students have almost certainly done paper weaving before, but this project adds an intriguing op-art twist.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.)
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.
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.
