Celebrate Canada Day with this gorgeous Canada Day chalk pastel art project! This is a super easy pastel painting that kids of all ages are able to do. I love how the red and white colors really pop off of the black paper making the whole image look like it’s glowing.
We love using chalk pastels, they are a fun art material for kids to explore and the colors are so bright and vivid. We have used this same pastel technique a few times and every time the results are stunning! Take a look at my collection of chalk pastel art for more creative ideas kids will love.
If you are looking for more awesome Canada Day projects take a look at this Canada Day printable wand craft and this fun spin painting Canada Day craft!
For this project, I created a maple leaf template to make this art project easier for you. It’s available in my shop as part of my Canada Day art project bundle that includes three different art activities.
Create your own Canada Day chalk pastel art
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Supplies needed for your Canada Day art project
- Maple leaf printable available here in my shop
- White cardstock
- Chalk pastels in white and red
- Black drawing paper or construction paper
- Scissors
- Tape
- Paper towels
- Workable fixative (optional)
Instructions to make your pastel painting
1. First, you want to print out your maple leaf template onto white cardstock. I find it easier for kids if the template is on cardstock rather than just printer paper.
2. Cut out the maple leaf template and tape it down in the middle of your black drawing paper. We used painter’s tape, which made it easier to peel off afterward.
Taping your stencil down makes it a lot easier for kids, the paper doesn’t move around as much and it’s easier to draw around it.
3. Using red and white chalk pastels, have kids draw thick lines around their template. They can choose the design they like. We did 2 different examples, one alternating red and white and the other one to look like the Canadian flag. Both look great!
4. Once kids are done drawing around their template it’s time to start smudging! This can be done with q-tips, cotton balls, or just simply your fingers. I find using my fingers gets the best results, but some kids don’t like the feeling of the pastels on their fingers.
Start smudging outward in the same direction, moving all the way around the maple leaf. I always like to have lots of paper towels handy, kids will need to wipe off their fingers as they smudge.
5. Carefully pull off the template and take off the tape. You might find when you peel off your template that there is some chalk dust underneath. First, take your drawing outside and blow off the excess dust.
To clean up the area, even more, you can try using a q-tip or an eraser to finish picking up the rest of the chalk dust. I find using an eraser works quite well.
I love how bright and bold the red and white pastels look on the black paper. This is such a simple art project with wow results every time!
If you are looking for more summer art projects, take a look at this amazing collection of summer art ideas for kids!
Tips for working with chalk pastels
Chalk pastels can be messy (but so fun!). There are a few things you can do to keep some of the mess contained:
- Put newspaper down on desks or tables
- Put your project on a tray or a shallow cardboard box which will keep most of the mess inside the tray
- You can try doing your project outside
- Have lots of paper towels handy
- Once you are done with your project, take it outside to gently blow or shake off the excess dust
- If you are using chalk pastels in the classroom and the kids are ready to take their artwork home, simply place the art between some newspaper to keep it from smudging and for easy transport.
>> CLICK HERE TO GET THE PRINTABLE TEMPLATE AND PDF VERSION OF THIS ART PROJECT.
Vertical PDFs of each project that is perfect for printing out and projecting onto a whiteboard in the classroom for kids to follow along! Each PDF includes a lesson plan overview, materials needed, step-by-step instructions and photos, and a printable template.
We love creating and exploring with different art supplies and techniques. If you are looking for more art projects to try, take a look at our ultimate collection of amazing art projects for kids!
More chalk pastel art ideas you will love
Make Brightly Colored Shamrock Art with Chalk Pastels
Easy Kandinsky Art for Kids with Chalk Pastels
Follow me on Pinterest for more amazing project ideas.
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