Simple Art in Spanish Project Ideas

I am a big fan of SIMPLE when it comes to art. No messy or expensive supplies, and (if I am being honest) not a lot of artistic skill needed. Piñata projects are cool and all, but paper mache is a LOT. If you’re the same way, you may like these simple art in Spanish project ideas!

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A Quick Note

Before I share my ideas with you, I just want to note that if you personally like doing piñatas and paper mache or models or mosaic tiles or any sort of bigger projects with your classes, I applaud you!!

I don’t want you to think that just because I don’t enjoy doing it with my classes, doesn’t mean you can’t. My own teacher did them with us in high school and many (many..) decades later I am still proud of our finished pavo real.

Photo evidence of baby Ashley from forever and ever ago:

Now that we’ve clarified that, let’s talk about some relatively mess free projects you can use with your secondary classes!

Quick and Easy Art in Spanish Project Ideas for Any Day

You don’t need a whole art department or hours of prep to include meaningful art in Spanish project ideas in your classroom. Some days you just need something low prep and high engagement to keep students learning while creating. Think sketch paper, colored pencils, and boom, ready to go!

One of my favorite art in Spanish project ideas is the Color and Describe a Monster activity. Students draw a silly or spooky creature, then write a short paragraph describing it using colors, body parts, and clothing vocabulary. This one is great for beginning learners and gives you a chance to review vocabulary in context. It is also perfect for early finishers or sub plans.

You can also try a Comida Creativa project. Students design their own restaurant menu using food vocabulary, then draw a few of their menu items. This doubles as a creative outlet and a vocabulary check-in. Some students even name their restaurant after themselves, which adds an extra fun twist.

Art Supplies Needed

As I mentioned, I like to keep things simple. The basic supplies most of these projects require are:

• copies of the student sheets
• coloring utensils like crayons, markers, or colored pencils
• scissors and glue

Hopefully you have easy access to these materials in your school office or on your student supply list! If not, consider adding them to your syllabus for next year to suggest students bring in crayons for activities when you do art or drawing in Spanish class.

Art in Spanish Project Ideas

Even if you feel uncomfortable focusing on artistic skills, I promise these projects are so easy, all of your students can be successful. Students follow simple, step by step directions to add their elements to their projects.

Create like Picasso

This is a great activity for your novice students as they complete a short reading and comprehension activity, then create art of their own!

With the Roll a Picasso sheet, students roll a die to determine the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose they’ll use on their portraits. It’s super fun!

They can also use the Color, Cut, and Build a Picasso sheets instead. Have your students color and cut out the included pieces, then glue onto the provided papers. This is another great way for students to show their creativity! Click here to download this set of activities to learn about Picasso in your classes.

Día de los Muertos Art Projects

Simple is still the name of the game! These Día de los Muertos art projects are easy peasy for you AND your students.

Roll and Draw a Calavera

This Roll and Draw a Calavera activity is very similar to the Roll a Picasso project from above! Students read a short passage on calaveras to learn about them, then roll for different components of their calavera and add them to the skull outline to create their own.

Draw a Calavera

Before giving this project to your students, I recommend doing a simple lesson on calaveras, similar to what I described above. Just a short reading activity will do! We want to avoid students thinking this is “Spanish Halloween”.

Instead, we want them to understand what calaveras represent as part of the celebration. This reading and comprehension activity is a great way to introduce them to the concept.

After you’ve introduced calaveras, whether with the reading or your own simple slides, it’s time to get started with the art! There’s really not even instructions to do with this art project, that’s how simple it is. Pass out the step-by-step handout, give them the skull template, and let them go!

When they finish designing and coloring their calaveras, you can choose whether or not you want to have them cut them out. I base this decision on how many students I have doing this and how much space I have to hang them up.

After they’ve cut them out, make sure they have their names on the back, then you can hang them up for a display! This download comes with a banner, but I also really like adding them to this bulletin board, especially if you have a different level of Spanish doing the reading activities that go with it!

Design and Draw an Alfombra

The alfombras created in Guatemala and other parts of the Spanish-speaking world are one of my favorite traditions surrounding Semana Santa. They are beautiful, so elaborate, and perfect inspiration for meaningful art in Spanish project ideas that connect culture with creativity.

Just like with the Día de los Muertos projects above, I think it is important to give context to the project so students understand the significance behind it! Here is a lesson plan you can use with this art project idea:

1. Show images or videos of alfombras in real life (see links to a few great ones here!)
2. Complete a reading and comprehension activity
3. Color and design their own version of an alfombra

There are a few options for you to choose based on how much time you want students to spend and the materials you have available. Simple is usually my focus, but you can always add more elements to a project if you would like!

1. The easiest option are these pre-designed coloring sheets. Print, let students choose, then color.
2. If you want to give students some more creative license, use the blank templates. Students can color with markers, crayons, or whatever to design their own alfombras.
3. A bit more complex are these color and cut pages. These allow students to experience the kind of multi-dimensional art they would see if they were able to visit and participate in creating an alfombra, but with the more readily available materials of paper, glue, and coloring utensils. You can print the color and cut pages and let students mix and match from the shapes and designs to create their alfombras.
4. The most complex option for this project would be to give students the template and a different medium to create their own version of an alfombra. Some options might include tearing construction paper or scrap paper, tissue paper, or (if you feel particularly brave) glitter and adhering your choice of medium with glue. If you have a wood shop class in your school, maybe you could even ask them to sweep up the sawdust and save it for you for a few weeks!

Las Molas de Panamá

Here is how to make these Panamanian molas with paper:

1. Gather your materials: colorful paper, scissors, glue, pencil, and stencils.
2. Choose the main element of your design: an animal, tree, flower, or another element found in nature is common. Here are stencils to help!
3. Trace the first layer of your main element. 
4. Cut it out.
5. Layer the first element on top of a second color of construction paper and trace a shape around it that is a bit bigger than your first layer.
6. Cut the second layer out.
7. Glue the first layer onto the second layer.
8. Repeat this process with another color.
9. Attach your element to your background piece of construction paper.
10. Complete your design with additional elements, with an emphasis on symmetry and geometric shapes.

Check out the full lesson plan and materials here!

Día de las Velitas Candle Craft

This candle craft is quite easy to make. Students color the flames on the background of the paper, color their candle, then cut it out and glue it onto the background for a 3D effect. It’s so simple – my oldest made the above sample for me when she was 4!

Check out more about this celebration and craft in the blog post here!

Easy Poinsettia Paper Craft Template

If you’re looking for fun Spanish Christmas activities to do with your students, making a flor de Nochebuena, or poinsettia, with them is a great option!

How to create a poinsettia:

• Students color the largest flower shape green.
• Color the next two flower shapes red.
• Color all the little circles yellow or gold.
• Cut them out.
• Glue them together in the following order:
  • green
  • red
  • red
  • yellow

Grab the template and watch a video tutorial here!

Burrito Sabanero Craft

This craft does take a few more materials than the other art projects listed here, but it is still quite easy and does not make a big mess, so for me it falls under the easy art project umbrella!

Here’s how to make this simple craft:

1. Make copies of the printable donkey template PDF
2. Cut out the template
3. Cut strips of paper in whatever color(s) you choose. You could make it look like a donkey, or you could do fun colors!
4. Cut little fringe into the strips of paper.
5. Glue them onto the template
6. Once the glue has dried, trim the excess
7. Glue on the eye or add a googly eye

That’s it! This simple craft doesn’t take very long at all and would make a really fun bulletin board for December when students have finished.

Grab the template and check out the video tutorial here!

Turn Cultural Moments into Art Projects

Another way to bring creativity into your class is by tying your art in Spanish project ideas to cultural celebrations. During Hispanic Heritage Month, have students research a Latin American artist, then recreate one of their pieces in their own style. They can present the piece in Spanish, sharing the name of the artist, the country, and the style they explored.

For a super simple option, turn your favorite Spanish songs into art. Students illustrate a line or chorus from the song and include one sentence explaining their drawing in Spanish. It’s a great listening and interpretation activity with an artistic flair.

Adding in these quick and creative art in Spanish project ideas keeps the vibe fun and low stress while helping students connect with culture, vocab, and each other, and that’s always a win.

More Art in Spanish Class

You might also like these posts for more art resources:

• Spanish Art Vocabulary
• Include Art in Spanish Class

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More Spanish Project Ideas

If you’re looking for more project ideas, make sure to check out the list below!

• Art Projects in Spanish Class
• 17 Hispanic Heritage Month Projects
• Spanish-Speaking Countries Digital Project
• Day of the Dead Project
• Recipe Ideas for a Food Project
• Holidays and celebrations
• Spanish-Speaking Countries poster project
• Create a tour of the Spanish-speaking countries (digital)
• Explore a Spanish-speaking country
• Afro Latinos Famosos
• Famous Women throughout history
• Spanish Family Tree Project Alternative