This post is from contributor Megan Zechman
(This post contains affiliate links.)
Art seems to be a subject a lot of homeschooling families struggle to add to their schedules. Although there are plenty of reasons why this is a challenge, one of them definitely is cost. Art can be very expensive, especially if you want to expose your child to a wide variety of artists and mediums.
As homeschooling parents, we have to provide everything our children need to learn. For art, this means all types of paints, brushes, paper, pencils, clay, and more. Every time you want to teach about an artist or a specific type of art, you have to make sure your children have the tools they’ll need, and this adds up.
Art on a Budget
One inexpensive method I’ve discovered is chalk pastel art. You can easily get started with chalk for less than $30! All you need is some artist chalk, paper, and lessons, like the ones from Southern Hodgepodge. A huge bonus is that everything lasts a long time, so you’ll get a lot of use out of the tools you purchase.
We’ve been working with chalk pastels for a few months and it has quickly become one of my kids’ favorite mediums. We’ve done Christmas projects and studied the Olympics through art.
There is so much you can do with chalk. You can design something all on your own or use it to recreate works of art by famous artists.
Recently my daughter wanted to work on a project, so I had her choose a lesson from our Chalk Pastels Through the Seasons eBook (only $7.99 for 18 lessons). With spring approaching, she chose one from that chapter: Claude Monet’s Field of Poppies. It is a wonderful lesson on landscapes, teaching you how to layer your colors to create depth in the scene.
Hodgepodge’s step-by-step instructions make it easy for older kids to work independently.
At Southern Hodgepodge, you will find lots of encouragement and inspiration, not only in the form of wonderful eBooks, but also videos featuring Lucia (Nana to the Hodgepodge clan), the artist behind the lessons.
One of my favorite parts on the site is the Art Tutorial Showcase, a link to their popular Pinterest board where they share what people from all over the world have created with chalk pastels.
Be sure to also check out FHD’s list of 20 Do-It-Yourself Homemade Art Supplies for additional frugal ideas!
Take a chance on this fun, simple, and frugal medium. You never know, you might just fall in love. We sure did!
What are your tips for inexpensively adding art to your homeschool?
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- Mini Canvas Chalk Pastel Art–A Frugal Christmas Gift - December 14, 2015
[…] Need art ideas? Frugal Homeschool Art: Chalk Pastels […]