Easy Chalk Pastel Heart Art for Kids to Make (2024)

This chalk pastel heart art is an easy and fun Valentine’s Day art project for kids! We used a simple pastel technique that is easy for kids to do and always looks great. Drawing with pastels on black paper makes the pastels look extra bright, almost like they are glowing!

Pastels are so fun for kids to explore! Take a look at my collection of chalk pastel art for more creative ideas kids will love.

Easy Chalk Pastel Heart Art for Kids to Make (1)

For this project, I created a free printable template to make this art project even easier for you. This template is available to my email subscribers. Fill out the form below to get the free template.

After signing up you will receive a welcome email with your download link.

We have used this pastel technique for a few projects and always love the results! Take a look at this bunny art project with chalk pastels and this fall leaf chalk pastel art for more great ideas!

Tips for working with chalk pastels

Chalk pastels can be messy (but so fun!). There are a few things you can do to help 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 (or even halfway through if it gets really dusty), 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.

Create your own chalk pastel heart art

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you would like more information please review my .

Easy Chalk Pastel Heart Art for Kids to Make (2)

Supplies

Instructions to make your heart art project

1.Print out your heart templates onto white cardstock and cut them out. Kids can also make their own template out of cardboard if they like. Using a thicker paper makes it easier to use the template.

Easy Chalk Pastel Heart Art for Kids to Make (3)

Tape your template onto a piece of black paper. We used black drawing paper but black pastel paper, cardstock or construction paper would also work. Depending on the quality of the paper the pastels might not be as bright.

Easy Chalk Pastel Heart Art for Kids to Make (4)

2.Draw thick lines around your template with chalk pastels. The thicker the lines, the more pastel there is to smudge.

Kids can choose to use traditional Valentine’s colors or use a variety of colors. Rainbow pastel hearts would look beautiful!

Easy Chalk Pastel Heart Art for Kids to Make (5)

3. Using one or two fingers, smudge around your template in an outward direction. Using your fingers to smudge will usually give the best results, but some kids don’t like to get their hands dirty. They can try using a blending stick or a q-tip for this step.

Take a look at these 5 essential pastel techniques for beginners for more details on pastel techniques that kids can try.

Easy Chalk Pastel Heart Art for Kids to Make (6)

Once you have smudged your pastels all the way around your template, carefully take the template off to reveal your amazing design!

If there is a lot of dust on the paper, take it outside to blow or shake it off. You can then take a q-tip and carefully wipe away any extra smudges on the inside of the heart to clean up the area a bit.

4. If you are doing the smaller heart inside the larger heart. Tape the smaller heart template inside your larger pastel drawing.

Easy Chalk Pastel Heart Art for Kids to Make (7)

This time when you are drawing around the template, you don’t want to draw the lines as thick. The lines need to be thinner because there is not as much room to smudge.

Remind kids to be careful when drawing and smudging around the smaller heart so that the bigger heart doesn’t get wrecked.

Easy Chalk Pastel Heart Art for Kids to Make (8)

This chalk pastel heart art turned out so beautifully and having kids choose their own colors and heart template makes each one unique! This is a wonderful Valentine’s Day art project that kids of all ages will enjoy.

Get PDF versions of this art project in my shop!

Easy Chalk Pastel Heart Art for Kids to Make (9)

A vertical PDF that is perfect for printing out and a horizontal version to project onto a whiteboard in the classroom! PDFs include a lesson plan overview, detailed instructions and photos, and printable heart templates.

>>> Click here to take a look at the Chalk Pastel Heart Art PDF pack!

For more great Valentine’s project ideas check out my collection of creative Valentine’s Day arts and crafts for kids to make!

Fill in the form below to get your free printable template!

After signing up you will receive a welcome email with your download link.

More Valentine’s Day art projects kids will love

Mixed Media Heart Art Project for Kids

Easy Chalk Pastel Heart Art for Kids to Make (10)

Easy Heart Spin Painting for Valentine’s Day

Easy Chalk Pastel Heart Art for Kids to Make (11)

Follow me on Pinterest for more amazing project ideas.

Pin this chalk pastel art for later

Easy Chalk Pastel Heart Art for Kids to Make (12)

Yield: 1 heart art pastel project

Easy Chalk Pastel Heart Art for Kids to Make (13)

Colorful chalk pastel heart art for kids to make. Heart templates included making this Valentine's Day art project easy for kids of all ages!

Prep Time5 minutes

Active Time20 minutes

Total Time25 minutes

DifficultyEasy

Materials

  • Black drawing paper, pastel paper, cardstock, or construction paper
  • Chalk pastels
  • Printable heart templates
  • Painter's tape
  • Q-tips or blending stick (optional)

Tools

  • Scissors

Instructions

  1. Print out your heart templates onto white cardstock and cut out.
  2. Use painter's tape to tape your template down in the middle of your paper.
  3. Use chalk pastels to draw thick lines around your template. Kids can choose to use traditional Valentine's Day colors or they can use a variety of colors.
    You want your lines to be fairly thick around your template so there is enough pastel to smudge with.
  4. Once you are done drawing around your template, use your finger to smudge the pastels in an outward direction. Continue smudging around your template in one direction only.
    Have some paper towels handy for kids to wipe their fingers on. If kids do not want to use their fingers to smudge, they can try using a q-tip or blending stick.
  5. Carefully lift off your template to reveal your design!
  6. If you are using the double heart design, tape the smaller heart in the middle of the bigger heart. Draw around your template but this time your lines do not need to be as thick because you don't have as much room to smudge with.
  7. Carefully smudge around your smaller heart, taking care not to disturb the bigger heart. Carefully lift off the template.
  8. Take your paper outside to blow or shake off any excess dust. Use a q-tip to clean up any areas that still have chalk dust on them.
Easy Chalk Pastel Heart Art for Kids to Make (2024)

FAQs

How to make homemade chalk pastels? ›

Mix the pigments with distilled water to make a paste. You may wish to use the pigments alone, or mix them with chalk, for example in a 1 part pigment to 2 parts Whiting Chalk ratio. Crush the pigment paste with the gum solution until smooth and evenly distributed.

Can you set chalk pastels with hairspray? ›

Inexpensive hair spray works as well as more expensive art sealant. Go outdoors to apply if at all possible!

What can you use to blend chalk pastels? ›

You can use a cloth to blend pastels, but chamois are even more effective. Chamois is a type of super-soft and flexible leather that is excellent for blending colors with pastels. For large areas, you can wipe or rub the chamois across the surface of your paper.

What kind of paper is used for chalk pastels? ›

Textured paper is the most popular surface for pastels, but you can also use boards, canvas, and even sandpaper.

How do you set pastels so they don't smudge? ›

If you decide to fix your dry pastels, aerosol fixative can be your loyal ally. This spray-on solution forms a protective barrier over your artwork, guarding it against smudging and preserving its colors for years to come.

How long do chalk pastels last? ›

Pastels, especially soft pastels, last a long time! Even The oil pastels will last year's and years and are safe to use, as long as they don't contain harmful toxins that were considered “safe” back in The day.

Can you mix chalk pastels with water? ›

Chalk pastels alone are a really fun supply but when you mix pastels with water you are able to use them in a totally different way! While you cannot turn pastels into paint, they are actually water soluble which opens up a world of creative possibilities.

What is the best surface for chalk pastels? ›

Rough paper is most suitable for use with soft pastel chalks. There are many different special pastel papers available, e.g. Ingres, velour paper, Sansfix, pastel card etc. Pastel chalk looks particularly impressive when used on coloured paper, as the surface can then actually be incorporated in the picture.

What are the ingredients in chalk pastels? ›

Pastel is fabricated from one or several finely ground pigments, a pulverized inert white filler such as ground calcium carbonate or kaolin, and a minuscule amount of binder such as gum tragacanth.

How do you make homemade chalk color? ›

Mix up a batch of chalk.

Using a ratio of 1 part warm water to 1 1/2 parts Plaster of Paris, stir together as much wet chalk as you want in a certain color. Add paint, squirt by squirt, until you get a shade you're happy with—and keep in mind that lighter shades will show up brighter on a black chalkboard.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Errol Quitzon

Last Updated:

Views: 6074

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (79 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Errol Quitzon

Birthday: 1993-04-02

Address: 70604 Haley Lane, Port Weldonside, TN 99233-0942

Phone: +9665282866296

Job: Product Retail Agent

Hobby: Computer programming, Horseback riding, Hooping, Dance, Ice skating, Backpacking, Rafting

Introduction: My name is Errol Quitzon, I am a fair, cute, fancy, clean, attractive, sparkling, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.