Van Gogh Starry Night Aluminum Foil Art Project for Kids

You are going to love this simple-to-make and creative art project for kids. You can create abstract art or art projects based on famous artists. We opted to make a starry night for kids tin foil project. I love the dimmension this technique gave to our van gogh art project. This aluminum foil art makes a great summer activity for kids of all ages from preschool, pre-k, kinderagrten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th graders, and up!

Aluminum Foil Art

Whether you are studying famous paintings kids or just looking for a fun, creative art projct. This aluminum foil art is a really fun process art project that adds a lot of depth to your creations. We used this tin foil art project tomake a starry night art project based on one of Vincent Van Gogh’s most famous works of art. This starry nigth for kids was a great way to explore van Gogh paintings for kids and study famous artists for kids! You won’t believe how simple it is to make this sectioned artwork. And it looks SO COOL! Use this project with elementary art classes for preschoolers, kindergartners, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, and grade 4 students.

The Starry Night is an oil on canvas painting by Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh painted this iconic piece in June 1889. The artwork gives us the view from his window just before sunrise, with the addition of an imaginary village.

Starry Night Art Project

All you need are a few simple materials to try this fun famous artists project:

• recycled cardboard – any size
• aluminim foil
• hot glue gun and refills (use with adult supervision only)
• sharpie markers
• black puffy paint

Art projects based on famous artists

Grab a piece of cardboard from an Amazon box, cereal box, etc. Any size will do. We didn’t want it too big that it would be tedious to fill-in (or that we’d use up too many markers). But you also want it big enough to hold the ribbons of glue that will make your art project POP. I think the size of a piece of paper is about right for most projects.

Now draw what you want to emphasize for your picture. Keep in mind it will be thicker lines and is what will come up of your project so you don’t want it to be too big or detailed. For this project we wanted the layers of sky, swirlly stars, and moon to really make an impact.

Van Gogh for kids

Now, carefully with the close supervision of an adult, go over your lines with a hot glue gun. You will need several refills. Follow directions of your hot glue gun.

Van Gogh Art Project

Cover your project with tin foil and carefully go around the glue gun lines to make them pop. After you’ve pressed the foil to remove any bumps or blotches, fold the excess around the back of your project.

We used black puffy paint to add the large building in this work of art. It looks like a cathedral to me. Allow to dry so it doesn’t smear as you continue working on your project.

Starry Night for Kids

Now comes the fun part, adding color to the night sky of this village scene. We used the yellow sharpie first ot make the star swirls and the moon in the sky.

Famous paintings kids

You will now add diferent shades of blues and greens to the night sky around the stars. Again, take note of Van Gogh’s masterpiece with your student. Observe the colors and the order he put them in.

Van gogh paintings for kids

Now notice the brush strokes he used. We tried to immulate the short line type strokes which give the artwork a sense of movement even in the still, quiet night.

Use sharpie to add in simple buildings in the bottom that show the enormity of the large black building. Everyone’s version of this art work will be different. And not only is that okay, but that’s the point!

Grab our artist report to help kids write down what they learn about famous arists and add a picture of their art project to make a fun keepsake of their homeschool art appreciation class.

FUN-to-make Starry Night Art Project for kids based on famous artists that uses a fun aluminim foil technique to explore Van Gogh! .