29 Mexican Painting Ideas for Kids & Families

Mexican art is known for bold color, flowers, symmetry, and folk traditions that go back centuries. This page collects 29 Mexican painting ideas for kids, teens, and families, with the materials, an age range, and a few steps for each. Most are easy and use basic supplies like paper, paint, and oil pastels, and a few suit older kids and adults.

Each idea credits the tutorial that inspired it, so you can see the full lesson. Use the quick-pick table to choose a project fast.

Quick-pick Mexican painting projects

Idea	Best for	Time	Materials
Sugar skull painting	Ages 6+, easy	30–45 min	Watercolor paper, black marker or crayon, watercolors
Symmetrical floral design	Ages 4+, easiest	20–30 min	Paper, pencil, paint or markers
Diego Rivera watermelon	Ages 6+, easy	30–45 min	Paper, paint or oil pastels
Frida Kahlo self-portrait	Ages 8+, medium	45–60 min	Black-and-white photocopy of a face, paint or pastels
Amate bark painting	Ages 6+, easy	30–45 min	Tan or brown paper, tempera paint, black marker
Mexican tin art	Ages 8+, medium	1–2 hours	Cardboard, aluminum foil, acrylic paint
Field of tulips Q-tip painting	Ages 4+, easy	20–30 min	Canvas or paper, acrylic paint, cotton swabs
Day of the Dead stone skulls	Ages 6+, easy	30–60 min	Smooth stones, acrylic paint, brushes
Paper bag sarape	Ages 3+ with help, easy	30 min	Paper grocery bag, paint, scissors
Yarn painting	Ages 10+, harder	1–2 hours	Cardboard or board, white glue, yarn

What is colorful Mexican art called?

Colorful Mexican art is usually called Mexican folk art, or arte popular. It covers many crafts, including amate bark painting, Huichol yarn painting, alebrijes (painted fantasy creatures), Talavera pottery, and papel picado (cut paper banners). Several of the projects below borrow ideas from these traditions.

Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo art projects

1. Mexican Tin Art: Inspired By Diego Rivera

Ages: 7+ · Difficulty: medium · Time: 1–2 hours

This project is based on “Flower Vendor,” a painting by the Mexican painter Diego Rivera. You need: cardboard, aluminum foil, acrylic paint, a paintbrush, a mixing palette, and a printed copy of the painting.

1. Cover a piece of cardboard with foil and smooth it flat.
2. Tape the printed painting on top and trace the main lines with a pencil, pressing firmly so they emboss the foil.
3. Remove the print and paint over the lines with acrylics.
4. Let it dry before hanging.

The foil gives the painting a shiny, metallic look. Find the full step-by-step process on woojr.com.

2. Diego Rivera Watermelon Art

Ages: 6+ · Difficulty: easy · Time: 30–45 minutes

Watermelon is an everyday treat in Mexico, and it was a favorite subject of Diego Rivera. You need: heavy paper, pencil, and paint or oil pastels in red, pink, green, black, and white.

1. Sketch a large slice of watermelon filling the page.
2. Paint the red flesh, then blend a little pink and white near the rind.
3. Add the green rind and black seeds.

It’s good practice for blending colors while keeping the shapes simple. Learn more about Diego Rivera Watermelon Art on thelaughingzebra.com.

3. Mother’s Helper Art

Ages: 5+ · Difficulty: easy · Time: 45 minutes

This scene shows a little girl helping her mother sell flowers, inspired by Diego Rivera. You need: purple or dark construction paper and oil pastels.

1. Draw two simple figures with big shapes, one tall and one small.
2. Add a basket and lots of flowers.
3. Color in with oil pastels, pressing hard for bold color.

Learn the step-by-step process on deepspacesparkle.com.

4. Frida Kahlo Inspired Self-Portrait for Kids

Ages: 8+ · Difficulty: medium · Time: 45–60 minutes

Frida Kahlo is one of the best-known Mexican artists, and her self-portraits often include flowers and animals. You need: a black-and-white photocopy of a photo showing just the face, paint or oil pastels, and a pencil.

1. Glue the photocopied face onto thick paper.
2. Draw a flower crown and leaves around the head.
3. Add colorful birds or butterflies.
4. Color the background and flowers with bright paint.

Learn how to create the project on woojr.com.

5. Copycat of Diego Rivera’s Peasants

Ages: 7+ · Difficulty: medium · Time: 45–60 minutes

Copying a master painting is a classic way to learn. You need: white paper, brushes, and simple paint colors. It doesn’t need to be perfect.

1. Look closely at the painting and sketch the big shapes first.
2. Block in the main colors.
3. Add details like faces, hats, and clothing patterns last.

Find out more about the Peasants on learncreatelove.com.

6. Frida Kahlo Coloring Page

Ages: 7+ · Difficulty: easy · Time: about 1 hour

A coloring page of Frida Kahlo lets kids learn about the artist while they work. You need: the printable page, black paper (or the printed page), and oil pastels.

1. Print the coloring page, or use it as a guide to draw on black paper.
2. Color the face, clothing, and flowers with oil pastels.
3. Keep the black paper showing in places for a rich look.

Head over to artprojectsforkids.org to download the page.

Day of the Dead painting ideas

Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday on November 1–2 for remembering loved ones who have died. It’s a celebration, not a Halloween costume, so it’s worth sharing that background with kids before they paint a skull.

7. Sugar Skull Painting

Ages: 6+ · Difficulty: easy · Time: 30–45 minutes

You need: white watercolor paper, crayon or waterproof black marker, watercolors, and a brush.

1. Draw a large skull shape with a marker or crayon.
2. Add flowers, swirls, and dots around the eyes and forehead.
3. Paint each shape with a different watercolor, since the marker or crayon keeps the colors from running together.

It’s also a nice color-mixing exercise. Learn how to make sugar skull paintings on deepspacesparkle.com.

8. Day of the Dead Stone Skulls

Ages: 6+ (not for children under 3, because small stones are a choking hazard) · Difficulty: easy · Time: 30–60 minutes plus drying

You need: smooth, flat stones, acrylic paint, brushes, and a white paint pen or fine brush.

1. Paint the stone white and let it dry.
2. Paint black eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
3. Add flowers and patterns with bright colors.

Families sometimes make these as part of Day of the Dead remembrance. You’ll find instructions at hodgepodgecraft.com.

9. Day of the Dead Planters

Ages: 8+ · Difficulty: easy · Time: 45 minutes plus drying

You need: terra cotta pots, acrylic paint, brushes, and a clear sealer (use outdoors).

1. Paint the pot white or a bright base color.
2. Add skull faces and flowers.
3. Seal with an outdoor sealer and add a plant. The leaves look like hair.

Visit Creative Kismet for a tutorial.

10. Dollar Store Rhinestone Sugar Skull

Ages: 10+ (rhinestones are a choking hazard for young children) · Difficulty: medium · Time: 1 hour

You need: a ceramic or plastic skull, rhinestones, craft glue, and acrylic paint.

1. Paint the skull in bright colors, or leave it white.
2. Glue rhinestones around the eyes and in flower shapes.
3. Let it dry fully before handling.

Visit Mad in Crafts to learn how to make this one.

Mexican folk art painting projects

11. Symmetrical Floral Designs

Ages: 4+ · Difficulty: easy · Time: 20–30 minutes

Mexican folk art often uses bright flowers in balanced patterns. You need: paper, a pencil, and paint or markers.

1. Fold a sheet of paper in half and draw half a flower along the fold.
2. Trace over it with a dark marker or crayon.
3. Flip and trace the other side, or cut it out and trace around it.
4. Fill with bright colors.

Find out how on deepspacesparkle.com.

12. Symmetry for Little Kids Art Project

Ages: 3+ · Difficulty: easy · Time: 15–20 minutes

You need: paper, washable paint, and a brush.

1. Fold a piece of paper in half and open it.
2. Paint half a butterfly or flower on one side.
3. Fold the paper closed, press, and open it to reveal the matching side.

Check kidminds.org to learn all about the project.

13. Emboss Painting “Hojalata” Mexican Tin Art

Ages: 8+ with adult help · Difficulty: medium · Time: 1 hour

Hojalata means “tin” in Spanish, and punched or stamped tin is a Mexican folk craft. You need: a thin metal or foil-tin sheet, a dull pencil or stylus, a soft pad underneath, and acrylic or permanent marker for color.

1. Place the sheet on a soft pad (like a folded towel).
2. Press a design into it with a blunt pencil.
3. Paint over the raised design with acrylic paint.

Thin metal sheets can have sharp edges, so an adult should fold or tape the edges first. Find out more at tuggunmommy.com.

14. Amate Bark Painting

Ages: 6+ · Difficulty: easy · Time: 30–45 minutes

Amate paper is traditionally made from tree bark by the Otomi people of San Pablito, in the Sierra de Puebla, and painted with birds and flowers. You need: tan paper, tempera paints, and a black marker. Crumple the paper and flatten it to make it look like bark.

1. Crumple and flatten the paper to soften it.
2. Draw birds and flowers with a black marker.
3. Fill the shapes with bright tempera paint.

Find out how on deepspacesparkle.com.

15. Mexican Yarn Painting

Ages: 10+ · Difficulty: harder · Time: 1–2 hours

Yarn painting is a traditional craft of the Huichol (Wixárika) people, who press colored yarn into boards coated with wax and resin. This craft version uses glue. You need: a cardboard or wood base, white glue, yarn, and scissors.

1. Draw a simple design, such as a sun, bird, or flower.
2. Spread glue along a small section of the lines.
3. Press yarn into the glue and fill the shape, working one color at a time.

It’s fiddly for younger kids, but teens and adults will enjoy it. Learn how to make it at auntannie.com.

16. Mexican Mirrors

Ages: 8+ with adult help · Difficulty: medium · Time: 45–60 minutes

These are inspired by decorative tin mirrors seen at Mexican markets. You need: construction paper, copper or foil tooling sheet, sequins, glue, markers or paint, and a pencil.

1. Draw a large circle and paint or color rings of patterns around it.
2. Cut a smaller circle from the tooling sheet and glue it in the center as the mirror.
3. Decorate with sequins and paint.

Metal foil edges can be sharp, so an adult should cut and smooth them. Learn how at paintedpaperart.com.

17. DIY Mexican Painted Planters

Ages: 7+ · Difficulty: easy · Time: 45 minutes plus drying

You don’t need a kiln. Painted terra cotta pots look great with Mexican folk art patterns. You need: a terra cotta pot, acrylic paint, brushes, and clear sealer.

1. Sketch flowers and patterns lightly with a pencil.
2. Paint a base color, then add the flowers and borders.
3. Seal if the pot will be outside.

Find out more at ilovetocreateblog.blogspot.com.

Flowers, fruit, and landscapes

18. Fruit Crate Art Project

Ages: 4+ · Difficulty: easy · Time: 30–45 minutes

You need: paper, paint, scissors, and glue.

1. Paint sheets of paper in fruit colors, like orange, red, green, and yellow.
2. When dry, cut them into fruit shapes.
3. Glue the fruit into a basket or crate drawn on another sheet.

It works well as a group project with a full basket. See how at deepspacesparkle.com.

19. Field of Tulips Q-Tip Painting

Ages: 4+ (supervise young children with cotton swabs) · Difficulty: easy · Time: 20–30 minutes

Dot painting with household items replaces brushes. You need: a canvas or heavy paper, acrylic paint, cotton swabs, and a paint palette.

1. Paint a sky and a green field with a brush.
2. Dip a swab in paint and dot rows of tulips.
3. Add stems and leaves with a brush.

Learn more at projectswithkids.com.

20. Stone Cactus

Ages: 6+ (not for under 3) · Difficulty: easy · Time: 30 minutes

Cacti are everywhere in the Mexican desert landscape. You need: flat stones, acrylic paint in several greens and white, and brushes.

1. Paint the stone in a base green.
2. Add lighter and darker green stripes and white dots for spines.
3. Paint a small pot or flowers on top, if you like.

Visit The Whoot for a step-by-step guide.

21. Acrylic Pouring

Ages: 10+ · Difficulty: medium · Time: 30 minutes plus drying

In 1936 the Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros ran an experimental workshop in New York where artists poured paint and let it mix, a method he called a “controlled accident.” Modern acrylic pouring is a related, much later craft. You need: fluid acrylics or paint plus pouring medium, plastic cups, a canvas, and a tray.

1. Choose 3–4 colors and thin each with pouring medium.
2. Pour the colors onto the canvas in layers.
3. Tilt the canvas so the colors flow together, then let it dry flat for 24 hours.

It’s messy, so cover the table. Check out how to do acrylic pouring on stepbysteppainting.net.

22. Mayan Temple

Ages: 6+ · Difficulty: easy · Time: 30–45 minutes

The Maya built stone temples in southern Mexico and Central America. A downloadable gridded page helps kids draw and paint one. You need: the printable page, pencil, and paint or markers.

1. Print the gridded page and copy it square by square onto paper.
2. Outline the steps and doorway.
3. Paint the temple and jungle background.

Find the guide by artprojectsforkids.org, or Art Projects for Kids.

23. Aztec Sun

Ages: 4+ · Difficulty: easy · Time: 30 minutes

The Aztec Sun Stone is a famous carved stone from Mexico, and a sun face is easy to paint. You need: a paper plate, paint in red, orange, yellow, green, and white, and craft supplies.

1. Paint the plate yellow or orange.
2. Add a face in the center and rays or patterns around the edge.
3. Use green, white, and red accents to echo the Mexican flag.

Check out the tutorial at Crayola.

Cinco de Mayo and party painting crafts

24. Sombrero and Poncho Art Project

Ages: 4+ · Difficulty: easy · Time: 30–45 minutes

You need: paper, scissors, glue, and bright paint.

1. Cut a hat and a poncho or tunic shape from paper.
2. Paint stripes, zigzags, and dots in bright colors.
3. Glue them onto a background or a paper figure.

Ponchos and sombreros are traditional clothing, so use the project to talk about where they come from. Visit deepspacesparkle.com for more.

25. Mexican Paper Bag Sarape

Ages: 3+ with help · Difficulty: easy · Time: 30 minutes plus drying

You need: a paper grocery bag, washable paint in yellow, red, and green, scissors, and a stapler (adult use only).

1. Cut a head hole and a front opening in the bag (an adult should do the cutting).
2. Paint zigzags, dots, and stripes.
3. Let it dry, then staple any rough edges (adult only).

Visit Learn Create Love to learn how. For more paper bag crafts, visit craftwhack.com.

26. Footprint Chili Pepper

Ages: 2+ with an adult · Difficulty: easy · Time: 20 minutes

You need: washable, non-toxic red paint, a tray, paper, and black and white paint for details.

1. Brush red paint on the sole of the foot (an adult can help).
2. Press the foot onto paper, then wash off right away and watch for slips.
3. When dry, add a green stem and a face, arms, and legs.

Get the tutorial at Fun Handprint Art Blog.

27. Paper Plate Maracas

Ages: 4+ (not for under 3) · Difficulty: easy · Time: 30 minutes

You need: two paper plates, dry beans or rice, a stapler or glue, tape, and paint.

1. Paint the plates and let them dry.
2. Put a small handful of beans between them.
3. Glue or staple the edges shut, and tape the seam so beans can’t spill out.

Loose beans are a choking hazard, so check the seal. Visit Busy Bee Kids Crafts for a tutorial.

28. Mexican Mask

Ages: 6+ with an adult cutting the eyeholes · Difficulty: easy · Time: 30 minutes

You need: a paper plate, colored paper, paint, scissors, and elastic or a craft stick.

1. Hold the plate up to the face and mark where the eyes go.
2. An adult cuts out the eyeholes with scissors.
3. Paint and decorate, then attach a craft stick or elastic.

Get the tutorial from Jump Start.

29. Mexican Flag

Ages: 3+ · Difficulty: easy · Time: 20 minutes

The Mexican flag has three vertical stripes: green, white, and red, with an emblem in the center. You need: a printable flag or white paper, and green and red paint.

1. Paint or color the left stripe green and the right stripe red.
2. Leave the middle white, and add the emblem with a marker.

Visit Kids Activities Blog to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is colorful Mexican art called?

It’s usually called Mexican folk art, or arte popular. It includes amate bark painting, Huichol yarn painting, alebrijes, Talavera pottery, and papel picado.

What are 10 popular painting styles?

Ten popular styles are realism, impressionism, expressionism, abstract, surrealism, cubism, pop art, minimalism, folk art, and pointillism. Mexican painting touches several, from the murals of Diego Rivera to the self-portraits of Frida Kahlo.

Who are some famous Mexican artists today?

Gabriel Orozco, Pedro Reyes, Teresa Margolles, and Betsabée Romero are well-known contemporary Mexican artists, working in photography, sculpture, installation, and more. Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, whose work inspires many projects here, were active in the 20th century.

What is Mexico’s signature color?

Mexican pink, or rosa mexicano, a vivid purplish pink, is widely seen as a symbol of Mexican identity. Designer Ramón Valdiosera helped popularize it after a 1949 show in New York, and architect Luis Barragán used it in his buildings.

What color is associated with Mexico?

Green, white, and red are the colors of the Mexican flag. Bright, saturated colors, including pink, turquoise, and yellow, also appear throughout Mexican folk art.

What are easy Mexican painting ideas for kids?

Start with symmetrical flowers, a Diego Rivera watermelon, a painted fruit crate, or amate bark birds. All use basic supplies and take under 45 minutes.

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