Laurel Burch was an artist who fought through adversities & ended up shining through art.Learn more about her with these Laurel Burch Art Projects for Kids.

“I live within the vivid colors of my imagination, soaring with rainbow-feathered birds, racing the desert winds on horseback, wrapped in ancient tribal jewels, dancing with mythical tigers in steamy jungles.“

Imagine this – a single mother of two toddlers, with estranged parents, suffering from a debilitating bone disease and surviving on welfare. This sounds like a recipe for disaster, but that’s because we’re thinking of a regular person. But if you consider American artist Laurel Burch in this scenario, you’ll know that the way the story ends is a resounding success.

Dealt with a tough hand, Laurel Burch had every reason to feel sorry for herself and fall into the welfare system, but she worked her way out of it. She wasn’t an artist to begin with, but as she looked for ways to live, she began collecting old coins, buttons and random objects and started turning them into jewelry. She sold them from the street, keeping the jewelry in a fishing tackle box. Hardly a start for a business empire.

Even this wasn’t easy, since Laurel’s bones were so brittle they would snap at the slightest injury, and she suffered over 100 fractures in her lifetime. But Laurel’s unique work began to catch attention and soon she started manufacturing on a large scale and became president and chief designer of her own company. How’s that for a rags to riches story?

The story of Laurel Burch proves that if you have the will to work, nothing can stop you – not poverty, not disease, nothing. This is a great lesson for kids to learn and they’re going to have a lot of fun doing it with Laurel Burch Art Projects for Kids! These projects reflect Laurel’s love for color, and are sure to be a hit with kids!

10 Laurel Burch Art Projects for Kids

1. Laurel Burch Line Cats

Every child’s first drawing is made of squiggles and lines, and now they can be put to good use! Elements of the Art Room show us how to make Laurel Burch cats with lines and simple curves.

2. Laurel Burch Cat Drawing

Want to create a cat drawing that looks very similar to that of Laurel Burch? You can, thanks to Art Projects for Kids! They have step by step instructions to draw your very own Laurel Burch cat.

3. Mythical Horses Inspired Art Lesson

Along with cats, horses were also a favorite with Laurel Burch. Create Art with Me beautifully recreates Laurel’s style, with an art project dominated by patterns – inside the picture as well as on the frame.

4. Laurel Burch Cat Paper Collage

You can create a Laurel Burch cat out of paper – just check out this fun project from Deep Space Sparkle! All you need is craft paper in bright colors and you’re all set to make your own colorful cat.

5. Laurel Burch Chalk Pastel Horses

This chalk pastel project from Small Hands Big Art has a beautiful, dreamy quality to it, and we love how they’ve used Laurel Burch’s color palette. The use of chalk will be a good experience for kids used to watercolor.

6. Laurel Burch 3D Craft

Make yourself a Laurel Burch cat to sit on your desk! Paper Blog has a printable template that you can download and print for free. Then all you need to do is paint it a la Burch and assemble your cat.

7. Popsicle Stick Laurel Burch Craft

Meri Cherry’s Laurel Burch cat project is quite innovative! You paint Popsicle sticks and then put them together like a puzzle. This will require a bit of thinking and the kids will love the challenge.

8. Laurel Burch Inspired Cats Art

This is another interesting way to draw a Burch style cat. The Talking Walls first creates a patterned background and frame, and then a patterned cat separately. You can then fix the cat to the frame using double sided tape for a 3D effect.

9. Laurel Burch Fantastic Felines

Art with Katie has detailed instructions on making your own patterned Laurel Burch feline. Here the background is left plain to put the focus on the cat and its patterns.

10. Laurel Burch Design a Cat

Who would’ve thought you could design a cat! Well, thanks to Laurel Burch, it’s not such a strange idea anymore! Check out Studio Rose who designs a cat in two themes – sun and moon.

With these art projects, kids will appreciate the use of color in all of Laurel Burch’s works. Explain how her work is used in jewelry, apparel and home furnishings all around the world today. Laurel Burch’s life is an example of how you can find color in the grayest situations, and use it to turn your life around!