Sticky Note Pixel Art Project- With Printable Templates

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I am sure you have heard of pixel art, but have you ever tried Sticky Note Pixel Art? This is a project that combines math and art in such a fun way!

What Is Pixel Art?

Pixel art is art that is arranged in a square grid. It is build block by block and is used to create 2D images.  Pixel art is reminiscent of early video games. Minecraft is a style of pixel art that kids will be most familiar with these days. Most often pixel art is digital art created on a computer. 

While video games are likely what gave it popularity, it’s actually been around much longer in different forms. Mosaics made from tiles are the earliest form of pixel art. Embroidery work with a needle and thread is another form of ancient pixel art.  

How to Do Sticky Note Pixel Art

Sticky note pixel art is a fun project to do in a group or alone. I did it at home with my daughter, but then I also used it as a group project in a class I teach for my homeschool co-op. There were 5 or 6 kids per picture working together. They loved it and were so excited to figure out the mystery pictures. 

All you will need for this sticky note pixel art project is some pixel art templates (download them below) and a bunch of sticky notes. You will also need a large canvas! We used walls. 

I made a set of pixel art templates you can use to make this pixel art project simpler. You can use them as pixel art coloring pages, too.  But, in this post I am going to show you how to build  larger images with sticky notes on a wall as a blank canvas like we did.

This free printable set has 5 different pictures: a donut, a rocket, a fox, a hot air balloon and a butterfly. 

Download the Sticky Note Pixel Art Templates Now!

I bought a big bulk box of sticky notes that will be enough for a whole classroom of kids to make pixel art pictures!  This pack came with 48 notepads each one containing 100 sheets. I bought another pack as well that had purple and a few more colors so we could have some color variety.

Walmart also has some great ones you can buy in store or online in bulk. 

For the pixel art grid pictures, I assigned each color a number. With sticky notes not having a huge color variety, I coordinated all of these pictures with commonly available colors. These work just like a color by number picture, except you build the pictures on the wall using the sticky notes. One sticky note represents one square on the grid pictures. 

I made two different sizes of pictures. A few are 10×10 and a few are 15×15. The 10×10 pictures are quicker and easier to complete than the 15×15 pictures. 

We tried it two different ways. One time we started the pictures at the bottom of the wall lining up with the baseboard.  This was great for accuracy. But the paper’s stick up more.

Another group in our class started from the side, overlapping each of the sticky notes.  This worked really well because it kept the papers flat.  However it’s a little trickier to get straight lines.

You can also create a straight line to follow with some masking tape if you think your kids need it. No matter which way you start, it’s best to do one line at a time. 

 These mystery pictures are so much fun to build and figure out as you create them.  I really hope you’ll give it a try!

Pixel Art = Math Art

This sticky note pixel art project is tons of fun, but also educational. It is a math-art project that teaches counting and symmetry. Kids need to count to check the accuracy of their images as they build them. Also many pixel art pictures are symmetrical.  

Have kids create their own images.  Use a blank grid and let them design an image to build or color. They can then challenge each other to build and guess the images they make. 

Check out my Math Art Book for more Math Art related projects!

Also check out Amazing Math Art Projects for Kids