One of the biggest challenges homeschool parents face is fitting fine arts into an already busy schedule. Most of us recognize the value of exposing our children to great artists, beautiful artwork, and creative expression, but finding the time to plan lessons, gather supplies, and teach art can feel overwhelming.
That's why I was excited to sit down with Sarah Harmeling, creator of Homeschool Art Box, on a recent episode of the Music in Our Homeschool Podcast.
Sarah has created a unique solution that helps homeschool families easily include quality art education without the stress and preparation that often causes art to be pushed aside.
Meet Sarah Harmeling
Sarah Harmeling is the founder and creator of Homeschool Art Box. A longtime homeschool mom and art teacher, Sarah developed her curriculum after years of teaching art classes in homeschool co-ops.
As she worked with families, she noticed a common problem. Parents wanted to include art in their homeschool, but many lacked the time, confidence, or supplies needed to make it happen consistently.
That realization led to the creation of Homeschool Art Box.
Sarah's goal was simple: create an open-and-go homeschool art curriculum that makes fine artseducation accessible for homeschool families.
New customers to Homeschool Art Box may use code: WELCOME10 for 10% off any order!
What Is Homeschool Art Box?
Homeschool Art Box is a subscription-based art curriculum that delivers a box each month during the school year.
Each kit for kids box includes:
Lessons about a famous artist
Prints of the artist's work
Guided art appreciation activities
Step-by-step project instructions
All necessary art supplies
Parents don't need to gather materials, pre-read lessons, or prepare projects ahead of time. Everything needed is included in the box for your homeschool art class.
Sarah describes it as an “open-and-go” experience. Families can simply open the box, read through the lesson together, and begin creating.
More Than Just Art Projects
One thing that makes Homeschool Art Box especially valuable is its emphasis on art history.
Rather than simply teaching art techniques, students learn about significant artists and their contributions to the art world.
Throughout the school year, students move chronologically through art history, beginning with Renaissance or early Renaissance artists and progressing toward modern artists.
This approach helps students develop a broader understanding of artistic movements and historical context while enjoying hands-on creative projects.
Exploring Different Art Media
Another feature that sets Homeschool Art Box apart is the variety of art media students experience.
Rather than focusing exclusively on one skill such as drawing or watercolor painting, students are introduced to many different artistic techniques.
Some of the media featured in Homeschool Art Box include:
Oil pastels
Watercolors
Watercolor pencils
Acrylic painting
Collage
Decoupage
Sculpture
Mixed media projects
Sarah explained that each month introduces a different medium, giving students opportunities to experiment and discover what they enjoy most.
This variety keeps art exciting and helps students gain confidence working with different materials.
A Sneak Peek at the Upcoming School Year
Sarah shared several artists featured in the upcoming Homeschool Art Box subscription year.
Students will explore artists including:
Sandro Botticelli
El Greco
Diego Velázquez
John James Audubon
Camille Pissarro
Edvard Munch
Norman Rockwell
Each artist is paired with a hands-on project inspired by themes, techniques, or works associated with that artist.
For example, students may create acrylic paintings, watercolor bird studies, oil pastel projects, collages, and more while learning about the lives and artistic contributions of these famous creators.
Who Is Homeschool Art Box For?
Sarah recommends Homeschool Art Box for students beginning around first grade, depending on fine motor development and attention span.
For younger students, the projects provide an engaging introduction to art appreciation and creativity.
For older students, the historical and artistic connections become even more meaningful. Sarah noted that high school students often recognize links between what they're learning in art and what they're studying in history, science, literature, and worldview courses.
As someone who frequently discusses fine arts credit options with homeschool parents, I was especially interested in this question.
Sarah explained that Homeschool Art Box can serve as an excellent foundation for a high school fine arts elective.
Students already receive:
Artist biographies
Art appreciation lessons
Historical context
Hands-on art projects
Exposure to a wide range of artistic styles
Families who wish to award high school credit can expand the curriculum by adding research projects, artist reports, essays, additional reading, or art journals/portfolios with further projects they create.
Combined with these supplemental activities, Homeschool Art Box could easily become part of a half-credit or full-credit fine arts course.
Great for Homeschool Co-ops Too
Homeschool Art Box isn't limited to individual families.
Sarah shared that many homeschool co-ops successfully use the curriculum as well.
Since each artist study is divided into multiple lesson sections, co-op leaders can spread the content over several meetings. Projects can also be completed in stages across multiple class sessions.
This flexibility makes the program well suited for:
Monthly co-op classes
Weekly co-op meetings
Homeschool enrichment groups
Grandparent-led activities
Family art nights
Why Fine Arts Matter& a Coupon Code!
One of the themes that emerged throughout our conversation was the importance of making fine arts accessible. Too often, art becomes one of those subjects that homeschool parents intend to include but never quite get around to teaching. Life gets busy, supplies are missing, or lesson planning feels overwhelming.
Sarah designed Homeschool Art Box specifically to remove those barriers. By providing the lessons, supplies, instructions, and artist studies in one convenient package, families can spend less time preparing and more time enjoying meaningful art experiences together.
New customers to Homeschool Art Box may use code: WELCOME10 for 10% off any order!
Final Thoughts about Homeschool Art Box and Homeschool Fine Arts
If you've ever wished art education could be simpler, Homeschool Art Box may be exactly what you're looking for.
The combination of art history, artist studies, hands-on projects, and included supplies makes it easy for homeschool families to consistently include fine arts throughout the school year.
I especially love the emphasis on learning about great artists while encouraging creativity and exploration through a variety of artistic media.
Fine arts education doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes all it takes is opening a box and getting started.
Have you used Homeschool Art Box in your homeschool? I'd love to hear about your experience in the comments below!
Freebie: Picture Study Notebooking Pages
Download the Picture Study Notebooking Pages here:
Music in Our Homeschool Plus membership
If you'd like a 15-minute music lesson like this every day in the Music Lesson Calendar of the Month, click here to join the Music in Our Homeschool Plus Membership!
Are you looking for a way to go deeper with art appreciation that’s sequential, relatable, and EASY? Daily Art has got you covered! This done-for-you program combines the ease of Fine Art Pages with the power of video-based learning, all in a very simple format.
