In its most basic form, free art can be created by simply drawing in the dirt with a stick. Most budding and more experienced artists, however, may want to use a simple pencil or pen and paper to draw their creation. Freehand art projects such as these could be mere doodles, could be stuck to a refrigerator or could end up framed and hanging on a wall as a treasured piece. The same could be accomplished with paint and paper.
Kids almost always enjoy art projects and there is a never-ending supply of ideas for kids to try. One of the most well-known is the "turkey hand," in which a child traces around his hand and fingers to make the shape of a turkey. Draw feathers and a bright red head for more fun. Cereal box buildings are easy to make. Cut "windows" and "doors" in empty cereal boxes, glue paper on all sides of the box and decorate your "building," then use pieces of other cereal boxes to add roofs, railings, steps, and so on.
Many seemingly useless household items can be used to create free art projects. If you have empty glass bottles and/or jars that are doing little but gathering dust, find colorful ways to display them. Use marbles to fill them with color, place them in front of a window and let sunshine add to the art. When rolls of paper towels are empty, save the cardboard inner rolls for art projects. Get creative with glue and tape, creating human-like figures and other shapes from the rolls.
Many communities, schools and public organizations invite artists -- veterans, as well as beginners -- to create art in public spaces. These can include painting a decorative or historical scene on the side of a public building, helping a professional artist create a large piece of sculpture and similar projects. Some communities place objects made of concrete or a similar material in several locations and invite artists to paint/decorate them. This has been done in Chicago with cows, in South Dakota with bison and moose in Toronto.