Not all art projects are based on creating new art. Some art projects involve art history and interpretation. Young kids may not be capable of advanced research, but they can appreciate significance of great works of Catholic art. Assign one piece of classical Catholic art to each student in the class as a research project. Once they receive their assignment, the students have to go on the Internet and find out who created the art and for what purpose, using official Catholic resources as well as educational websites. Once the students have completed their research, they may present it in text or through a speech.
Just because Catholicism has inspired so much high art over the centuries, doesn't mean that students can't create their own meaningful Catholic-inspired work as well. If you are teaching a class of Catholic students in a Catholic school or church school, one way of getting them to connect with their faith is to have them draw their own paintings based on the prompt "what does Catholicism mean to you?"
Catholic art projects are not limited to painting and drawing. Some of the world's best known sculptures are Catholic and/or Christian in origin. If your students prefer crafts to drawing and painting, you can give them the option of doing a Catholic art project based on craft work. One idea for a Catholic craft project is to make jewelry based on chains with crucifixes attached. To complete this project, students can carve the crucifix shape out of a block of wood, then attach the crucifix to an existing chain using a small nail.
The history of Catholic architecture dates back almost as far as the history of Catholicism. Catholic churches, much like places of worship in other religions, are known for their imposing exteriors and intricate carvings. Assign students an art project on Catholic architecture. In this project, students can draw a picture or make a painting of a Catholic cathedral of their own choosing. Once they have completed their picture/painting, you can ask them why they chose the cathedral they chose, and why that cathedral was important to Catholicism.