Need ideas for a budget class project for an auction

[StephMK]

I work for a small Catholic school that has an annual auction. The teachers are supposed to create/decorate/make something with their class for the auction. I have no idea what to do and am only borderline crafty. As an example, last year, one of the teachers got an old table from Goodwill & painted a checker board on top w/her students & apparently it was really cute when finished.

Any ideas?

 

[laughinplace199]

Our school used to do this too. One year, we bought two terra cotta planters. We also bought red paint, yellow paint, and a black paint pen (this project was for preschoolers).

On one pot, we had each kid do a red thumbprint. Then they used the black paint pen to make some dots on the red part and some antennae, as well as write their name underneath. When we were done, we had 25 personalized ladybugs on the pot.

Then we did the same thing with yellow paint on the other pot, having the kids make their thumb prints into bumble bees.

When the paint was dry, we sprayed the pots with sealer so the paint wouldn't chip or wash off. They turned out really cute and made a lot of money for our auction.

 

[ekatiel]

Along the same lines as Laughinplace's idea, you can go by one of those "paint your own pottery" places and pick up an item-- a cookie jar, a large platter, a planter, etc. If you explain to them what it's for, those places will usually give you some paints to take to your class and do the project. Then, you can take the item back to the place and they will fire it for you. Another idea I saw once, was a teacher who quilted had each of her kids draw a picture. She had one of those programs where she could print any picture on fabric, so she printed out each picture and quilted them together. It was ADORABLE! You'd have to know someone who's a big quilter, though, to pull that one off! --Katie

 

[scrapquitler]

Can you find out if one of the students has a Mom, Grama or aunt that quilts and would be willing to help have the kids make a quilt? They could do handprints and make it into a class quilt. It could be turned into a whole unit about quilting, integrating math, geometry, art, sewing, history, etc.

 

[StephMK]

Aw, these sound like great ideas! I'll have to check on the quilt option. MIL used to quilt but doesn't anymore. I'd love to do it & have some lessons/books about quilts that would be a great tie in.

If not, maybe a gardening basket of sorts? We could paint the pots & an apron w/handprint flowers and include some other stuff in there.

They are 3rd grade & I'm happy for any & all suggestions. Thanks!!

 

[englishteacha]

What about a no sew fleece blanket? http://www.instructables.com/id/No-Sew-Fleece-Blanket/

 

[scootch]

Items that go well at our Catholic School auctions are things the kids do. Pottery with handprints, if alot of kids, just make small flowers with the kids pinkies, each kid has a different colors. They have also done shutterfly photobooks where the kids write a short story, or what i want to be when I grow up, teachers scan it and put it in the book. Parents will pay oodles for things that have something their kid has on it.

 

[Feckless]

One of the biggest money makers at our kids' school was the Grade 6 project, but it would work with other classes (not as well...) After Grade 6, kids leave the school and then move on to junior high, so a parent in the class took black and white portraits of each child (there were only 20) and also a group shot out in the playground. Then they put them together into a big, framed collage. It went for HUGE money.

We've also done silkscreens that were gorgeous and there was more than one option for the parents to bid on.

We have also done wooden trays with hand prints, then laquered.

 

[torinsmom]

I got a child's wooden rocking chair at AC Moore, paint it white and had each child dip their fingertips in paint and make caterpillars all over it. AFter they dried, I used a dry erase marker to add eyes and antennas to the "head". It was big hit. Another year, we bought a mirror with a wood frame, painted it white, and the kids splattered different colored paint on it.

One idea I would love to do this year is to have the kids lie on white paper and make the letters of the alphabet. You know for T, have one child lie down as the vertical line and one as the horizontal line. I'd take pictures of each "letter" and then make a large print out of it. I would need them all to wear the same color shirts and jeans, I think.