Here were some of the beautiful glass ornaments made by one class at this Catholic school auction.
Some school benefit auctions – especially those schools with younger children – like to sell class projects at their gala. These projects are made by the students with careful supervision by either a committed parent or art teacher.
If your gala is held in the November through December time period, talk with the supervising adult now to suggest that any auction class projects take on a holiday angle. Testing out some winter-y inspired items can add a nice mix to your existing items.
Here are some ideas.
1. Holiday tree ornaments
Ornaments can be made of glass, wood, paper, or other materials, depending on the age of the children.
For older kids, having them work with glass might be your best bet. Glass is always an excellent seller on the classroom art tables. At one event, large glass spheres about 6” across made for beautiful holiday tree ornaments and fit in nicely with the season.
2. Holiday cards
Year round, we sell handmade greeting cards in our school auctions. But as the timing of your event is near the holidays, why not play to that? Parents will soon be sending out holiday cards, so why not have the kids create inspired ones?
Cards can be designed and decorated by very young kids or older ones … the difference will be self-evident. 🙂
3. Trees and wreaths
Trees and wreaths can be decorated by an entire class and sold at the auction. For trees, students can string the lights, make the ornaments, hang them on the tree, and even create the tree-topper. It’s not uncommon to have a theme around the tree. It might be that all the ornaments are blue, or – for Catholic schools – that the tree ties to a theme, like a particular Saint.
For wreaths, the concept is similar, but on a smaller scale.
If you find a company that sells wholesale wreaths, one option could be to commit to buying a certain number of wreaths (20, 30 or more), and have the students decorate them in a similar fashion. At the auction, parents sign-up to buy a wreath at a given price point ($50) that ensures the school makes money beyond the wholesale cost of the wreath.
4. Decorated paper lanterns for the sidewalk
Paper lanterns aren’t such a great idea if you live where 3′ of snow is already on the ground by October, but depending on your latitude, this is a class art project that could work. I’ve seen paper lanterns used along the walkway to light the way for trick-or-treaters, or used during Christmas as a warm accent for the front yard.
5. Platters
Like ornaments, platters can be made of different types of materials. Sticking with a theme — snowmen, Santa, religious icons — for a platter works best. Glass is a popular substance.
School auctions held around the holidays have the unique good-fortune of being able to play off the festive holidays. Bring the seasonal atmosphere into your gala by having the kids make items that remind guests of the upcoming holiday.
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