When I taught K-8 Art at a small private school, my budget was always, “Spend as little as possible”. But I found ways to make it work and give my students great art experiences despite the shortage of funding. If you're in a similar low-budget (or no-budget!) position, I hope some of these ideas will work for you, too. Here are my 10 favorite ways to save money on … [Read more...]
House Magnet Fundraiser
My students in grades K-7 recently raised over $2,000 using their artistic skills to benefit our local food bank! We adapted this "Houses for Haiti" project (originally inspired by "Haiti Houses") to create charming magnets which we sold for $5 each at our church one Sunday, and we donated all the proceeds to Second Harvest Food Bank. We had so many people asking how they … [Read more...]
Houses for Haiti Lesson Plan
Two amazing teachers in Florida came up with a creative idea to raise money for Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. After discovering their "Haiti Houses" on the internet, I was inspired to try it for myself and make a few changes. Below is my version of this project. Objectives: Students will choose a worthy cause to support, such as supporting an orphanage or rebuilding … [Read more...]
Hand Print Art for Pre-K and Kindergarten
I don't usually post project ideas for Pre-K, since I teach K - 6 (so most of my ideas and resources are for those grades). Special thanks to Denise Harrell, the coordinator for Young Children's World in Abilene, Texas, who submitted these ideas. She used these projects for a Kids Kreations fundraiser and wanted to share them with others who are teaching this age group, as … [Read more...]
Time for Fall FUNdraisers!
Desk clock with student artwork from Kids KreationsSchool has begun, and in these tough economic times, that means school fundraisers are beginning, too! This year, why not try a fundraiser that families will really get excited about??! Kids Kreations specializes in transforming original works of art by kids (or even adults!) into personalized gifts and keepsakes that … [Read more...]
More Quilts!
I wanted to post a few more pictures of the quilts we made using KidsKreations for the printing of our students' artwork. These quilts were amazing, and unfortunately these shots don't really do them justice. I wish I had better pictures of these, but at the time this was the best I could do. But at least this will give you an idea of how we laid them out and used contrasting … [Read more...]
Creative Art Quilts
Homemade quilts are another great fund-raising idea that you can do with KidsKreations! What makes these quilts so charming and unique is that they are made using kids' artwork! I did this with each of my K-6 Art classes and we auctioned them off at our Spring Open House & Art Show. Our quilts were a huge success! Making a quilt is no small undertaking, so before you … [Read more...]
The Ultimate Art FUNdraiser
When I first discovered KidsKreations two years ago, I thought I had struck gold, or at least hit the jackpot! To say this was a great find is an understatement. I'm excited to spread the word about this amazing company!!KidsKreations takes original artwork created by kids (or anyone, for that matter) and reproduces it on your choice of a variety of different products. Not only … [Read more...]