Handcrafted Spirit Bracelets - An Easy School Fundraiser Idea!

This school spirit craft fundraiser post was sponsored by Oriental Trading Company.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Our twins started 5th grade this fall, which is a year filled with many field trips.  There are also yearbooks, a graduation ceremony, a graduation party, the class gift to the school, and the gifts to all the 5th grade teachers.  Since money is tight for many of the families at our school, we are trying to raise as much money as possible to minimize the cost of all of the above for the families.

My daughter and I wanted to do our part.  Since we're both pretty crafty, I had the idea to make spirit bracelets in the school colors to sell at the Fall fair at school.  I found everything I needed at Oriental Trading Company with the exception of the P, R, and S beads.

The bracelets made of Crystal Bicone Beads and Cut Crystal Round Beads were a huge hit!  If you charged $6.00 for one or 2/$10.00, you would make approximately $4 per bracelet to support your cause.  We tried to make a variety of styles, adding Bow Charms and Star Beads here and there. You could easily charge more based on how much your community would be willing to spend.

We also made lots of Pony Bead Spirit Bracelets.  You could sell these for $3.00 each or 2/$5.00, making approximately $2.30 per bracelet on behalf of your cause.  Be sure to use clear stretchy cording for added durability since some of these will be worn by children.

Presentation is everything!  I truly believe that we would not have sold as many bracelets if we had not created an eye-catching display.  All I did was add our school colors to the base of a Black and White Wishing Tree Centerpiece.  Although this inexpensive tree was made of lightweight cardboard, it was sturdy enough to hang a few bracelets on the branches, and it was easy to transport because it folds flat.

Bonus Fundraising Idea . . . 

One of the easiest donations to obtain for a raffle is free classes.  It doesn't cost a martial arts, dance, or fitness studio anything to add one more person to their class for a few weeks.  Plus, they have the opportunity to impress a potential new student.

It's great when people buy one raffle ticket, but even better when they buy more than one, right?  Why not offer a small thank you gift to those buying more than one raffle ticket?  Just a little something so that they don't leave empty-handed.  These Ninja Mini Prisms, for example, cost about $0.13 each.  A parent could walk away with a happy child if you had a small toy like these to hand out, while you just sold 2 or 3 raffle tickets instead of just one.

What tips do you have for a successful school fundraiser?

Share them with us in a comment here.

Shop 'n' Share: Boys Silver Shark Tooth Necklaces

Awhile ago, both my sons expressed interest in having necklaces after they saw their sister receive their first necklace. In fact, I think it was last Easter. So for almost a year, I had been searching for the right necklaces for my two sons. I wanted them to be boyish and still match with most everything. I had a really hard time finding anyone who made boys necklaces small enough for preschoolers and kindergartners in a style that was not too babyish.

I finally came across these Boys Surfer Shark Tooth Necklaces made with Heishi wooden beads plus a sterling silver shark tooth charm, lobster claw clasp, and extender. These are made and sold by the Etsy shop owner of Butterfly Gem and sell for $17 each plus shipping. The owner Alicia was very nice to deal with and she helped me figure out what sizes I needed for each boy. The extenders make these necklaces adjustable and should last for quite a few years if my sons take good care of them.

We ended up giving these necklaces to both our boys in January for their birthdays. Our 3yr old was thrilled to have the same necklace as his big brother.

This shopping experience was based on a purchase I made personally. I was not compensated in anyway for sharing this experience with my readers.