"Class Creation" Basket for Silent Auction at Bug's School

Saturday, Bug's school will be hosting their annual Fall Festival.  This year, along with scarecrow making, and pumpkin painting, and other Fall fun, they added a silent auction.

The idea was to have each class make a "class creation" to be auctioned off in the silent manner of bidding on paper.  Examples were things like each child's thumbprint on a vase, or a collage of their drawings.  They had to be completed by the end of September since the festival date is (was depending on when you read this) October 4.

Well, you know I jumped at this.  I could make a gourd bowl like I made for Mrs. Huber, only use artwork instead of faces.  Easy peasy.  So I contacted the person in charge, who put me in touch with one of the room moms for Bug's class.  I just happen to have gone to school with this wonderful lady, so we're Facebook friends.  She talked to the other room moms, and they handed me the reins.

I decided to make a basket instead of a bowl.  I cut the the gourd and prepped it for paint.  Then I made an appointment with the teacher and took the gourd basket and a brand new box of washable paint to class one Friday.

I explained to the class what we were going to be doing:  "Each of you will paint a fingerprint flower on the gourd."  Then I set up at a table and called them up one by one while they worked on their regular activities.

I put aside the green paint.  I let each child pick the color they wanted for their flower's petals.  We made the outside of their flower, then they picked a different color for the center.  (Most of the girls picked pink and purple.  Bug was the only one who picked red.)  Then, using a paint brush slathered in green paint, they painted a stem for their flower.  A few added leaves to their stem, and one boy put thorns on his.

I added the teacher's name, the "grade," and the school year to the bottom.

I used decoupage to seal the inside, and sprayed the outside with four coats of clear semi-gloss.  And, wow, did the flowers POP after the clear went on.  The colors were so much more vivid.

I then took a pale green ribbon and wrapped the handle of the basket to add a little flare.  If the handle had been cut straight instead of curved, I could've added a bow at the bottom.  As it was, though, I liked the results.






















Inside, I used thumb tacks to hold the ribbon in place.  This also helped position the ribbon where the curves were forcing it to go in the wrong direction.



















I'm sorry I forgot to get good pictures of the finished gourd before I took it in.  I am very proud of my donation.  I do hope it helps raise a few extra dollars for the school.