Having students make things to sell for school fundraising is a great way to help them grow into good community members.
It instills a sense of responsibility and compassion for doing something for the greater good. You will be inspiring a generation to be generous and empathetic.
Once you pique the students’ interests for a worthy cause, there is no stopping their creativity.
In this article, we will look at ideas that students can use to make things to sell and raise money for their schools
Homemade Crafts
Students can use their art skills to make homemade crafts for people to add that decorative touch to their lives. These items can be anything from beaded necklaces, wristbands, or wall hangings.
Alternatively, you can wrangle your talented students together and have them make things like note cards or Christmas cards, hold a sale, and invite community members.
They will be proud of their efforts since it will be for a great cause.
Decorated Cupcakes
Everyone loves a tasty cupcake.
Students can organize a cupcake decorating competition and then sell the decorated delicacies to friends, family, and neighbors.
All they need are cupcakes, creams, and decorating items. The school can help attract a wider audience by using its website and social media pages to popularize the event.
Alternatively, students can take photos of their best decorations and post them online for people to ‘vote’ for their favorite decorations with a donation.
Lemonade
Lemonade and the hot summer weather are a match made in heaven. Students can take advantage of the sweltering conditions and make lemonade, set up lemonade stands, and sell them to people in their neighborhood. The best thing is lemonade is cheap and easy to make. It is an easy way for them to raise money.
Old Book Sale
Well, this is not something that students can make, but they could still sell the books they have already read. A book sale is an excellent idea as it will encourage a reading culture among the students.
Students can ask their friends to chip in with old books they are no longer using and raise money by selling them in their community. Such a book sale can also be held at school. Even better, the remaining books can be taken to the school library.
Gift Wrapping
Students can raise money for their school by offering gift wrapping services. The school can lend a helping hand by setting up a stall in the neighborhood with flyers describing the cause. Community members will be more than willing to support the cause.
Carved Pumpkins
A pumpkin carving party is an excellent way of raising funds. Students can either organize a pumpkin carving party and charge a small fee for participants or sell the carved Halloween pumpkins. It doesn’t require a lot of resources, and it is an opportunity to bring students, family, and the community together for a worthy cause.
Recipe Book
Students can team together to create a recipe book that they can then sell to their family, friends, and community. They only need to contribute their best family recipes and put them together in one book. It is a simple and easy idea that can potentially help students raise money.
Artwork
Like homemade crafts, students can showcase their artworks in an event where attendees bid for the artwork, with the proceeds helping to fund your school’s initiative. This kind of event can easily be organized in the school. You can even turn the art gallery into a competition among classes to see who will come up with the best artwork.
Bake Sale
This one will put the students’ culinary skills to the test. They can bake a tray of sweet delicacies and hold a bake sale at school, in the community, or populated areas in their neighborhoods. It is impossible not to sell baked goods. They will fly off the table as soon as they are placed there.
Alternatively, students can offer to deliver these sweet treats to buyers’ homes.
DIY Bath Salts or Bath Bombs
Bath products are gorgeous and easy for students to make, making them perfect items to sell and raise money. This idea is particularly attractive to elementary school students. Bonus; they are always in high demand and liked by everyone, from kids to adults. Students can scent them with essential oils to increase demand.
Tie-Dye Items
Students can appeal to buyers’ love for colorful crafts by making tie-dye items. These could be handkerchiefs, canvas bags, tie-dye school t-shirts, etc.
This tie-dye kit can help students make 5 shirts for the cost of $12 (t-shirts included). If each t-shirt can fetch anything from $10-$14, they will have made a handsome profit.
Sun Catchers
Suncatchers are attractive, easy to make, and are perfect gifts. There are also many ways of making them, and students can tap into their creative sides to make them as eye-catching as possible.
For younger students, sun catchers in big kits are easier to make. Either way, students will have fun making and selling them.
Recycled Craft Items
Recycled craft items, especially if they are useful, are an excellent idea for students looking to raise money for school fundraisers.
Recycled soda bottle animal planters, for instance, would be a great idea.
Empty soda bottles are easy to find (from friends and family). Students can then get some Dollar Tree supplies and create a good project.
They are cost-effective and eco-friendly, which is a significant selling point.
Scrunchies
Scrunchies are surprisingly easy to make, even for students in the lower grades. They also don’t require much in terms of resources. They can quickly sell for twice or thrice the amount used to make them.
If students can make them in bright, funky colors and patterns, they would be an instant hit with buyers. Even better, why not make them in school-themed colors?
Final Word
All the above are great ideas for simple things that students can make and raise money.
They require minimal adult supervision. We hope they will inspire your students to participate in their school’s fundraising drives.
