I've previously helped with two good sized silent auctions for our MOPS group back in IA. I immediately had a vision in my head of how I wanted this auction to look, mostly based on the school colors of red and black. Since a friend of mine (shout out to Heather Southammavong, now living in Jacksonville, FL!) had made centerpieces for our last MOPS auction using wine bottles painted with chalkboard paint, which she then decorated with beautiful different fonts saying, "Thank You," I decided to steal her general idea.
At our first silent auction meeting, I gathered that each teacher had been asked to donate some sort of class room item. Some were special outings that students could go on with their teacher. But the items that have been most popular in the past were handcrafted items such as platters with all of the students' thumbprints or a rocking chair hand painted by the students. I jumped on this and threw out my (possibly crazy) idea of having each class sign a bottle that could then be auctioned.
Honestly, as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I was apprehensive. Was I nuts? There are 24 classes in this elementary. I'd have to contact all of the teachers and figure out when it would be most convenient for me to disrupt their class to have all of their students sign a bottle. I would have to somehow attempt to not let students smear or smudge the names their classmates had already written on the bottle. It all looked so simple in my head. Not so simple in reality... Have I mentioned that I am creative, but not so much crafty? (I have, actually... "Creative vs. Crafty")
A part of me hoped that the school principal would veto the project. Instead, he happily took the idea to a staff meeting where he claimed "everyone was on board with it." Sigh. I started begging neighbors for wine bottles, soaking them in soapy water to remove the labels, and painting with the chalkboard paint. I sketched out designs for each grade and drew them on the bottles. Then I began by asking my children's home room teachers if I could use their classes as guinea pigs. Those classes went pretty well. I was in and out in under 10 minutes with no major smearing of the chalk pen. But, those were 2nd and 5th grade classes. I dreaded watching kindergarten and 1st graders try to write small enough to allow for all signatures to fit.
This was where I gratefully took up two other PTA members' offers to help. I "let" my neighbor Lana handle the kindergarten rooms (her oldest is in K, so she was willing to do so), and my friend Wendy took on the 1st grade rooms. It was a huge weight off my shoulders, and I was happy to take care of the other four grades. Of course, at least one student was absent from all but a single class when the bottles were signed. I gave the teachers the option of having me come back in a second time to catch the missing names or to have me write them on myself. They were split about 50/50. Last Monday all bottles were completely signed!
All that was left was for me to clean up the smudges, tie on ribbons, spray paint some twigs, and tuck the bottles in the boxes that will transport them to the auction in a couple weeks. I finished it all up this afternoon! I'll be adding a single white daisy to each bottle the day of the auction, and praying that parents are willing to bid a little on them. I think they'll be pretty additions to our tables. I'll add pics from the auction night on here later, but here are the bottles today:
Not sure if I've ever been so relieved to have a project near completion. Can't wait for May 1st!
P.S. Now I should have a little more time to start working on our ABC summer plans. As always, *For those new to my blog, check out the beginnings of ABC Summers here.* :)
