Pallet Art for Elementary School Fundraiser

IMG_0729Every year I get the assignment of creating a MARKETABLE piece of ART to sell at our yearly fundraiser. This year, the assignment was PALLET ART ~ a booming new interest on Pinterest. With a lot of prayer and about 55 5th graders, we created this AMAZING piece of HEART Pallet ART!

If you want this art project to raise money for your school, church, homeschool group . . . follow these step-by-step instructions!
(This art project is not for the weary, but the result is AMAZING! I can’t wait to see what the bidding price is.)
Supplies Needed: 

  • 4 Wooden Pallets, 8 outer stringer pieces, 2 deck pieces
  • White Melamine Shelf Particle Board (Lowes)
  • Saw (Skill Saw and or Circular Saw . . . I also choose a wonderful volunteer to cut, hammer, and glue!) Thank you Geri Pitman!
  • Hammer
  • Nails
  • Pencil
  • Sand Paper, or Electric Sander
  • White Acrylic Paint
  • Paint Brush; one 1″ foam brush, one 3″ paint brush
  • Paper Towels
  • Scripture (I chose 1 Corinthians 13, The “Love” Verse)
  • Fimo Clay (LOTS of COLORS)
  • Toothpicks
  • Plastic Bags
  • Plastic Knives
  • Heart Template (download from this Blog)
  • Oven
  • Cookie Sheet
  • Tinfoil
  • Glue Glun/ Glue
  • Elmers
  • Glitter
  • Epoxy Resin, EnviroTex Lite (found at Michaels) . . . get a coupon, it’s pricey!
  • Alex Ultra, Acrylic Latex Sealant, plue silicone for windows, door trim . . .
  • Caulk gun
  • Heat Gun (optional)
  • Lot of Kids and Vibrant IMAGINATION
    Remove the "outer stringer" wooden pieces from the pallet that have the wheel opening. There are 3 of these per pallet. You will need 8 outer stringers total (collecting from 4 pallets)

     

 

  • Remove the “outer stringer” pieces from the pallet that have the wheel opening. There are 3 of these per pallet. You will need 8 outer stringers total (collecting from 4 pallets).
     

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  • Arrange the 8 boards together and draw a heart in the middle. Make sure you number the back of the boards before you cut out the heart.

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  • Taking each board, cut out the pencil outlined “heart” with a hand saw. Sand ALL the boards (Pallet wood is very “raw.”) Using a “deck board” from one of your patters, measure a top and bottom piece to nail on. Your art is going to resemble a shutter.

Now for the FUN PART! Get LOTS of colors of Fimo clay (or another baking clay) and set out the colors for the kids to make hearts. Download the heart template to get the sizes that I used for the kids. They actually put the clay on top of the paper to get the shape. The design is up to them! I provided some examples.

  • Now for the FUN PART! Get LOTS of colors of Fimo clay (or another baking clay) and set out the colors for the kids to make hearts. Use a plastic knife to cut squares for the kids to use. One heart does not take much clay. Make sure they are not too thick and not too thin . . . sounding like “goldilocks” . . . just right. Download the heart template to get the sizes that I used for the kids. They actually put the clay on top of the paper to get the shape. The design is up to them! I provided some examples. I also gave them toothpicks to make texture in their designs.

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  • After you have ALL your HEARTS, (we probably made about 150), set them on a cookie sheet and set your oven to 200 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes. (Use the baking instructions on the back packaging of your clay.)

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  • Now you are ready to prepare your PALLET! The next steps are not photographed, but I think you will get the “picture!” Ha.
  • White wash your pallet. Simply mix white paint with a small amount of water and brush onto smooth wood. You will have to decide how “white” you want your board. If it is too white, you can rub off the paint with a paper towel, but do it quick!
  • Taking a pencil, write 1 Corinthians 13 on your board. I just free handed ~ make it yours! You could get the kids to do this, too.
  • Glitter the inside of your heart. I used a small sponge brush and painted with glue while sprinkling turquoise glitter.
  • Nail White Melamine Shelf Particle board to the back of the Pallet Art. You WILL have gaps in your “windows.” Using CLEAR latex sealant, caulk these gaps to seal the board to the pallet. Let dry overnight. (Don’t skip the drying time!)

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  • When caulk is dry, glue your hearts into place using a hot glue gun.
  • After the hearts are in place, you are ready for the EPOXY resin! The FUN REALLY BEGINS!
  • Using EnviroTex Lite ~ read the instructions and pour gloss into “windows” and over hearts. I used all 32 ounces. TIP: I mixed the kit in an old milk jug. This worked great and poured evenly! TIP: If you have a heat gun, after you have poured the resin, put the heat over the resin. The heat will POP the air bubbles giving you a perfect PLASTIC look! I did not cover my hearts completely. Let DRY overnight!
  • This upclose picture shows you the look of the resin. Because I sealed the “windows” with clear caulk, the resin did not seep out! Very COOL. Oh, I even caught a knat . . . bottom middle . . . but please don’t tell!

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  • The FINISHED PROJECT! Again, this was not an “easy” project, but the results were extraordinary! Thank you Lord for all the creativity! If you need any help, I’m here to help! I’ll let you know the result of the bidding!  Annie 🙂

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