Remember that cosmetic gift you received last year for Christmas? It ended up in a drawer because you either it wasn’t your color pallet or you hated the fragrance. Instead of simply passing it on to another person or forgetting about it completely, why not gather these gifts for a bigger purpose. Your elementary school can make money with a Cosmetics Re-gifting Fundraiser!
Send out an ‘unopened’ cosmetics SOS to all moms in your school. You can kick the idea up a notch and organize a committee to canvass cosmetic businesses for even more donations. Regular sized or even sample sized products will do. Think in terms of makeup, body and bath products and even scented candles.
Choose a committee to organize all the donations and decide which items can be sold individually, and which cosmetic products would work best made into gift sets. Find a store or two to donate small hand towels. Then put your crafty moms to work on them embroidering or using appliqués. Sell the towels separately or use them as an attractive part of a cosmetic gift set.
What would a Cosmetic Re-gifting Fundraiser be without gift wrapping for an affordable buck! Think about getting the kids involved in this project. Ask them to bring any left-over ‘all occasion’ and/or Christmas wrappings and bows hidden away in closets at home that are in good recyclable condition. Maybe your art teacher can help the kids to design and color small gift tags. Motivate the kids by having a contest with the teacher choosing the top three designs.
Smaller cosmetic products can be combined with a candle or a towel into a gift set. Use a simple cardboard base and (donated) clear or colored cellophane wrap around a grouping and then tie it with a colorful, recycled bow. Don’t just limit your cosmetics as Christmas gifts for this fundraiser. People have birthdays and other special events in December too.
If your school has some super-duper crafty moms, they might be up to the challenge of making their own fragrant, homemade soap. Another idea is homemade aromatherapy products. Here’s a simple recipe that is sure to be a hit over the holidays:
- Two cups mineral water
- Fresh juice from one lemon
- Two or three drops peppermint essential oils
Combine all ingredients and pour into donated plastic spray or regular bottle as an all-body spritz or to drizzle into a nice warm bath. Find some volunteers willing to spend an fun afternoon increasing this recipe to make into a best-selling, 15 minute perk-up after a long afternoon of Christmas shopping.
Another great idea is getting a local dollar or superstore to donate some inexpensive candles to add that last touch and bring the gift bag together. Throw in a handmade card (here’s a good place for kids to chip in with original artwork) and your jobs is done!
A Cosmetics Re-gifting Fundraiser has all sorts of creative possibilities. With good organization and some savvy salesmanship, your elementary school should have no trouble making this a successful fundraising event.
