Decorative Bowling Pins Contest Fundraiser

Ever wonder what bowling alleys do with the old worn bowling pins? They usually sell them or give them away. Crafters have figured out a variety of ways to decorate bowling pins and repurpose them for additional uses such as for table legs. Bowling alleys, charities, schools and other organizations have bowling pin decoration contest fundraiser. Contestants are given the bowling pin to decorate and must follow the contest rules, such as decorating for a holiday or specific theme. Source: eHow

Helpful Hints:

1. Sand old wooden bowling pins to diminish scratches and nicks from the wear and tear they received. Once they are smooth to the touch, apply a sealant.

2. Coat the bowling pin with a solid color of paint. White and tan are easy to work with and can be the background for a variety of items such as a person, penguin, ghost or an angel.

3. Paint facial features and clothing on the pin. For example, paint a girl’s face wearing a bikini, a comical man wearing a tight t-shirt with his belly button on display. Other ideas include painting city skylines, beaches, mountains or animals onto the pin. For the non-artistic, you can use decoupage to attach pictures, decals or stickers to the pin.

4. Sign and date the bottom of the bowling pin with a permanent marker. This may make your piece of art more valuable in the future or be a treasured keepsake for your descendants.

5. Apply a sealant over the project and allow to completely dry.

6. Cut pieces of material to create wings, eyebrows, beaks or buttons and hot glue onto the pin.

7. Decorate the finished piece by adding a bow tie, pom-poms, hats, or tying a scarf or cape around the neck. Other options include adding real buttons, fur, hair or ribbon. Another idea is to drape beads around the pin.

We have included a number of do-it-yourself fundraising ideas in this section that offer a break from traditional product sales. They were developed by groups just like yours in an attempt have a little fun with their fundraiser. Some of them are tried and true while others show a lot of creativity … and even wackiness in some cases. All of them are obviously not appropriate for every group, but sometimes, with only a little modification, your might find some fund raising ideas that are perfect for your group. If you have an idea for a do-it-yourself fund raiser you are willing to share with others, please send it to us via email. Include anything and everything you would want to know if you were hearing the idea for the first time.