So far this summer we’ve brought in some old favorites as well as had students inventing their own creative creations!  Highlights from this summer thus far, include:

*Make one! Make 100! Making color string friendship bracelets will never get old.

*Why buy beads when you can make your own?  Our campers have been getting their hands dirty with polymer clay to create their own beads, charms, trinkets and pendants for jewelry.

*There’s something riveting about making a ho-hum piece of wire come alive as a dragonfly, butterfly, or colorful tree.  Our kids—just like our adult students!—have been all wrapped up in wire wrapping this summer creating fun and creative creatures and jewelry pieces.

*John Muir Elementary’s Design Your Line class has been making jewelry for over a month and half now to contribue to a jewelry sale that will take place next week! The students voted, and their proceeds will be donate to an animal shelter as well as an organization that supports children in foster care!! We are so excited to see our amazing students giving back to their community!  

To join in on the fun, visit our camp page here.  We can’t wait to see you at camp! .

Dragonfly Designs has rolled out the red carpet to bring on the sparkles for your next fundraising event. We are proud to announce our new and improved Fundraisers and Homeshows!

Why have a bake sale when you could fundraise in style? If you’ve got a school group or organization that needs to raise money, book a jewelry making class with us!  Colorful, high-end beads. Expert instruction. Gorgeous take-home pieces.  And you keep 20% of the class cost.  Sound too good to be true? Check out the details and book your class here under our Adult Jewelry Parties tab.  Have fun while fundraising and your group goes home with all of their own, homemade jewelry.

If you don’t feel like beading yourself, book a home show and we’ll bring the pre-made baubles to you.  Freshwater pearls, Czech-glass beads and high-quality findings make up our unique collection of earrings, necklaces, bracelets and more.  As a bonus, hosts help themselves to a percentage of all profits. This is a great excuse to get friends together and bling-out with some gorgeous handcrafted jewelry!

This past Monday, June 4^th, the students of Brandeis-Hillel Day School's Design Your Line jewelry making class held a hugely successful sale of their handmade jewelry and raised $175 for Save the Redwoods! Led by expert instructor Marissa Nasca with help from Colleen Choi, the girls sold all of the pieces they designed, created, priced and advertised over the course of the semester.

The students, ranging from first to third grade, sold bookmarks, eyeglass holders, earrings, necklaces and bracelets.  According to Colleen, the girls were very good at getting the word out as they walked around showing off their pieces and advertising the sale. They were excited about bringing parents and teachers to the sale.  One student brought in a mirror to add to the display and another brought in an extra necklace she made on her own to the sale.

"My favorite part of the sale was selling everything and raising money for the redwoods,” said one student.   

The added benefits (in addition to having fun!) of Dragonfly Design’s Design Your Line jewelry making class include:

·          develop business acumen

·          learn about merchandising, marketing + display

·          discuss philanthropy and charitable giving

·          find inspiration for designs (nature, fashion magazines, imagination)

·          learn how to calculate cost of materials, labor and mark-up for wholesale/ create business plans, focusing on capital, profit and budgets

·          explore sales opportunities such as Etsy, craft sales and homeshows where children can sell their own jewelry after class ends

·          experience the art of jewelry making & create jewelry 

·          organize an on-campus sale where profits will be donated to a non-profit of the children's choice

·          build self esteem, self confidence and creativity

For more information on the Design Your Line curriculum, visit our page here.