Boomerang Native Art

Choosing the perfect site for your stall

Select an area that is well shaded and protected if the weather turns wet. Direct sun will dry out the paint in the bottle caps and rain will make the paint run. If weather is unpredictable try to use a classroom.

Deciding how much to charge and setting a fundraising goal

A box of 200 boomerangs will cost $160 plus freight plus GST. This should come to less than $2 per boomerang. You will need to buy paints and brushes which should come to less than $35. Perhaps your school’s art department can help!

If you charge $5 per boomerang the net profit should be around $765 if all are sold. If you charge $6 it would be around $965 etc.

What will we need to get the stall running?

Good reliable volunteers - leave the unreliable volunteers to the sausage sizzle!

Cleaning materials - three buckets, a dishwashing sponge, a few old toothbrushes and 2 old towels
Paint - acrylic paints in white, yellow, red and blue. Paint can be easily purchased at a discount shop or hardware store for about $2.50 per tube. White is the most popular colour so order double the amount of white compared to the other colours.

Wooden matchsticks - these are great for making dot paintings on the boomerangs. They can be reused throughout the day.

Small paintbrushes - use the bristle brushes rather than nylon brushes if available. These can be bought at discount stores for around $6 for a pack of ten. Two packs should be enough to run the day.

Plastic or foam cups for washing brushes - can be sourced from any supermarket

Bottle tops to hold paint - as many as possible. Ask students to bring in lids from juice, soft drink and milk bottles.

Permanent markers - ask volunteers to bring one or two each. Make sure that they write well on the timber.

Bottles of acrylic paint used in school art departments is perfect - using this can save you a lot of scrimping and saving on the day.

Ask students to see if they have any old brushes at home they could donate!

Some volunteers write better than others! Find the people with the best handwriting for the job of writing names on the back.

Managing the number of children at the stall

Only take as many artists at a time as you can comfortably supervise. This will depend on the number of volunteers present and the age of the children. Younger children should have a parent or guardian present to help them decorate the boomerang.

Because it is a popular activity you may consider pre-booking places at the painting table. 15 minute time-slots can be allocated and children can put their name down prior to the day or on the day. If you use a pre-booking system you may also like to have money paid upfront to secure the spot.

Preparations

Become familiar with the process
Practice decorating on a piece of cardboard and a spare boomerang so you can demonstrate to the children
TIP: Wash the paint off the boomerang while still wet to practice more designs

Downloads

Download ten of the step by step guidelines found by clicking here
Slip them into plastic sleeves to protect from the paint and water on the table
Download the warning signs here (the boomerang is non-returning and should not be thrown) and display two in a prominent position on the day

2010 Boomerang Native Art : for general enquiries contact info@boomerangpainting.com.au

Logos and concept remain the property of Boomerang Native Art