Thursday, October 23, 2008

Tableware Designer: Make-A-Plate Kits

Today, the UPS man delivered a some Make-A-Plate classroom kits for my mom.

Every year her fifth grade, students get to design melamine plates. Uncle Punk, Jim, Ranger, and I are always invited to make a plate of our own.

When Ranger was one, he was not interested in coloring but he was obsessed with letters, numbers, and shapes. It was fun to give him a plate that integrated his burgeoning interests.

Ranger (at two) made a plate of his own which we labeled with his name and the year.

With the classroom kit (~$11 with shipping) and free early bird shipping (templates submitted before November 31st), the plates cost $5.95 each. This is a good option if you want to go in with some friends on a bulk order. Otherwise individual kits are available for around $15.99 (online and at craft stores like Hobby Lobby).

The plates are dishwasher safe, but not microwavable. There are also kits to make bowls, trays, and mugs if melamine plates don't hold much appeal.

With bulk ordering and free shipping, these plates can make durable and inexpensive custom gifts for grandparents and friends of the family.

What kind of custom and/or homemade gifts does your family make?

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

great post i found you some how looking for things on our sons birth defects esophageal atresia. I wish you the best and god bless

Sunrise said...

Hello!
#1 Congratulations on your new addition. I HAD noticed the posts had dropped off! :)

#2 Am I correct in figuring that if I wanted both of my children to make a plate, the classroom kit + processing is a better deal than individual kits? Maybe I am missing something here.

#3 We have made all kinds of things in the past few years including painting/'markering' ornaments and buying cheap canvases and let the kids paint whatever they wanted then framed them. I think these type of things are great gifts and the kids have lots of fun!