Gather a collection of water-soluble paints. You can focus on your school’s colors or try something a little more psychedelic.
Pick up an old bookshelf at a thrift store or retail shop. It does not need to be pretty, but it should be in good condition with minimal aesthetic damage.
Sand the bookshelf to prime the surface for new paint and remove any scratches or splinters.
Coat the bookshelf with white primer so your students will have a blank canvas on which to work.
Bring the bookshelf to your classroom and place it on a tarp or painting sheets.
Give each of your students an apron to protect their clothes. Distribute paintbrushes and set up your paints on a table near the bookshelf, over the tarp.
Ask each student to add a personal decoration to the shelf and to sign that contribution when it's completed.
Place the bookshelf in the school auction and wait to see how much money it makes.