you could have kids put there hand prints on fabric my grandsons kindergarten class did this and made Christmas Wreath out of prints and they wore them for program. IF kids put hand prints palms together it would look like butterfly.They would make cute pillows. Also sock puppets are fun out of those socks that no longer have a match ,the crazier the sock the better and then maybe a skit about recycling so they can show off puppets they could even invite parents,The cutest project my son did was in kindergarten They had to make some kind of vehicle to sit in for a drive in movie in class .We helped Quint make a tank and used all kinds of boxes and wrapping paper tube left over from Christmas. That was a fun project for all the family You should have seen what kids and parents came up with Quint and friends played in that tank for along time.Kids will love what ever you do.

How about if all their shirts went into one quilt and they donated it to another child, perhaps a child about their age with cancer? They could send a picture of themselves with the quilt to the sick child. A very simple t-shirt quilt would go together easily. Each child could write a short letter about themselves and the shirt they donated.

I made pot holders with a class of 2nd graders.

We made "sitting pillows" with 3rd grade by making rectangle inner liners out of old sheets and filled them loosely with buckwheat hulls and sewed them shut. Each child brought fabric from home and helped cut and sew pillow cases that could be removed and washed when needed. The children loved any/all parts of the participation and had their special pillow to sit on all year. The hulls made them nice and squishy for floor sitting, and as they came in huge bags, must not be very expensive. They could use tees, or even old shirts, curtains, etc. as the outer covering; just sew up the openings other than the bottom.

i have seen projects where quilt designs have been printed on paper and a stack of shapes cut from fabric. the kids work them like jig saw puzzels and glue the pieces to the paper design.
this was done at a library one time. I read the story The Quiltmakers Gift first and then the kids did the puzzels.

My daughter is making rag quilts.

those all sound like great ideas. i used to help with pillow at a school nearby and we machined sewed them kids stuffed and hand sewed them shut

All the ideas sound great, hope it is a success...

Trisha, One of the ladies had a clever idea of the kids using a pillow they already have at home and my thought is to make a pillow sleeve out of the t-shirt, making it long enough to wrap around the pillow and sew a button on to hold it in place. Eiltcoq.

How about a quilt for their classroom where they each bring in a piece of old clothing and then help you cut an 8" square, then you sew them together (they help with layout) then they help you layer and they tie it? There are some great children's books that would tie in to this; there is one about a little African American girl who makes this exact quilt out of family clothes as a gift (maybe tribute?) to a grandparent. You'll need to bring in some fusible interfacing for the tshirts youll get but otherwise you should be fine...and this can be completed in a day with you as the "Guest Artist"!!! (Yes, I've done this before!)