A nifty Christmas craft project at Crawford Central turned bowling pins from the past into works of art fit for hundreds of local seventh-grade students who may soon be giving them as gifts. The big debate for many now is determining who the lucky recipients will be.

Samantha Hovis and Crystal Fisher had equally-as-beautiful yet artistically-different designs for their pins and both were excited at the prospect of giving.

“My mom works as an aide at the school here,” Hovis said. “I’m making a Santa to give to her for Christmas and I know she’s going to really like it.”

Fisher, however, opted to make a snowman — or snowwoman, actually. In addition to painting the bowling pin, hers sported a red ruffled skirt, made from craft supplies that had been donated to the school for the project.

Thanks to the overwhelming support of area merchants, the Pins from the Past project, which was started on a much smaller scale at Meadville Area Middle School in 2007, will now put presents that come from the heart into the hands of 230 kids this holiday season.

Assistant Principal Scott Lynch said he was really pleased with the support the project received this year. While last year there were only 20 children who made traditional Santa Clauses, this year’s project was expanded and even became a cross-curricular activity. Lynch said students were given the option of incorporating aspects of their family’s heritage into their designs.

Stephanie Sandrock, a reading teacher at MAMS, said “Culture Clauses” were made by some kids using the information that they had uncovered during a recent English assignment in which each child had to research and write a report on their family’s culture.

“It was really fun for them,” Sandrock said. “One said his dad was crazy about Poland and so he incorporated some Polish culture into his Santa Claus design.”

Briann Ash isn’t of American Indian descent, but she opted to use “Indian-inspired” features such as multi-colored feathers on her pin’s design.

The pins, which would have been discarded by the area bowling alleys, are sure to bring the spirit of the season to both the giver and the recipient.

Melissa Applebee, a math teacher who “isn’t a craft-type of person,” said she enjoyed the activity for a variety of reasons.

“It’s a good way to test students’ listening skills and how well they can follow directions,” Applebee said. “And especially with the economy the way that it is this year, at least each of our seventh-graders will have something to take home and give away as a gift to someone — a loved one or whomever.”

Lynch said one of the more unique aspects of the project is that students can witness “something old being transformed into something useful,” and that it is something that is a “gift that was hand-crafted and something in which they can take pride in.”

He added that for some of the students, this may even be the only gift they are able to give to a loved one.

“Our goal was to have the students make something special to take home for the holidays that would not cost them anything but some time, effort and fun,” Lynch said.