The Houston Elementary School scarf project began in January, when Deborah Cooper, a volunteer at the West Mt. Airy school, thought it would be a wonderful idea to organize neighbors to knit scarves for the more than 400 students in grades K-8. About 70 volunteers joined the effort. See the gallery below for photos.

Each scarf has a little message from the volunteer scarf makers and care instructions.

Twenty-five boxes filled with handmade scarves line the auditorium stage at Houston Elementary School.

The boxes contain a scarf for each student in a classroom, one scarf for the teacher, and a few extra so each student would be able to have a choice.

Principal LeRoy Hall, Jr. (center) helped Deborah Cooper (right) and the school’s volunteer coordinator Elayne Blender (left), present the scarves to some of the students during an assembly at the school on Dec. 20.