Swamped With Swaps - General Information

SWAMPED WITH SWAPS

General Information about SWAPS and Swapping!

Click on the topic:

WHAT ARE SWAPS?
HOW MANY SWAPS DO I NEED TO MAKE?
WHAT DO I DO WITH THE SWAPS I RECEIVE?
WHEN DO WE SWAP?
SWAP ETIQUETTE
HOW DID SWAPS ORIGINATE?
WHERE DO I FIND SUPPLIES?
SUPPLY LIST

What Are Swaps?
SWAPS is an abbreviation. Take your pick:

S	Special	or	S	Share
W	Whatchamacallits		W	With
A	Affectionately		A	A
P	Pinned		P	Pal
S	Somewhere

SWAPS are small crafts that Girl Scouts make and trade with other Scouts. Many swaps are attached to pins so that they can be attached to a hat, vest, jacket, or bandanna.

Back to the Menu

How Many Swaps Do I Need To Make?

If a girl wants to receive 10 swaps, she needs to make 10 swaps. Think about the size of the event that you will attend when you decide how many swaps to make. Don't make more of one type of swap than the number of people attending the event! If you're attending a small event, you will want to make several types of swaps. A reasonable number is 10 or 15 swaps per girl. Some girls will want to make more than this!

Back to the Menu

What Do I Do With The Swaps I Receive?

Pin them to a hat, vest, bandanna, or jacket and wear them proudly!

Back to the Menu

When Do We Swap?

At some events, a special time is set aside for swapping. Be ready to swap on time! If you arrive late, everyone may have swapped already!

Back to the Menu

Swap Etiquette

Take a little time to explain these rules before your event so your girls will know what to expect!

Never deny swapping with someone who asks you.
Don't give away a swap that someone gave to you.
Don't use real food items on the swap (although dried pasta is okay).
It's nice to get a swap that has the troop number, event name, or date. If this information can't be included in the design of the swap, you can attach a little tag with the information.
Carry the items you want to swap in a bag or box. You can pin the swaps you receive to your hat, shirt, etc., as soon as you get them.
Always say "Thank you!"

Back to the Menu

How Did Swaps Originate?

Swaps are sometime referred to as potlatch. Potlatch is the ceremonial exchange of gifts practiced by Native Americans of Northwest Coast tribes. The custom stems from the legend explaining why birds have colored feathers.

As the story goes, two Indian girls plucked feathers of a magic bird and distributed the multicolored plumage to the colorless birds living in the forest. From that time on, birds have had brightly colored feathers, and those gifts were remembered at potlatch ceremonies.

Families were summoned to the potlatch by a messenger carrying a bundle of sticks representing the number of people to be invited. The ceremony included speeches, songs, dances, games, races and refreshments. The host and members of his family were costumed and enacted legends about their heritage.

The gift giving came last of all, just before the guest departed. Since potlatch gifts were symbols of the family's status in the village, they were often quite elaborate, often being carved boxes, canoes, dishes, jewelry, mats and baskets. The potlatch ceremony was given to commemorate the births, deaths, marriages or coming of age or members of the group.

Back to the Menu

Where Do I Find Supplies?

Many swaps are made of "recycled" materials. Keeps your eyes open for buttons, beads, wood scraps, fabrics, etc.

Craft stores and discount department stores (A.C. Moore's, Michaels, Frank's, Hobby Lobby, Ben Franklin, Wal-Mart) are a good place to look. Also, some fabric stores (Joann's Fabrics) have craft departments. There are catalogs that sell craft supplies in bulk at a discount, and some companies advertise on the world wide web. Here are a few:

Boleks Craft Supplys
330 N. Tuscarawas Ave.
P.O. Box 465
Dover, OH 44522-0465
USA
www.bolekscrafts.com

Enterprise Art
P. O. Box 2918
Largo, FL 34649-2918
USA
www.enterpriseart.com

Sunshine Discount Crafts
12335 62nd Street N Dept C42
Largo, FL 33773
USA
www.sunshinecrafts.com

S&S
P. O. Box 513
Colchester, CT 06415-0513
USA
Toll Free (to order): 1-800-243-9232
Regular phone: 1-860-537-3451
e-mail: service@snswwide.com

Back to the Menu

Supply List

**BASICS:**
Pin backs (3/4" or 1") Safety Pins Magnet tape Tacky Glue	Hot Glue Gun Hot glue sticks Scissors Ruler	Pencil or pen Markers Acrylic paints Paint brushes

**OTHER:**
Beads Bottle caps Buttons Cardboard Cardboard tubes Clay Craft foam Craft sticks	Embroidery floss Fabric scraps Felt Film containers Gimp Nuts Old puzzle pieces Pipe cleaners	Pom poms Ribbon Seeds Spools Stickers Wiggle eyes Wooden cut-outs Yarn

Back to the Menu

Return to Swamped With Swaps Contents Page