Michaels, etc. has some great items that you can customize. I bought framed mirrors and painted the trim in my sorority's colors and then did designs/words on them in metallic markers. I did the same with some wooden picture frames.

One of my littles made a gorgeous tote for her little by painting a design on it. I seriously couldn't believe she made it herself!

I've also seen some really cute picture frames decorated with scrapbook stickers and decals.

I wonder if the OP is talking about big/lil week or just about being a big in general.

For initiation:
I made a pillow for my little. On the front were our letters and on the back was sisterhood quote. I also passed down my favorite set of letters to her. Oh, and you can't forget the family pattern letters. I also got her a chapter gaurd for her initiation.

During her big/lil week:
-I left clues everyday to who I was.
-I made her a picture frame that said "The World Stops for My Little Sister" with our symbols and colors on it.
-Each day I gave her a red and white rose. And, then, at her initiation, I gave her the rest of them because she finally knew what they meant.
-I also made her a door hanger. I got the big sis, lil sis, spring 2007 stuff from AC Moore (cuz pledges can't display letters).
-Also a wooden little box with the words "Sigma Alpha Iota" and a rose and a music note.
-I painted a box white with red roses for her pledge and sister pin.
-I modge podged an old liquor bottle with just random stuff, wrote her a letter, and put it inside the bottle. Of course, in the card that day, I alerted her of the "letter in a bottle"
-I bought her a little sister charm.
-I think one day I also left her a dvd and let her know that one of my favorite actresses was in the movie.
-Oh, and I got a little red heart and with a sharpie I wrote "YBS loves you. SAI KG"
-And, for her pledge notebook, I made a front cover out of magazine words that said "Sigma Alpha Iota women are..." and then around it I put all kinds of words like, "classy", "talented", "beautiful"...etc. And then, on the back cover I put "But most of all, WE'RE SISTERS!" Along with a chapter picture and another sisterhood quote.

I think that's it for her big/lil week.

Currently, I'm working on a countered cross stitch for her. It's really cute. It's like potted plants, but instead of blooms it's each letter of the word "Sister". And, I also have a blanket that I'm going to get embroidered for her. And, just about every time I find something with the word "Sister" on it, I buy it for her.

(sorry for writing a novel)

my favorite gift was actually not from my big, but from another sister who was significant in my journey. It was a hand-painted box with a key-lock to keep all my "special items" from the journey in. i know that's vague, but it is very special to me. i would say that when making gifts, at least one should be very unique and meaningful to your little. for instance, picture frames and much and doorhangers are really nice, but everyone has one. make something just for her! for example, i'm an art major, and one sister gave me a painting smock with the letters on it. i love it because it's prettymuch the only one like it!

We actually did something special with picture frames for our Gamma Sig lil sisters, we bought the kind of picture frame that hold multiple pictures and decorated them with dried (or nice silk) sorority flowers, and then we placed in them pictures of their pledge period. From beginning to end, and wrote up captions underneath. They were really special.

Here is a cute cross-stitch pattern that wouldn't take long to complete. You could sew the piece as a pillow (as shown), frame it, or incorporate it as a side panel on a tote bag.

http://www.stitchworks.com/shop/Soro...mma-delta.html

QFP