http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._3318034_n.jpg

the paddle I made recently for my big. Hard to see-- alternating blue/teal/white rhinestones around the edges, & the key tied to the top says "memories".

^^ Aww! What a pretty Kappa paddle!

My chapter used to have a tradition of decorating a letter for their key sisters. It was the first initial of the little sis. I should see if I have a picture of either of the two I made.

I love these. They are all so cute. I have a paddle that is the raiders symbol with the raider picture in the middle. There are so many things you can do with plaques. I know some of my friends have frogs because they love frogs or the medical symbol because they are in the medical field. I saw one that was a diamond ring because her big had just gotten engaged it was super cute.

Haha! I've started mine today! I will post pictures when I'm finished, but I'm super excited with my theme.

For my chapter we dont do paddles, instead the bigs make diamond boards for their littles and give it to them during diamond days.

Here is a pic of all the boards for PC '10
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k1...mondboards.jpg

and here is a pic of me and my little, I dont think I like my best here but it was the best picture that showed off the board I made.
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ackdiamond.jpg

What a great idea!!!! I am loving the ones with the lions on them - so cute! You did a great job with your diamond!:)

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...onlake/652.jpg
This is the paddle my big made for me, even though traditional paddles were discouraged.

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/h...onlake/653.jpg
This is the back, she wrote some wonderfully significant stuff on the back. I still love my paddle to this day. :)

I made a paddle for my big, but for my little and my pseudo-little (my twin took a little, and then dropped out of school the following quarter, so I adopted her little), I made wooden kites. Similar to the ADPi diamonds above. I wish I had taken pictures of them. I'm not very creative, but my Theta roomate that year was an art major, and she showed me some kick-ass techniques and they made the kites look amazing. On the back of each kite I painted our family tree, which was easy at the time because our chapter was only 6 years old at the time. :)

For our Littles we do triangles (some do hearts, too).

Here's my two little's and I with all the paddles and triangles at family exchange:
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._7857810_n.jpg

ok so my chapter is new to this paddle/non-paddle exchange stuff. Is it big to little, little to big or both?

My family does paddles from big to little and plaques from littles to bigs. And all of our Candidates paint a wooden plaque displayed in the Office for Day Away. It's kind of whatever you want, Jess!

We also got to choose whatever we wanted. I think the tradition depends on the chapter.

However, do consider the symbolism of the paddle. It's a form of hazing. I think it was 2001 or 2002 when we were told to stop making paddles, and stick to wooden kites. I cant remember.

With my chapter it was always something the little gave to her big. You'd give your big her paddle, and she'd give you your first set of letters and everything else you'd receive on intiation day.

Not everyone considers it a form of hazing.

super cute! thanks for sharing the pics!

Wow. I haven't been on this thread in a while. I am going to keep coming back because I really enjoy it! I love all the paddles and non-paddles on here. I like the simplistic ones, as well as, the really decorated ones! You all did a great job on your paddles. I attempted to make a good one for my big. It is very sparkly. I will have to try and post it.

My chapter always did a thing where, for revelation (where you find out who your big is), your big gives you a paddle of our symbol. We make the lion paddles as Phis (new members) and we have our phi class sign the back of them. Later on, the big sister gets a big paddle. So, I have 3 different types of paddles and I love them all.