[sigma_sailor10]

I'm not an Alpha Xi, either, but I've taken two littles and these are some of the gifts I've given. Most of mine were practical or decorative:

• badge box (literally go to Hobby Lobby or Michaels, get a $1 wooden box, paint it, decoupage it, etc). You can personalize it and make it as cute as you want!
• painted wooden frame (also about $1 or $2 from craft stores): put a picture of the two of you in it, paint your letters and "sisters" or something similar on it. I did mine in my little's favorite colors.
• Painted door pillows (like these http://sororitysisters.net/ideas/custom-sorority-pillows/ )--a lady was selling them on Etsy for about $15, but I made one myself for literally nothing. Just handpaint your symbol on plain white cotton, write using fabric markers or puff paint, and sew it up!
• My chapter doesn't do paddles, but we do handpainted sailboats. Definitely do a paddle or wooden symbol with her name on it.
• I usually ended up going to the Greek store near my university and purchased lettered stickers, pens, stationary, and cups (things you can't make by hand and look good).
• I did cute personalized handwritten notes to include with each day as well.
• If you can sew, I would recommend making pillows (I made a heart shaped one with letters from a recruitment shirt that my chapter had extra of), makeup bags in your sorority's colors (you can use iron-on letters to personalize), or anything else you might think she'd use.
• Many of my sisters make fleece tie-blankets for their littles in our sorority's colors. My big actually gave me a store-bought blanket and had letters embroidered onto it professionally.
• Buy a large wooden letter for her first initial and paint it with your sorority's colors, symbols, etc.

Sorority Craft (http://sororitycraft.tumblr.com/) has a lot of cute, handmade and personalized gift ideas as well.