Anyone who is creative.... ??

[RebelSong84]

I am beginning to make my big sis' paddle soon. I loooooove her so much and I want her to love her paddle, but I don't have any good ideas? Anyone know of something creative or original that I can do that will make it stand out from the others??

-kalie

[CardinalSM]

You know those pom pom things that you used to put on crafts when you were little? You could take those in DG colors and cover the paddle with them and use different colors, like white, to put y'alls names on it.

Or you could give her a paddle in an unusual shape, like not a normal paddle. Do you have a fun inside joke that you could make a shape out of? My friend made her big a paddle that looked like a movie theater popcorn box b/c her and her big went to the movies all the time.

Hope that helps!

[KerriMarie]

One of my roomies had a really cool paddle - it was all purple (her favorite color) and the letters were all glittery. And all around the outside, glued to the back, was a purple marabou feather boa - it looked soooooooo pretty.

My littles glued little gems on mine, because I like sparkly things... and one of my littles wrote a poem that she put on the back of my paddle, it's really cute.

Make sure you include things that make it personal - put more on there than your names and letters. OOOH! And write a letter to her on the back, letting her know how much she means to you.

Edited to add this idea - if there is a Michael's near you, they have little prepainted wooden cutouts - they're normally on an endcap near the wood aisles, they cost 25 cents each and they would make a really cute addition to a paddle - they have stars and hearts, as well as different flowers and animals and other things.

[chideltjen]

well when my class had to make paddle for our bigs, the greek store ran out of paddles. so girls went to kitchen stores and bought cutting boards. one of them found a really pretty blue plastic one and decorated it with fish and ocean stuff because her big liked fish and tropical stuff.

I have seen seashells and cow prints and beads and glitter paints. My lil found metallic blue paint and the whole thing just shines. It's gorgeous.

Find your local craft store... they should have ready made and painted shapes of dolls, houses, flowers, toys and so on. They are super easy to just glue on. Also try craft buttons and just clip the backs off of them with wire cutters or something. They have lots of themes like ladybugs, butterflies, sports, beachwear, city life, etc.

[lilkel244]

I love my paddles! I belong to a family of all art students so ours are always very creative. my little glued little pink roses along the entire edge of my paddle, and she painted a lamp with rhinestones comeing from the flame. I love my paddles, they are both beautiful but so different. I love personalized ones, that arent just the standard stuff you can by at the greek shop.

[MeLikey]

Originally posted by CardinalSM

My friend made her big a paddle that looked like a movie theater popcorn box b/c her and her big went to the movies all the time.

Haha, that's great! My favorite food is movie theater popcorn!!! I loved making my big's paddle, you guys go all out, my big wanted me to keep it plain wood, and I wanted my little to do the same for me. For my big's 21st birthday, I even went to the Greek store and made her a little paddle that said happy 21st birthday with beer mugs all over it, it turned out really cute. One of my sisters wanted her little to have the store spray paint the paddle silver-- it came out really sharp.

[sueali]

I have seen paddles in all shapes and sizes, we had a lil one year use a real boat paddle and she painted lavender, the paddles that usually stand out are the one's that are completely different.

[etahannah]

my chapter does pillows. the littles make pillows for their bigs instead of paddles. i loved making my pillow. that doesnt really help, BUT in my family part of the tradition you pass down is something with the crest on it. so i plan on making my little a paddle for her initiation. i plan to get a crest, greek letters, her name and my name, big/lil, the date. maybe that helps a little too. i will probably tie greek letter ribbon around the neck of the paddle too. good luck hun!! have fun!!

***dances a good luck dance***

[Peaches-n-Cream]

When I made my big sister's paddle, I stained a small paddle and glued our names in wooden letters and the D Phi E crest on the front. I wrote a message in purple paint on the back. everyone in my pledge class did bsically the same thing so all the big sister paddles looked alike.

My little sister wrote a lovely message on the back and glued our names and crest on the front as well as some pretty stickers. Her pledge class each made unique and individual paddles which all the bigs loved. Some even wood burned a message on the back.

I suggest that you incorporate your sorority and things that you and your big love on your paddles with paint, stickers, and whatever else you can think of.

[LionTamer]

I received a very plain, traditional paddle, which I loved - wooden letters and raised seal. Unfortunately, I've lost some of the letters over the years.

But a lot of the girls had wonderful theme ideas (one was a kind of a Rousseau-like jungle look, another was wildflowers with a lot of lady-bugs on them) and they got me to do them in acrylics for their little sisters. It was amazing that girls I didn't get along with would feel no compuction about asking for art work - but the sheer flattery of being asked was enough for me, and by the time the paddle was done, we usually got along better.

If you have a friend (greek or not) with some art skills, you can do some neat things in acrylics that will stay on the paddle for years (unlike some of the more craft-y things that, while great-looking, inevitably fall off - like on my paddle) Never underestimate the power of flattery.

[Buttonz]

By us all the paddles must have: big and lil sis, names, semster, the letters, and the crest. After that it's up to us. We usally keep them plain wood. My pledge sis and I brought diffrent wooden shapes that reminded us of our bigs (ex: her big's pledge name is Playah so she got a playboy bunny) and we colored that in, and even the letters of our names. You can use puff paint, nailpolish, or regualr marker for that. We write a letter to our big on the back of it. One of my friends who is really artistic gave us some awsome help on drawing things on the paddles: a cat for my big, folowers, etc. Hope this helps a little!