Big Little Week

[Manders]

Hi all!

That time is coming up again to spoil your little with lots of goodies. I was wondering if anyone had any creative ideas for gifts/decorations. and also if anyone knows some inexpensive alternatives to the classic expensive "greek stuff" shops. Thanks for your time!

[ZetaAce]

I'm guessing that Big Little Week is the week you spend time with your little sister.

Why don't you make something? I remember when I crossed I got lots of gifts but the ones I remember the best are gifts that someone took the time to create themselves.

An easy/inexpensive thing to make:

Take a wine glass (not an expensive one, get one from the dollar store or something), a small clear sticker that has your sorority letters on it (like the stickers you put in car windows) and marbles in your sorority colors. Put the sticker inside the glass so that the letters are facing outwards, put the marbles in the glass. (It might sound weird but it's actually pretty cute.)

Someone also gave me a Barbie with a Z-Phi-B shirt on. She took the time to sew the letters on the little tiny Barbie shirt. I can't sew a button on without it being a fiasco but if you have any needle and thread talent it's worth a shot.

ZetaAce

[Finer Woman10-A-91]

You know my all time favorites are pillows and photo albums. The neos from my grad chapter made us pillows and banners for Christmas. They were soooo nice!

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Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated...Every Finer Woman's Dream!

[BFulton]

ZetaAce - great idea with the glass and stickers! I think this could be done with a candy jar as well. Some of the craft stores, like Michael's or Frank's, also have lots of goodies that one can use to make great, inexpensive gifts.

[AlphaChiGirl]

Well, during my New Member Education Period, I got a really nice scrapbook, which I could fill with whatever I wanted...I liked that idea, a copy of Dr. Seuss' "Oh the Places You Will Go!", and a lot of Alpha Chi stuff, including letters, bags, etc.

I think the best gifts are the ones that are functional, like photo albums and jewelry boxes.
A good alternative to the Greek shops (the closest one to my school that carries our letters is about an hour and a half away) are places like Crate and Barrel (good for glasses, jars, etc), and Wal-Mart.

[This message has been edited by AlphaChiGirl (edited January 12, 2001).]

[Serenity]

How about picture frames? You can take a 5x7 or 8x10 wooden frame and decorate it. You can glue those small craft flowers in each corner of the frame. You may be able to find your sorority flower as well.

Or, you can decorate the frame using those little greek letters you usually put on paddles. You can paint the letters in your sorority colors or just use them as is. You can also use craft paint that comes in the tube to make squigglies and other fun designs on the frame. Use your sorority colors if you like.

You can even blow up one of your favorite pictures of the two of you and put that in the frame. Or, a picture of your entire chapter.

I absolutely LOVE the wine glass idea. Pillows and photo albums are always great gifts!

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Sincerity, Loyalty, Unity
Sigma Lambda Upsilon: Hasta La Muerte!

[DELTABRAT]

Hey,

I love GIFTS

Some nice inexpensive ideas are photo albums (of course stiched with letters and colrs of your organization). Picture frames that are inexpensive and then have the letters put onthem(I KNOW it sounds tacky but even puffy paint will do the trick on a picture frame as long as the frame isn't metal...then it WILL look tacky). Vases with the letters on it. If they're still in college (not grads) then, like, bulletin boards (if in the dorms, this is cool) with the letters.

Have fun. And I agree that some sewing talent does halp but you can make something happen even if you're not...whoever

[Eclipse]

The cutest idea that I have ever seen was a candy jar w/top (the kind you can get from the dollar store or Old Time Pottery, etc.) filled with alternating layers of jelly beans in the orgs. colors. It was very cute. If your organization has a mascot a stuffed animal of this mascot with a scarf in the org.'s colors is also nice.

[AXO Alum]

I was so glad when I was at school with both my big & little sister. We did "family" stuff for each other. For instance, when I went over, my big gave me a beautiful glass with our letters down one side and my initials on the other (she had it etched, but you can buy the do-it-yourself kits at craft stores for cheap and its easy). When my little went over, I did the same for her. During big/little week we did the same type of thing (a frame for each of us that looked the same) so it was really personal. I am not very crafty (at all) but we kept it simple. One very easy idea is to buy a bag of wooden cutouts (they come in various sizes and shapes at craft stores - they're just thin little cut-outs in the shape of hearts, stars, etc.) and a bag of mini wooden clothes pins. Paint (I use an acrylic paint like PLAID or APPLE BARREL because its easy to use and clean up) them both white (or a soro color) and then when it is dry, take a paint pen and write your letters on it in another soro color. Then just hot glue the cutout onto the pin and add a small magnet to the back for a handy "clip magnet" for the fridge, file cabinet, whatever. These make good, easy, cheap gifts that are very good for Christmas, end of the year, or other times when you want to share with your chapter.

[This message has been edited by AXO Alum (edited June 27, 2000).]

[Rhoyal Blue_22]

I must agree with all the ladies that nominated the dollar store as great gift ideas! I loved all my gifts-let's see, what have I received: pillows, pencils, cups, photo albums,socks and the list goes on. Even little neck scarves from the dollar store with my sorority letters on it. Bascially anything with royal blue and old gold was good enough for me

If some of you are savvy with beading, I saw this and I just thought it was so cute! cute! cute! It can be adapted for other sororities, too.

[DELTABRAT]

Gloriajean,

That was tooooo cute!

Hello DELTABRAT,
Here is a cute one for you too, made for Delta Sigma Theta's (that is your group, yes?)

I did not see any for ZPhiB's or Sigma Gamma Rho's, though.

*blush* Thanks equeen for the complement!

Lets see, other ideas not mentioned(supplies can be found at a local hobby store):

* Stationary - Buy in bulk blank notecards. Decorate them with your letters, symbols, flower. Stack them up and tie a ribbon around them (in your colors of course!) and include a properly colored pen.

* Glass etching - From what I've been told its easy to do - bud vases, goblets, picture frame glass, mirrors.

* Mugs - One of my favorite gifts was to a new colony. For each sister, I took a ceramic mug and using glass paint stenciled a white rose on one side. On the other side the phrase "Sisters don't let sisters drink hot chocolate alone" Inside the mug was filled with hot chocolate packages and plastic spoons that were doubled dipped in melted chocolates. (Use the meltables for mold candies.)

* Decorated Journals - Book stores have plain journals for about 3-4 dollars. The surface is a little rough, but if your careful, with rubber stamps and emossing guns decorating them turn out pretty well.

* Another picture frame idea - I picked up a plain frame from target, took tissue paper tore it into pieces and using the mod-podge glued the pieces down over lapping them. It gives it a nice affect. - And adding a personal photo of you and your l'il/big sister adds to it even more!

* Along the same lines, you can pick up the paper mache boxes and paint them or cover them. Its always nice to have a special box for the little things - cards, movie stubs, pictures - that are affiliated with your sisterhood

* While i've never tried it. Pick up either a clear or opaque glass dish. Using non-toxic glass paints you can either create a nice dish for use or as a wall decoration. With the clear dish paint on the underside and let the paints shine up through the dish. You can add your flower, symbols, words of encouragement,etc.

Oh and thanks everyone for more ideas!!

Artimis

btw: I have photos of some of the crafts - I'll post if anyone is interested
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Beta Chapter Alumna and Founder
Alpha Sigma Kappa - Women in Technical Studies
http://alpha-sigma-kappa.ou.edu/
http://www.alpha-sigma-kappa.org

[This message has been edited by Artimis (edited June 27, 2000).]

[Manders]

You guys are great!!! Thanks for the ideas! And even pictures...wow I'm impressed.