SWAPS- Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere
SWAPS are small, pinned crafts in the shape of a ordinary object. One of the highlights at Scout events, such as Encampments and Sing-Alongs, is trading SWAPS. Or you can just give them out to visitors, program teachers, or just random people on the street!
Some Swap Making Tips
Cousin DIY!
Some Swap Ideas
Here are some pictures:
SWAPS are small, pinned crafts in the shape of a ordinary object. One of the highlights at Scout events, such as Encampments and Sing-Alongs, is trading SWAPS. Or you can just give them out to visitors, program teachers, or just random people on the street!
Some Swap Making Tips
- Get donated pizza boxes -- girls can lay out swaps in their own box so glue or fabric paint can dry.
- Low temp glue guns are available at AC Moore, Michael's and other craft stores -- they won't burn fingers so even young girls can use them and allow for very quick production.
- Have each girl make a bunch each of several different types of swaps. A good idea is to have stations that girls can rotate among. This is not as boring and will make trading easier when the troop is together.
- You can write your troop number and state on each swap so recipients know where you're from.
- You should put a saftey pin on all the swaps you make, so that girls can pin them onto hats bags shirts,etc. It's much cheaper to buy safety pins online. Coiless pins are the best since they can be poked all the way through the SWAP and allow easy pinning then. Some coiless pins can be found at:
Cousin DIY!
- A drawstring backpack is great for storing swaps for trading and for a place to pin on received swaps.
- A couple dozen swaps is a good number for each girl to have but at some events, such as the sing-along on the Mall every 5 years, girls can end up trading close to a hundred swaps.
Some Swap Ideas
- pompom ladybugs with fabric paint dots and eyes, sitting on fake leaves
- pompom caterpillars with fabric paint eyes
- t-shirt shapes cut out of foam and decorated
- beaded saftey pins with tags with the troop number.
- rolled up felt sleeping bags with string tied around them
- felt or foam suns and flowers
- felt and pompom smores
- felt pine trees
- mini bracelets
- mini Popsicle stick lollipops
Here are some pictures: