Do you swap? You oughta. A swap is a theme-based exchange of handmade goods between crafters. You sign up, get assigned a partner, learn a little about each other, then both do your best to craft things to send that your partner will really like and that will fit the theme of the swap. Bloggers sometimes organize their own swaps, but the biggest games out there are Craftster and Swap-bot. I’m a Craftster swapper, myself. My favorite swaps have been the Craft for my Kid Swap, in which I made my swap partner a crib quilt and a ring sling for her new baby and she made my girls matching rompers and toy bags; the Bargain Hunter Swap, in which I made my partner a miniature quilt out of a thrifted Spanish T-shirt and she gave me a ton of vintage bird stamps to turn into altered jewelry; and the Christmas in July Stashbuster Swap, in which my partner went MIA after I sent her and each of her four children a set of hand-sewn ornaments but my two swap angels, recruited by the swap organizer, totally hooked my girls up with stocking stuffers and crocheted ornaments for our tree. The best thing about swapping, in my opinion, is that it involves a barter system unrelated to traditional economics. “Spoiling” your partner, or giving more than you need to, is a laudable goal in swapping. Swapping is also good for extending your skill set, particularly when you’re inspired to learn a new craft or try something a little different for the purpose of making just that very thing that you know your partner will really like. And after a handmade holiday in which (ahem) perhaps not all of one’s lovingly handmade gifts were appreciated as fully as they deserved, it’s extra-special to craft something that you know will go to a fully appreciative home and, in turn, receive for yourself something lovingly hand-crafted just for you. Do you swap? You oughta.
