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SWAP – Crazy Leader


2012
10.15

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Today’s SWAP is a super easy one. Something a frazzled leader can crank out at the last-minute for a leader gathering! And I really think it says it all about being a leader!

 

Skill Level: Daisy – Adult

Supplies: Card stock, sticker paper, scissors, safety-pin, laminating (optional)

Directions:

Step 1: Create a graphic in a Word based program (or if you’re really fancy a photo program!). You can draw a shape and add text and graphics to it. I used the phrase “You don’t have to be crazy to be a Girl Scout Leader. We can Train You.”  You can create your own phrase that is all about your Girl Scout leader experience!

Step 2: Print onto full size sticker paper. Or if you can find circle sticker paper that’s even better. You can create the SWAP with that template!

Step 3: If you use a full size sticker paper, place it onto a sheet of card stock paper and cut out your shape. At this point you could laminate the page. It will make it a little stronger and durable (and save your SWAP from water spots like mine has!)

Step 4: Add safety-pin and id tag and you’re done!

 

Happy SWAPPING!

Yours in Scouting,

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SWAP: Cowboy Hat


2012
10.08

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What Western themed event wouldn’t be complete with out a great cowboy hat?! This cowboy hat is a great one for older Scouts to work on for their SWAP collection.

 

 

 

 

Skill level: Junior – Ambassadors (because of the bead work)

 

Supplies: 18 pony beads (brown), cording (24 inches), safety-pin

 

Directions:

Step 1

Step 1: Make the cow hitch onto the safety-pin. Make sure that the ends are even.  Here’s a video to show you how to make this hitch. I make my hitch a little differently than the video – I make a loop and feed the ends through the loop. I hope the video helps you! I am sometimes “knot” challenged! I can “make” a knot/hitch, I just don’t remember the name or if I am doing it correctly!

 

Step 2

Step 2: String 2 beads onto cord. Feed left cord through beads and then feed right cord through the beads. When complete beads will be horizontal as shown in photo below. Tighten cord.

Step 2 – completed

 

 

Step 3

Step 3: String 3 beads onto cords using the same technique as above. Tighten cord.

 

Step 4

Step 4: String 4 beads onto cords using the step 2 technique. Tighten cord.

 

Step 5

Step 5: String 7 cords onto left string. Leaving one bead to the side on the left.

 

Step 5A

Step 5A: Skipping the bead on the far right, feed the right cord through the next 6 beads.

 

Step 5B

Step 5B: Using the left cord, add the bead and feed the cord through the second to last bead on the left.

 

Step 5C

Step 5C: Using right cord, thread it through the second to last bead on the right. This row can be a challenging step, but working with the girls a couple of times, they will catch on.

 

Step 5D

Step 5D: Work to tighten this row. This is how the row should look when completed. This represents the brim of the hat.

 

Step 6: Add one last bead.

Step 6

Make an overhand knot with the two cords together.

 

Below is a video to show you how to make an overhand knot.

 

Your cowboy SWAP is complete!

 

Yours in Scouting,

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SWAP – Western Bandanna


2012
09.10

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Still looking for that “right” SWAP for your Western theme event? How about a bandanna? It’s quick and simple for anyone to do (and maybe a little fun too!)

If you need another idea for a Western SWAP, check out my boot SWAP.

 

 

 

Skill level: Daisies – Ambassadors (Daisies may need help cutting out fabric)

Supplies

Supplies: Bandanna’s or scrap fabric, pony beads, scissors, safety pins, bamboo skewer (optional)

Directions:

Step 1:

Cut out fabric into a square shape. My square had 4″ sides.

 

Step 2

Step 2:

Fold fabric in half so that you make a triangle. Fold wrong sides together.

 

Step 3

Step 3:

Fold fabric in half again – you will make a smaller triangle!

 

Step 4

Step 4:

Take pony bead and feed it onto one of the edges of the triangle – one of the cut ends. You can use a bamboo skewer to help feed the fabric through the pony bead.

 

Craft Cat checking out the SWAP!

Step 5:

Attach tag with safety-pin!

 

Enjoy your Western bandanna SWAP!

Yours in Scouting,

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SWAP: Western Boot


2012
08.27

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Got a Western theme event coming up? Need a SWAP? I’ve got just the idea for you!

A few years ago, my troop attended a Western theme camporee. We came up with a few different SWAP’s to trade. We did 3 different SWAP’s. I’ll cover the other 2 in the coming weeks!

 

 

Skill level: Daisies – Ambassadors

Supplies: Foam, stars, “rope”, safety-pin, scissors, white glue

Directions:

Step 1:

Find a simple boot outline online. You can do a Google search for clip art boot shapes. Have the girls draw around the cut out boot (or if they are Daisies, have the shape already drawn onto the foam). Cut out the boot.

Step 2:

Glue on your “spurs”! I can’t remember where or what I found the star shapes, but you can probably find something comparable in a craft store. I may have used “confetti” shapes! I really don’t remember!


Step 3:

Glue on your “rope”. Again, I can’t remember what this was exactly! It “looked” like rope, but was thin like kitchen string!

Step 4:

Attach tag with safety-pin.

Your western boot SWAP is now complete! Have fun cowgirls!

Yours in Scouting,

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SWAP: Seed Packets


2012
07.23

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A few years ago I attended a Leader event that had a theme of a Garden Party. I racked my brain all summer trying to come up with a SWAP. When I opened my “junk” drawer, I found my answer – seed packets! See I buy seeds with every intention of planting them, but I never do. So I had these great packets of seeds, but they had never been planted! Here’s what I did to create my Seed Packet SWAP.

 

Skill Level: Daisy – Ambassadors

Supplies: Seed packets, laminating film or contact paper, safety pins, and ID label.

Directions:

Step 1: I took my seed packets, one at a time and scanned them with my printer/scanner. I scanned them as a jpg file.  Scan each packet individually to have multiple seed packets for traders to choose from (the leaders loved this, they got to pick out their favorite flower or favorite color!)

Step 2: Open a blank Word document. “Insert” your picture into your Word document. At this point, you will be able to “size” your seed packet to make it as small as you need it. Fill the document with all the seed packet files that you scanned. You will only need one page. You may be able to get up to 20 of your seed packets per page.

Step 3: Print out as many pages as you will need. (If you want to make 100 SWAP’s print 5 pages.) I put my ID label sticker on the back of each seed packet before I laminated.

Step 4: After you have placed your ID label on the seed packets, laminate or cover with contact paper to give your SWAP some stability.

Step 5: Cut out your SWAP and add your safety-pin! Your Seed Packet SWAP is complete!

GS Craft Cat trying to take her SWAP!

 

Happy SWAPPing!

Yours in Scouting,

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SWAP: iSWAP – iPod


2012
06.05

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This week there will be a gathering of singers in Washington DC for the “Rock the Mall” event. I’m sure that leaders and girls are scrambling this week to finish their SWAP’s for the event! Here is an idea if you haven’t created your SWAP for this event (or you have a singing event in the future!).

 

 

I found this idea on Pinterest. I pinned it from Carrie Leung’s Pinterest page (she has over 900 pins on her Girl Scout board!).  Check out her page for the original. I think it is a brilliant idea! Very modern and today! I tweaked it a bit since she didn’t have any directions I had to make it up as I went along. So if you don’t like my directions/supplies, feel free to come up with your own ideas!

 

 

 

Skill Level: Brownies (with adult assistance) – Ambassadors

Supplies: Hot glue gun, foam, pom poms (size 10 mm), white floral wire (32 ga.), scissors, safety pins, clip art

 

 

 

 

Directions:

Step 1:

Cut out foam (2″ x 3″). Create “playlist”. I created mine with a text box on Word. You can put any of your favorite Girl Scout songs in the list! For the iPod “wheel”, I was starting to “create” the wheel when I found an image via Google that had everything! I put a Girl Scout logo in the center to make it unique! Cut out your playlist & wheel, glue onto foam. I tried white glue and glue sticks. I usually put too much white glue on and it oozes out and takes forever to dry! The glue sticks usually give me trouble too! I’m a big fan of the low temp hot glue guns. With adult assistance, the girls should be able to use them.

 

Step 2:

Cut a 5″ piece of wire. Fold in half and twist in the middle. Hot glue pom poms onto the ends of the wire. Turn the iSWAP over and hot glue the “headphones” onto the back of the iSWAP. I tried to use white glue on this part also. Again, too much glue – took over 3 hours to dry! Hot glue is my friend!

 

Add safety-pin and your id tag and your iSWAP is complete! Enjoy your singing event!

 

Yours in Scouting!

 

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SWAP: JGL Birthplace – SWAP it Forward


2012
03.26

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Original SWAP sent to Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace

 

I have always been a fan of the idea of “Pay it Forward”. Today’s SWAP combines SWAPping & Paying it Forward. Today’s SWAP came in a round about way! The Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace were the recipients of the result of the SWAP. To find the SWAP they received go to their Facebook page to view.  It shares a little of history from the first handbook, plus it asks the recipient to help support The Birthplace of Girl Scouting.

 

Skill level: Daisy – Ambassador

Supplies: Paper, scissors, safety pins, and copy of How Girls Can Help Their Country (optional).

Directions:

Step 1: Choose a quote or interesting fact from the first handbook for Girl Scouts – How Girls Can Help Their Country. Letting the girls go through the book themselves, they can find things that so how Girl Scouting has grown or how it has stayed the same!

My version of the SWAP it Forward!

Step 2:Type of quote/fact into a Word-type document making it as fancy or plain as you want. Add the following information: quote from handbook, your name, # of years in Girl Scouts, SWAP it Forward info:

“If you receive this SWAP consider making a donation to the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace in a multiple of 100 (for 100 years of Girl Scouting!)

100 pennies = $1.00, 100 nickels = $5.00, 100 dimes = $10.00, 100 quarters = $25.00, 100 dollars = $100.00

Or more…

This is SWAP _____ of ####, but you could be the first to donate:

Send this note and your donation to:

Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace

10 E. Oglethorpe Ave.

Savannah, GA 31401″

Step 3: Print out page of SWAPs, cut apart and add # of SWAP.

This would be a great SWAP for any 100th Anniversary Celebration or for the Rock the Mall event in Washington DC on June 9th. Plus making 800 of these would be simple and low-cost – two big pluses in my book!

Do you have any SWAP ideas for the 100th Anniversary? Please share them in the comments!
Yours in Scouting!

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SWAP: Juliette Facts


2012
03.19

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During the October Service Unit meeting, we handed out SWAP’s with facts about Juliette Gordon Low. I found this SWAP on the Making Friends website. You can also buy the kit (might be easier to do instead of trying to track down “stuff” for 10 different facts!). I searched through my “stash” of GS stuff and found most of what I needed to complete the SWAP. I had to buy a few items.

Juliette Facts SWAPs

Skill Level: Daisy – Ambassador

Supplies: Card stock, scissors, basketball stickers, pink ribbon stickers, horse (or something to represent horses) stickers, campfire stickers, something to represent Halloween, pearls, something to represent sign language and a Daisy, and safety pins.

Directions:

Step 1: Create the facts into a document program. I “drew” a text box and added one fact per box. I printed my facts on pink card stock, because that is what I had! You could use any color. (Making Friends used green.)

Step 2: Add stickers to corresponding fact. Add troop tag.

SWAP Juliette Facts

Another simple SWAP, easy to complete in a meeting. The girls also learn something about Juliette along the way! Do you have a favorite Juliette SWAP?
Yours in Scouting!

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SWAP: Juliette Rock


2012
03.12

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Juliette Rock SWAP

 

I love a SWAP that is easy to make and cheap, but doesn’t look cheap! I think this SWAP covers both of these! Most of the materials I was able to buy at the dollar store. The Mod Podge you will have to buy at a craft store. I attached both safety pins ($ store purchase) and pin backs (craft store) to the rocks. I’m guessing that the pin backs held on better than safety pins – the “rocks” are pretty heavy!

 

 

 

 

Skill Level: Brownie – Ambassador (adult help will be needed for Brownies with the use of the hot glue gun)

The supplies

 

 

Supplies: Mod Podge (or any decopoge stuff), foam brush, clear accent rocks (min. 1″ diameter, sold by weight so there can be anywhere from 25 – 35 in a bag at the $ stores – they are also not perfectly round!), paper with clip art of Juliette, safety pins or pin backs, scissors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Directions:

Step 1

Step 1: Using a document program (like Word), draw a circle approximately 1″ in diameter. You’ll want to search the Internet for clip art of Juliette. Save them to your computer. I found pictures of Juliette as a young girl and in her Girl Scout uniform. I thought the younger Juliette might appeal to the girls and the vintage GS uniform would appeal to the adults! Go into the properties of the circle you drew – in the area that shows where you can “fill” the circle with color – there should be a place that you can “fill” it with a photo. When you fill the circle with your photo, your work will be simply cutting the circles out for your rock! If you can not make this work on your software program, just paste several pictures onto a document, print is out and draw circles around Juliette.

Young Juliette

Girl Scout Juliette

After you cut your circles out, follow the directions on your Mod Podge for best application of paper to your rocks. Let dry.

Safety Pin

Pin Back

Step 2: Using hot glue, attach pins to back of rock. When dry, attach troop tag.

Juliette Rock SWAP's ready to be SWAPed!

Your Juliette rock SWAP is ready! You better make a lot – these will be popular! Happy Birthday Girl Scouts!
Yours in Scouting!

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SWAP: Birthday Cake


2012
03.05

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If you have a birthday – you’re going to have cake! So for the 100th Birthday of Girl Scouts – SWAP a piece of cake. It’s a piece of cake to make (sort of!)! I found this SWAP on the Making Friends website. You can also purchase the magic sponge directly from them. I had found mine several years ago at a local craft store. When I went recently to my local craft stores they didn’t have them, so we used what we had!

Happy Birthday Girl Scouts!

Skill Level: Junior – Ambassador (working with small beads, paint, hot glue, etc.)

Supplies: Magic sponge, seed beads, foam circles, scissors, candles, hot glue, gel glue, safety pins.

Directions:

Sponges, sponges!

Step 1: Cut sponge into “slices” of cake. We drew a 1-7/8″ circle onto the sponge and cut 8 triangles out of the circle. Add water to expand sponge to full size. Let dry overnight.

Painting the frosting!

Step 2: Paint the “slices” with a “frosting” color. We pulled out our acrylic paints and my daughter picked the colors she liked the best (hence the purple frosted slices!) The orignal SWAP from Making Friends show making a layer cake. Our sponges plumped up big enough that I thought they represented a slice of cake without layering.

Different frosting!

 

 

Craft Cat with the "slice" of cake!

Step 3: Cut out circles in foam. We cut 1-1/2″ circles. When the “frosting” is dry, glue to foam circles. We used hot glue to attach. This helps speed the process along!

 

Candle and the skewer!

Step 4: Cut a birthday candle in half (or maybe one third). Make a hole in the center of your slice of cake. We used a skewer. You’ll have to wiggle it around to make the hole big enough for your candle. You could also use the point of a pair of scissors. When the hole is big enough, place some hot glue in and add the candle.

 

Add "sprinkles"!

Step 5: Put gel glue on top of “frosting”. Sprinkle seed beads on top. Let dry. Add troop tag!

 

Happy Birthday Girl Scouts!

 

Yours in Scouting!

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