The Second Annual Holiday Ornament Swap

It's finally here! Kathleen, of cake & pie, and I have been doing lots of planning, and your 2007 Holiday Ornament Swap sign-ups begin right now. Sign-ups will end on Friday, November 9th at midnight U.S. Eastern Standard Time (New York time.) To find out what time that is where you live click here.

The guidelines are simple:

1. Sign up for the swap by sending an email with the following information to holidayswap07@yahoo.com by November 9th.
- name
- address
- email address
- you website or blog (only one site please)
- whether your are willing to ship internationally
(Note that when you submit your information please submit it in this order with traditional capitalization—it makes things a little easier on our end!)

2. On November 12th you'll receive an email from us containing the addresses and email addresses of 8-10 other swap participants to send your ornaments to.

3. Design a handmade ornament that you can create multiples of and make your ornaments.

4. Package your ornaments well...especially if you create anything fragile.
Things to NOT include in your package: food or candy or any perishable items.
(Note that most international shipping requirements do not allow for any plant life, grains, rice, beans, etc. that you might use for stuffing or packaging.)


5. Send one of your ornaments to each person on the list of 8-10 other swap participants in your group by December 15th for domestic, December 10th for international at the latest.

6. Sit back, relax and wait as you receive 8-10 fabulous handcrafted ornaments in the mail!

7. If you would like to share photos of the ornaments you make and receive, please do so in the swap flickr group. You will need a flickr account to upload photos. A flickr account is free and easy to set up. you are responsible for posting your own photos if you wish to do so.

8. A note on international shipping. Please only select international shipping if you are willing to ship at least 4-5 of your ornaments overseas. This makes it easier for us to organize, and it is more fair to our friends outside the U.S. We also encourage you to research the cost of shipping and take that into account when you design your ornament--lighter and more compact ornaments are cheaper to ship.


Most Common Questions?

Is the swap open to an international audience?
YES! Please let us know in your email sign-up if you are willing to ship internationally. see #8 above

What sort of materials can be used?
Anything! Knit, sew, letterpress, gocco, paint, draw, sculpt, glaze, cut-out, glue, weave, blow glass, weld...go nuts. Please note that certain countries have restrictions as far as importing grains, beans, or other like materials, so please take that into consideration if you are making ornaments to ship internationally. see # 4 above

Who are the other people I'll be swapping with?
The other people on the swap list you receive on November 12th.

Will my address be on the internet anywhere?
No. The only people who will receive your snail mail address and email are the people you are swapping with.

What about shipping costs?
You are responsible for shipping costs for your ornaments...just as others are paying to ship ornaments to you. Please check your local shipping rates ahead of time if you are weary of the cost of shipping.

What if I don’t receive all my ornaments or I can’t send my ornaments out on time?
This is why you will be given your fellow groups email address please email your group with any concerns directly. You may also post announcements on the swap flickr group page if you have any questions concerning your group.

Do I need to have a blog to participate?
No. If you have a blog, that is lovely, but absolutely not a requirement to join the swap.

Can I enter more than once if I've got a couple of ornament designs I want to swap?
You can enter a max of two swap groups, but just keep in mind that you'll then be making up to 20 ornaments.

Other questions? Email holidayswap07@yahoo.com *please note that it may take up to 48 hours for us to respond.