Ideas for Themed Swap Parties

Recipe Swap
Learn the secrets to your friends’ signature dishes by organizing an easy recipe swap. Ask your friends to bring in copies of their favorite recipe card to pass out to each guest, then craft decorative recipe tins for stowing cards in style. With a new collection of easy, sure-to-please recipes in hand, your guests will leave inspired to take back the kitchen.

Recipe Card Tin Craft
With vibrant patterns and whimsical touches, you and your friends can put a decidedly decorative twist on old-fashioned lunchbox tins. Update them with simple scrapbooking materials—it’s easy and inexpensive craft, perfect for keeping recipe cards organized and on-hand.

• Step 1: Gather Your Materials
  Begin by browsing your local craft or hardware store for recipe card containers. With lots of inexpensive containers available, options abound, but nostalgic lunchbox tins hit an extra sweet note. Be sure your containers are large enough to house 5”x7” recipe cards and have a clasping or tight-sealing lid, perfect for shielding paper from cooking spills and stains.

  While at the craft store, you can also pick up your scrapbooking materials. Be sure to purchase enough decoupage glue and paintbrushes for each of your guests, but to save time and money, kindly ask each of your friends to bring any paper scraps, buttons, ribbons and other embellishments they may have on hand. Suggesting that each bring a personal pair of scissors will give everyone ample cutting time at your party, too.

  Tip: To simplify your shopping trip, use our helpful Recipe Card Tin Craft Shopping List.

• Step 2: Glue It On
  At your craft party, begin by tracing the sides of your tin box onto the decorative paper of your choice, then use scissors to carefully cut out the pieces. With a foam paintbrush, apply a thin coat of decoupage glue to each side of your tin, then attach the paper. Continue applying the paper pieces until your box is covered—try mixing and matching colors and patterns, even applying an accent color along the borders of your box. Once complete, apply a second, very thin coat of decoupage glue over the adhered paper.
• Step 3: Spruce It Up
  Once the decoupage glue is dry, use your artist’s paintbrush and craft glue to place decorative adornments like ribbon, beads and feathers on your recipe box for a unique, artistic effect.
• Step 4: Pile It In
  After your recipe swap, fill your fanciful recipe boxes with each of your friends’ cards. Be sure to instruct each guest before coming to make enough copies of their recipe card for each guest, trimming it to 5”x7” or smaller.
• Step 5: Divide It In Style
  Arranging recipe cards alphabetically or by course category is a smart and simple way to keep referencing quick and easy. Before inserting your cards into the tin, craft simple section dividers out of index cards and decorative paper. Use your decoupage glue to cover the index card in patterned paper, then cut a small piece of paper and fasten it to the top of the card as a label tab. Write different categories on each of the tabs (Main Course, Side Dish, Dessert, etc.) and insert them into your tin.

Photo Swap
Hosting a photo swap with your favorite gal pals brings a whole new meaning to sharing memories. Ask each of your friends to bring a variety of picture frames that they no longer use, along with copies of their favorite photographs from special occasions and funny moments spent together. As you pass these treasured keepsakes around, you’ll relive your fondest moments as friends and come away with “new-to-you” frames and photos.

Think Outside the Frame: At your swap party, you can offer inspired ideas for using picture frames in unexpected ways. Suggest using them to frame modern heirlooms like handmade face silhouettes, or as the perfect casing for delicate pressed flowers.

Plant & Seed Swap
Give your garden a boost by hosting a plant and seed swap party with your green-thumbed pals. Whip up quick and easy appetizers, served alfresco, and exchange gardening advice and plant cuttings or seeds. Set out a table where your guests can display their favorite plants and seeds, reminding them to label the pieces and mock up quick cards listing the care instructions. As you talk botanicals, start up a fun game of plant trivia, share your favorite photos of prize gardens, and even suggest an impromptu trip to a local garden center. With a simple garden swap party, everyone will leave with new knowledge and new materials to bring to life in their own backyard.

Tip: When it comes to a party swap, you and your girlfriends can trade just about anything. This season, do some serious closet decluttering and offer up unwanted apparel and accessories to your pals in a clothes swap.

This month, take the guesswork out of entertaining and host a simple swap party. With easy crafts, great friends and treasures to be shared, it’s sure to be your best party yet.

Clean Up:
Crafting with paper and small embellishments is sure to leave behind a mess on your floor. To keep clean-up simple, use Swiffer ^® SweeperVac . Its powerful vacuum gets it all, big or small, from scraps of paper to fine dirt and dust. And for sticky glue smudged on work surfaces, reach for Mr. Clean ^® Multi-Surfaces Spray with Febreze ^® Freshness to power through project messes and leave behind a light, fresh scent.