Summer 2013 Handmade Gift Exchange Sign Ups!

handmade gift exchange

Hey Crafters! Guess what….its time to sign up for the Summer 2013 Handmade Gift Exchange! Wahoo!! {happy dance}

Handmade Gift Exchange

This is the 8th Handmade Gift Exchange. Wow. Its crazy for me to think about how this bi-annual gift exchange has grown and changed. And that this will be the 8th exchange! That blows my mind!

For those who are new here {welcome, welcome!!} twice a year, I host a Handmade Gift Exchange that is loads of fun!! It gives you the opportunity to meet a fellow crafter AND the perfect excuse to get your craft on! There is no skill or cost requirement, that way everyone can participate! {if you want to see what people have made/received in the past, check out previous gift exchange linky parties: Winter 2012,  Summer 2012 and Winter 2011.}

Elfster

elfsterWe will be using Elfster to facilitate this exchange. Elfster and I have worked together to tweak things to fit the needs of this large gift exchange. They made a few key changes this time that I think will make all the difference. A huge shout out to Peter and the crew at Elfster for being so awesome!

What is Elfster? Elfster if a social gift giving platform where you can communicate with your partner, ask questions, share likes/dislikes, and interact with other members of the gift exchange.

Changes

  • You will be required to provide your mailing address in order to sign up. We’ve had issues with partners not receiving their partner’s mailing info, so this should prevent that.
  • You can earn badges on Elfster for different things like sending a thank you card or entering in your gift’s shipping info. This will help show what kind of a gift giver you are.
  • After you receive your partner assignment on June 9, you will automatically be prompted to contact them thru Elfster. {please do so!}
  • In the past, there has been a Handmade Angel that sent gifts to those who did not receive a gift. There will NOT be an Angel this time.

HOW TO SIGN UP: To sign up, use the drop down menu at the bottom of this post. There are 3 different exchanges: USA, Canada, and All Countries {If you do not live in the USA or Canada, please sign up for the All Countries exchange.} This will direct you to Elfster where you will finish your sign up.

****PLEASE NOTE: signing up with your Facebook account will make all Elfster emails will go to the email address linked to your Facebook account. Please make sure you know what email address is linked to your FB account and that you check it regularly. If you do not check that email address, you will need to chance your email address on your Elfster account through Settings. 

After you have entered in your info and signed up, you will then be directed to the home page of the gift exchange on Elfster. Once there, you can send email invites to your friends {the more the merrier!}, share something with the group {a crafting tip?}, and add your picture to your profile. You can also put a link to your blog, Facebook, or Pinterest page on your profile, if you’d like.

Wishlist Feature: You can also create an Elfster wishlist so that your partner can get an idea of what you like and what your style is. {Etsy would be a good place to find items for this.} 

***Please note: the Wishlist feature on Elfster is a great tool to show your taste and style. If someone puts non-handmade items on their wishlist, they are simply showing their taste and style. DO NOT BUY your partner a gift from their Wishlist!!! The whole purpose of this exchange is promote HANDMADE gift giving, not buying.

Partner Assignments

Sign ups close on June 8, 2013 at midnight. On June 9, 2013, you will get an email from Elfster informing you of your assignment.You will only be able to view his/her info during the exchange. Once the exchange is over, your partner will not have access to your information on Elfster.

*Please note, you will be paired up in twos. The person you make a gift for will make a gift for you. For example: Jane Crafty will make a gift for Sally Scissors. Sally Scissors will make a gift for Jane Crafty. Just like a crafty pen pal!

THE DETAILS

Reading this entire post BEFORE signing up is Mandatory!

If you have any questions, PLEASE email me at craftaholicsanon@gmail.com before signing up.

  • If you commit to participate in this exchange, you will be expected to make a thoughtful Handmade Gift for a fellow crafter and have it post marked no later than Monday, July 1, 2013. In return, you will receive a Handmade Gift in the mail.
  • Use the drop down menu below to officially sign up. Please do not email me to sign up! Sign up ends June 8, 2013.
  • Make a gift for your assigned partner. Need ideas? Check out my Craft Tutorials or my Pinterest Board.
  • Take pictures of the gift you make! There will be a linky party and posts featuring YOUR gifts. You can link up both the gift you MADE and the gift you RECEIVED. The gift  linky party will start on June 21, 2013. There will also be a Flickr group for those without blogs to upload their gift pictures.
  • Please have your gift post marked no later than Monday, July 1, 2013. Please put that on your calendar right now!!! This is crucial to the success of this exchange! If you make and mail your gift early, that would be amazing!
  • Participating in this exchange means you will need to go to the Post Office. Please take this into account with your busy summer schedule.
  • If you own a handmade shop, DO NOT simply tell your partner to pick what they want from your shop! I ask that you customize the item for your partner {i.e. color, design, style etc} this exchange is to promote handmade and friendships, not your etsy shop.
  • If at any time you are unable to follow through with the exchange, PLEASE email me ASAP!! I understand life happens and that some things are out of your control. I just ask that you send me a quick email so that I can make other arrangements for your partner.
  • **I have absolutely no way of patrolling everyone’s participation….usually, people are honest and do their part. Those who answered the Summer 2012 survey, 88% said they received a gift.**

Please tell your friends, family, co-workers or that crazy lady in line at the grocery store, about the Handmade Gift Exchange! I would love for you to blog, pin, tweet, or Facebook about the Handmade Gift Exchange to help spread the fun! 

Sign up for the Summer 2013 Handmade Gift Exchange! hosted by @CraftaholicAnon https://www.craftaholicsanonymous.net/?p=10181 #HandmadeGiftExchange

If you tweet, please use the hashtag #HandmadeGiftExchange  so others can join the conversation….. and I’ll totally retweet you :)
*If you’d like the code for the Handmade Gift Exchange button, its on my sidebar!* —————–>

Frequently Asked Questions

  • There is no skill level required. A handmade gift is always wonderful, no matter how technical it is!
  • There is no price minimum on the handmade gift. If shipping costs are an issue, you can make a gift that is light weight and fits inside an envelope.
  • You do not need a blog to participate!
  • How will I know who my partner is? You will get an email on November 8, 2012 with your assigned person’s name and information.
  • There is no official theme for this Gift Exchange. If you feel so inclined to do a Christmas in July theme, go for it!
  • Can I make a gift from a kit/pattern? YES!! If you made any part of the gift, that’s perfect!
  • Can the gift be in digital form? No. You can create a printable or graphic for your partner, but please PRINT it off and send a physical copy to your partner. Part of the fun is actually physically receiving a gift in the mail.
  • I can’t participate in this exchange, but want to do the next one. Can I sign up for a reminder? Yes! Click here and enter in your email address.

A HUGE Thank You to Elfster for donating their time and efforts to help this gift exchange happen! You can find them on Facebook here.

SIGN UP

There are 3 different Exchanges: USA, Cananda, and All Countries. Use the drop down menu below to make your selection based on where you live!

For future reference, here are the links to each exchange on Elfster:
USA Exchange

Canada Exchange

All Countries Exchange

happy gifting!
linda

Linda
Hi! I'm Linda, the craft addict behind Craftaholics Anonymous®, a craft blog. Crafting is cheaper than therapy, right? When I'm not DIYing something, I can be found taxiing around our 4 crazy kids or working out. Or shoe shopping... because you can never have too many shoes! Happy crafting! ♥
Linda
Linda

Latest posts by Linda (see all)