In-Person Exchanges: These will be set up like a Dirty Santa, White Elephant, or similar. You will need to be at the location at the allotted time in order to participate.

These include:

Sticker Swap:

We all collect stickers, don’t we? Bring along those stickers, the ones from the vendors, the ones you have bought, whatever and swap stickers with other sticker lovers. Who knows maybe there will be some support for those with Sticker Placement Anxiety!

Zipper Bags with Western Themes:

Bring along a Zippered Bag with a Western Theme and swap with others. The pattern can be an ITH ebroidery patter like Bows & Clothes’ 1883 Bag or sewn like Sew Many Creations; Trio Zip Pouches. Bring them to the exchange and place them on a table and take a number. When your number is called you get to go to the table and choose one to take home with you.

White Elephant of Purses:

Here’s your chance to swap real purses. Choose a pattern for a real purse, something with pockets and handles, like Sew Many Creations’ Liana Bowler Bag or The Alaine Handbag from More Me Know. Make the purse up and swap it, folks shouldn’t be able to guess what the bag is from the swapping. Then, at the exchange, we will place them all on a table and take a number. When your number is called you go up and choose, but it’s a blind choice because they are all wrapped. Don’t open it yet. When everyone has made their choice we will all open our exchanges at the same time and them all at the same time. Then we can stop and look at all the wonderful work of our fellow SMEers.

Boozie Bag Exchange:

Back by popular demand. This one gets wild and crazy and great fun! 

21 & OLDER ONLY

Let’s talk rules.

First, what you are going to bring.

1) To start, you make a bag. This can be a little bag, or it can be a big bag. It can be embroidered, sewn or otherwise crafted. Feel free to use a more adult theme on the bag since this is a 21 and older only event.

2) Now, add booze. This could be an airline size bottle of rum or it could be a bottle of wine local to where you live. It might go with the bag you made, nor not. Your choice.

3) Now wrap it. Please find a unique, crafty way to wrap your bag. You could use a gift bag with a crafty theme, or wrap the exchange in a yard of fabric. You get the idea.

4) Now bring your exchange to the Boozie Exchange

What’s going to happen when you get there.

1) you will place your exchange on a table and take a number. Don’t loose your number because you need it to know when it’s your turn to choose.

2) We will place all the numbers in a hat and draw out a number. The person holding that number gets to come up and pick a wrapped exchange. Then, they have to unwrap the exchange and show everyone what they got. That person may or may not get to keep the bag. I’ll excpain as we go along.

3) The second number is drawn from the bag. That person can either choose from the table and follow the example of the first person, or they can choose to “steal” the bag and booze from the person. (See where the “Dirty Santa” part comes in?) If this second person chooses from the table, they will open their exchange and sit down to see if they actually get to keep what they chose. If they choose to “steal” from the first person, then the first person will go back to the table to choose another. 

4) We continue drawing numbers and folks keep choosing from the table or “Stealing” from someone else. But, when a bag/booze combination is in the hands of a third person it is “dead” and that person gets to keep it, it can’t be “stolen” from them except at the very end of the game. I’ll explain in a minute.

5) If a bag/booze is “stolen from you, then you get to go back to the table and choose another, or “steal” from someone else. You may not “Steal” from the person who just stole from you, nor can you “steal” a swap that is already in the hands of the third person.

6) We continue like this through much merriment until all the numbers have been chosen and everyone has a bag & booze. Then, in a twisted ending, the person who’s number was called first gets to “steal” from anyone, whether that exchange was “dead” or not. It really pays to be drawn first!

Please note: If we have a large turn out, we reserve the right to place time limits on choosing, or the right to split the group into more manageable groups so that we can get this done during one meal break and not be late for our next classes.