2005 Christmas Stocking Swaps

The Christmas Stocking Gift Swap for 2005 is now CLOSED.  We are busy processing the packages and filling stockings!  If you want to participate next year please make sure you sign up for our swap newsletter to be informed of 2006 swaps (hint:  We will be doing 2 swaps next year- one in July and one in December)

Information about 2005 Swaps (for reference only)

We are ready for sign ups!  Items will need to be mailed on October 15^th to ensure arrival on October 24th.  ALL ITEMS MUST BE RECEIVED BY OCTOBER 24th in order for them to be included in this year's swaps.  All swaps will be mailed back to you on or before November 19 so you will them in time for the holiday season.  This gives me almost a full month to prepare the packages.  Please note that changes have been made to ensure packages will be sent out before Thanksgiving.

For the 2005 Swaps there are some changes so please read carefully.  The Post Office has come out with a new flat rate BOX that I will utilize next year.  The cost is $7.70 and you will send USPS stamps to cover the cost for shipping.  This is one book of stamps plus 1 additional stamp.  If they come out with a 7.70 stamp then we will use that.

Each participant will send ONE stocking (retail value between $5 and $10 and must be decorated in some way - no plain red felt type stockings) and 15 identical items for the swap and in return will receive back 14 gifts along with a different stocking – the 15^th gift is for the swap hostess. 

We will have several types of swaps (adult and child) this year.  Each person will be assigned to a swap and information about the specific swap group will be sent when we have enough people signed up for the swap.  Once one swap is closed a 2nd swap will open up, ect. 

You may participate in more than one swap but may not sign up for additional swaps until the new swap has opened.  In addition, you may not send the same item for more than one swap.    

All items must be individually WRAPPED and TAGGED with your first name and state on the tag.  Also include a tag on your stocking.  Please try to send items that will easily fit into a stocking.

If you would like to participate in a swap for someone (as in a gift for them as I do for my grandmother each year) you may register in their name but their items must be different than yours and you must complete participation information separately.

For example:  Mary is participating in the Holiday Gift Swap.  She also wants to surprise her grandmother with a bag of goodies.  She may send in 15 items in her name and 15 DIFFERENT items in her grandmother's name (with reference to Mary's name).  NO ONE should send more than 15 of the same kind of items – you will be taken out of a swap if you send in more than 15 identical items.  Children's Swap may be done the same way – just use the child's first name for each set of swap items.

Cost to participate is $7.70 in stamps for each swap you are participating in.  This covers postage to return your items to you.  If you are participating in more than one swap your items will NOT be mailed back together due to the size of the boxes, therefore you must send postage for each swap.   

Items NOT to be sent as a swap gift:

·       No food items

·       No glass/breakable objects

·       No offensive objects

SWAP TYPES:

Children's Swap – Items should be unisex items (meaning appropriate for boys and girls) and be for children ages 4 – 9.  Some suggestions are:

·       Activity book

·       Bubbles (please put in ziplock baggie)

·       Pencils

·       Stickers

·       Children's items from Oriental Trading Company

·       Games

·       Ornaments

The older children swaps below should include items that would be appropriate for the gender and age of each group.

Tween Swap - Girl (ages 10-12)

Tween Swap - Boy (ages 10-12)

Teen Girl Swap (ages 13-17)

Teen Boy Swap (ages 13-17)

Women's Swap and Men's Swaps

Items should of a useful nature to the gender and may or may not be holiday related.  Think about the types of things you receive in your own stocking at home.  Please make sure the item you send is something you would like to get as a stocking gift. 

Women's sample items include:

Holiday Dish Cloths

Magnets

Unique Kitchen Soaps

Holiday Pot Holders

Holiday Cheese Spreaders

Cookbooks/Recipe Cards

Ornaments

Holiday Candles

Bath Items

Holiday Calendar

Decorative Holiday items for the kitchen

Plus many many other ideas!

 Sample items from previous Women's Swaps:

• Handmade Soap
• Handmade Candles
• Holiday Candles
• Ornaments
• Holiday magnetic pad
• Holiday themed lotion
• Holiday dish towels
• Bookmarks
• Hand-stamped note-cards
• Holiday CD
• Photo Album
• Holiday Cheese Spreaders
• Crocheted dish clothes
• Note Pads
• Yankee Candle Car Jars

 To Participate:

You must be a current member of the Christmas Organizing web community and be signed in order to proceed to sign up for swaps.

1. Join the Christmas Organizing Swap Yahoo! Group for continued information CLICK HERE
2. For EACH swap you will be participating in you need to mail the following to Krisann by September 15th:  A priority mail address label that you have filled in your name and mailing address in the TO section (these labels are free at the post office), a $7.70 priority mail stamp for the flat rate box, and a 3x5 index card with name of swapper and/or your name, email address and which swap you are participating in.  All these items should be placed in a ziplock baggie and then mailed in an envelope to Christmas Organizing Stocking Swap, PO Box 7186, Jackson, TN 38302
3. Once your swap confimation packet has been received at the address above, you will be contacted by Christmas Organizing and told of your assigned swap group.  Swap groups will not be assigned until there are 15 people in each group.  You will then be given additional information of deadlines and where to ship your package to. 
4. Please note that gifts will be examined for appropriateness for each group.  If it is not appropriate for the group your items will not be used and will be returned to you at your expense.  This is especially true for the Stocking Swaps for those under 18.  Items should be wholesome in nature. 
5. Also remember that this is a Christian site and items may be religious in nature but should not be denominational specific.