Swap Til' You Drop

Well, I've officially tried the new craze of hosting a swap party! (If you're not familiar with the term, a swap party is a gathering where everyone brings a certain number of items that they're willing to part with. After everyone's contributions are laid out on a table, each guest chooses items to take home.) It was great fun and the treasures that were brought did not disappoint! The goodies ranged from new DVDs, jewelry, and cookbooks to an entire 8 place setting of dishes. It was so much fun to go "shopping" without spending a dime! (In fact, I had so much fun I neglected to take pictures!) I'm already getting ideas for my next party- check out some tips for themed parties below.

Tips for hosting a swap party:

• Have snacks
• State a specific number or items for people to bring
• Have guests leave with the same number of items that they brought
• Let guests mingle before swapping so they can view all items.
• Do swapping in rounds. Have several rounds where guests can choose an item. One item per round.
• If  several guests want the same item, flip a coin.
• Tell guests that leftovers will be taken to Goodwill afterwards and they may take the items that they brought back if they wish to keep them.

Swap party themes:

• Jewelry
• Media (DVDs, CDs, books)
• Kid's toys
• Clothing & accessories
• Kitchen items
• Scrapbooking
• Plants (seeds, cuttings, etc.)