Springtime Whimsey Jar Swap – Europe Only

I’ve limited this swap to only Europe for the basic reason of postage costs when shipping overseas to the US, Australia, etc. and vice-versa, the time it takes for larger packages to arrive (from Germany, for example, a small box sent to the US could take 1.5 months to arrive...a bit too long!) and my concerns about glass items being shipped overseas (customs, handling, etc.).

O.K.! Now that I’ve got that out of the way, this swap will be for a whimsey / whimsy jar, and you’ll receive one partner.

• What’s a whimsey jar? It’s basically a glass jar, filled with all sorts of little goodies, items of “whimsy” and complete with a decorated top / lid.

• Where do I get a glass jar? You can use a basic food jar, just make sure it is absolutely clean with no food residue or smell. I heard that vinegar can help to get rid of any remaining food smells.

• What should I fill it with? Well, considering the amount of space in a jar, the items enclosed shouldn’t be too large. Here are some examples of items which can be found in a whimsey / whimsy jar. Please just use this as a reference and if anyone has any other ideas, please list them in the comments section below:

1. Stickers
2. Nice buttons (for sewing)
3. Buttons (to pin on)
4. Glass beads
5. Teas (wrapped)
6. Marbles
7. Gum / hard candy, etc.
8. Embroidery floss
9. Pretty ribbon
10. Mini-pens
11. Scented tea light candles
12. Travel size bath products
13. Lip-gloss
14. Cute erasers
15. Scrapbooking items
16. Paper items (cute post-its, etc.)
17. etc. etc. etc....think of what you might appreciate

• What do they look like? Check out these links on flickr for some great ideas on how to make yours:

Flickr - whimsey jar text.

Flickr - whimsy jar text.

Flickr - whimsey jar tags.

Flickr - whimsy jar tags.

For this swap, there are a few requirements of what should be enclosed:

1. Some sort of little souvenier item from your country / city, for example, a keychain, refridgerator magnet or knick-knack.

2. At least 5 small pieces of wrapped candy from your country (more can be added if you have room!).

3. Something handmade (for example, jewelry, hair accessory, mini-stuffie, something crocheted, decorated matchbox, etc.)

4. An ATC (artist trading card) representing YOU! :o) That way, your swap partner will have a nice reminder of the kind person who sent the whimsey jar.

5. The jar should be about 15cm tall, give or take a couple of centimeters (including the lid).

The rest of what you will fill your whimsey jar with is up to you, please check out your partner’s profile to get an idea of their likes / dislikes, favorite colors, etc. Just send what you would like to receive and what makes you happy to give! :o)

After the close-date of the sign-up, I’ll be checking out profiles to ensure that those signing up seem reliable. Partners will be assigned the day after the swap sign-up close date. You must have at least 10 rated swaps (not counting postcard or email swaps). I reserve the right to ban participants who do not seem reliable or are suspicious. If you have been rated a 1 or a 3 for a swap, please write me before joining to clarify the situation.

Have fun!