Sorority Little Sister Gifts for Initiation

For Delta Gamma sisters who are looking for handmade Hannah Dolls made to your specifications, Alexis Cribbs has been making Hannah Dolls for the Carnegie Mellon (Pittsburgh, PA) chapter of Delta Gamma for the past ten years.

She  started by making the first  adorable heirloom quality rag doll for her daughter and has been making them for others ever since!

As far as the sorority orders, she told me:

It started as something I was doing as Director of Recruiting for the School of Music at Carnegie Mellon and met some of the girls there, and it has blossomed into a yearly project, which I really enjoy.  Every fall the big sisters at Carnegie Mellon give Hannah to their little sisters during initiation.

I generally start making them the beginning of August for October/November delivery (for Pittsburgh). However, I can make them any time of the year.  I can either make all the dresses the same or try and vary the material so that there is a nice variety of dresses.  You can choose a hair color of yellow, red, black or brown so the dolls can be extra special. You can also choose from certain dress fabrics like  gingham colors or other material.  The dolls  have a white gathered apron that ties in the back (and I can even embroider a  name on the front of the apron if you want it). The faces are handpainted.

I love making the dolls for the Pittsburgh chapter. The girls there are really special.   Since the dolls are individually made to order, please allow 4 - 6 weeks for completion and delivery.

The dolls  are 25 inches tall and I charge $50.00  including shipping.  If you are interested, please let me know and I'll send you an order form. (You can order a 36" dolls for $70 including shipping)

Hugs and Stitches ETSY Shop

Alexis Cribbs

"I am originally from Meridian, Mississippi  and am a Chi Omega alumni from the University of Alabama.  After graduation in Dec. 2008 I moved to Los Angeles and went to makeup school and worked as a freelance makeup artist for about a year.  When the recession hit hard I moved back to Tuscaloosa, AL.  I worked for an interior designer there. Since the University of Alabama has over 15 sororities and pledging is really big there I thought it would be a great opportunity to make a little extra money to make sorority items.  I have such a love for vintage items and find them to be so classic and unique. I have never seen sorority jewelry anywhere before and it was an instant hit.  I make jewelry and accessories for initiation, bid day, and rush for girls all over the country.  It has grown into a great jewelry business, even going outside the sorority field, but my vintage sorority items are still my big sellers." Keely Phillips

"Two of my most popular items are vintage sorority cocktail rings and antique watch fob necklaces.  With the rings, I use vintage cocktail rings (usually in the color of the sorority) and add vintage sorority crests. My other big seller consists of taking antique Victorian British watch fobs and adding the vintage sorority crests.  Younger girls love to wear this on a 30 inch sterling silver chain.  It makes it modern and fresh.  Other I items I do are antique pin boxes, sterling silver rings, etc.

There is always variety: "Here are  a few more of the vintage and antique sorority pieces I have made."

Visit Keely at malickandgrace.com and place your order for your one-of-a-kind jewelry!

And don't forget to tell other sorority sisters what you think with your comment below.

The Many Benefits of Sorority Membership

Six Reasons to Join a Greek Sisterhood in College

Sorority membership greatly enriches the college experience for the vast majority of women who join. Finding a place to belong on campus is just the start. Joining Greek life by choosing to join a sorority also opens the doors to other opportunities. The motivations for joining a sorority vary, but lifelong friendships, academic support and achievement, leadership development, community service, social activities, networking,  are key advantages that offer value beyond the college years.

• Lifelong friendships: The motivator for joining a sorority is friendship. When going to a large college campus, finding friends can make a huge difference in feeling a part of school life versus feeling like a number. A sorority provides a family consisting of a group of supportive women who will offer encouragement during hard times. From this connection, most sorority women develop some lifelong friendships that continue long after college is done.
• Academic Support and Achievement: Academic standards for sorority membership encourage sorority women to take their academic effort seriously. The sorority sisters share this high standard knowing that their sorority's good reputation is a reflection of their academic success. This is a motivating factor for good grades. Also, sisters help and encourage one another toward each doing her best in academic endeavors.
• Leadership Development: Leadership development is a natural part of being in a sorority. While a few women will go on to hold highly visible chapter offices, every sister will lead in some area. Sorority women take on responsibilities within the sorority community and chapter organization.  Committee assignments, recruitment planning and execution, and representing the chapter on campus all provide opportunities to develop public speaking and presentation skills, motivational skills and organizational skills. With the guidance of alumnae, chapter members oversee the budget and running of the house itself, significant responsibilities rarely given to college students in other situations.
• Community Service: Each national sorority supports a philanthropy. All the chapters serve in their own way. Sorority women tend to be very service oriented and enjoy participating in community activities that benefit others. A sorority woman will have many opportunities every year to serve and support good causes.
• Social Activities: Joining a sorority provides a multitude of social opportunities: Greek Week, Formals, Homecoming, tailgating parties, Mixers, Parents Weekend, fraternity parties, and more. Sorority women love their social events and Greek women are very creative in planning fun social events with creative themes. Social events may involve fraternities, but many are only for sorority sisters. There is always plenty of social life when you are in a sorority.
• Networking: You'll find that Greeks fill many leadership positions in college. If you are Greek, you will find that doors will open allowing you to meet leaders and develop connections for networking. When college is done, usually sororities encourage continued networking. Some have networking pages on their national websites to help sisters with job searches, relocation, etc. Also, each sorority also has a network of alumnae chapters in the US and abroad where sorority sisters come together post college.

Some drawbacks of joining a sorority are that it is a time and money commitment, so if you are considering Greek life as part of your college experience be sure to ask each house what they anticipate the expenses will be beyond dues (the amount of money you must pay to be in the sorority) just so that you know what you're getting into before you join. The social benefits of being involved in a sorority can also contribute to some of the drawbacks. It can be difficult to meet other people or do activities outside your sorority because so much of social life will revolve around the house.

Membership in a sorority is a commitment, but most sorority sisters find that the benefits far outweigh the sacrifices and they appreciate the opportunities that it offers.  The benefits of getting involved in a sorority can be particularly significant at a big school since it's an easier way to make friends within a smaller community. When it comes time to select a major or if you have questions about college life, you have a built-in resource of older girls you can go to for advice or mentoring. Sororities are known to have a thriving social scene and many are focused on philanthropic events, so it's a great opportunity to meet others with like-minded interests, not to mention your social calendar will always be full!

I am always looking for ideas for sorority scrapbook pages and for handmade sorority gift cards. I lucked up today with a beautiful Gamma Phi Beta scrapbook spread full of great scrapbooking ideas put into practice. I can take zero credit for this artistic sorority page display. It is all to the credit of another scrapbooker who posts her creative sorority pages on scrapbook.com. I like the way that it is simple, neat, but beautiful. You don't have to add tons of embellishments to make a lovely scrapbook. Make your photos central, but include a lot.

I just can't say enough good about Merryrdh's scrapbook pages that you can see at scrapbook.com. (See her specific link below the picture.

Thanks to Merryrdh on Scrapbook.com for the great picture! Go to her page to see more of Gamma Phi Beta Scrapbook ideas.

Whether you are making a college care package or a sorority gift basket, here are some tips and some ideas for items to fill up a container with. You can make your gift (if you have time) or order one (if you need it delivered)

How should you make your own college care package? It will be a fun project and it will save money for sure.

You need a large container. A basket is always good, but be creative because you might already have something that will work just as well. I was recently in the dollar store and I noticed that they have a variety of organizing containers and buckets available in more than one color. Be sure to get a container that is big enough to hold a lot so that your gift will have the WOW appeal and really make somebody's day special.

Then make a shopping trip to Walmart of a grocery store and buy a batch of goodies similar to the items in the picture above like, boxed drinks, candy, microwave popcorn, chips, mac and cheese, pop tarts, soup cups. You might want to add some tasty in season fruit and either trail mix or nuts.

I always keep a lot of ribbon handy so that I can make anything I give more special. Tie a ribbon on ANYTHING and suddenly it looks like a lovely gift.

With a college care package, I just cut a long piece of ribbon (like 5 or 6 feet long). I put the center of the ribbon under the basket or bucket and then pull the ribbon ends up around both sides of the basket. Then tie a big fluffy bow at the top to hold it all together. The wider the ribbon, the better.  If you don't have ribbon, you can cut or tear a long strip of fabric and use it like wide ribbon, tying a bow at the top of your basket.

I gift like this is appreciated by anyone, but use the idea for your sorority sisters especially Little Sisters or Big Sisters. Add a handmade card and/or a special sorority gift or include a personalized  sorority item and you have an awesome gift that is sure to please.

"...but I need it delivered!"

Now don't forget Greek Gear who offers top quality sorority apparel and gifts. The food picture in this post is from Greek Gear's college care package. If you want to order a care package rather than making your own, then by all means order from Greek Gear Where they are selling for $38.95.

"College Care Packages from greekgear.com! Show them you love them with this unique College Care Package from Greekgear.com. All Campus Care packs come loaded with those special treats a college student is sure to love. Pop Tarts, Pop Corn, Twizzlers, Mac and Cheese and much more. Great for exam time or weekends away from home."

These are great from parents or grandparents to send to a their college student during exams or any other time. Easy to order and easily shipped right to their door.

They always do a great job of offering top quality sorority items for sale

A gift bucket or basket like this one...

for Delta Zeta is a great way to make your little sister feel extra special! Fill a basket or a  bucket with a bunch of little gifts such as a  journal or composition book, stationary or notecards,  scrapbooking die cuts, a sorority luggage tag, sorority pencils,  and maybe some stickers. Make the items yourself to save money or just add your Greek letters to pre-bought items. It is so much fun and really makes your gift special to the recipient.

Looking at creative sorority gifts that other people have made inspires me and sparks my creative ideas. I hope it will do the same for you.

Some of you are making great gifts for your Little or Big.  We would love to see them. In the comment section of each post on this website is an option to upload a picture. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, always take pictures of the gifts you make. You can share them easily with other Sorority Sisters through the upload in the comments section. Hope to see some great ideas!

Thanks to Merryrdh on Scrapbook.com for the great picture!

Every sorority has a flower.

The humble pansy is the the flower for Delta Delta Delta.  It is a symbol of alumnae membership and the third step in the lifetime development of Delta Delta Delta's members.

Making pansy cards for your Tri Delta sisters is so easy if you have pansies. This is a good time of year to buy a couple of 6 packs of pansy bedding plants. You can plant them in a flower pot to brighten up the room or patio.  A pot full of pansies would make a great gift for a sorority sister OR you can "harvest" the pansies to preserve them by drying and pressing them in a phone book. These pressed pansies are perfect for making cards like the ones shown in the picture (above and below) that I made.

Anyway, because of their  brightness through the cold winter, pansies are one of my favorite flowers. The sad thing about pansies, though, is that as soon as it gets hot, they wilt. I've found I way to make the most of my pansies. In May, before the heat wave arrives, I pluck off all my pansies that are still pretty and press them between tissue paper in a thick phone book. Then I stack some weights on the phone book to flatten it. Then I wait.

About a month later a carefully remove the pansies from the book and use them to make my very special pansy gretting cards. These, I love to send to friends....Thinking of You, Happy Birthday!, Get Well, In Sympanthy, etc.

I also tie up a stack of pansy cards with a purple ribbon and give them as Christmas gifts. My sisters can't get enough of them. They are so much fun to make and give!

All you need is a pack of blank greeting cards, pressed pansies, and white glue (like Elmers).  I squirt a little bit of glue on the card and then carefully place the dried pansy on the glue and wait for it to dry. It really is easy!  An optional tool would be a set of tweezers. The pansies are very delicate when they are dried and tweezers are useful for picking them up and placing them on the cards.

I plant pansies in the fall. These hearty little blossoms stick it out through the winter even when the snow covers them and then they revive with the warm weather of spring.  I added a few fresh pansy bedding plants to my many pots because my dear husband always brings home more flowers from Home Depot than I need.  After they are planted, I am always glad  for the bright colors decorating the patio.

Browse for a perfect sister quotes for your greeting card. We have a sorority quotes page that we update regularly.

If you like ideas for sorority cards, you might like to read about Greek Letter Sorority Cards.

photo credit from Tri Delta University of California

If you have little sister gifts to get, now is a great time to get more sorority gifts for you money!

Go to GreekGear.com to see it all.

Greek Gear is marking down merchandise for Spring Cleaning. They have created Sorority Gift Kits that are selling for up to 90% off...$5.95 for small kits and $9.95 for larger kits. There are some great items included that you can use to fill up a sorority gift basket. Remember, the items are limited in number. When they are gone, they're gone. So check today to see what is available for your sorority. Also, use the coupon code "TakeTen" to get a 10% discount off your purchase. If you have little sister gifts to get, now is a great time at Greek Gear.

Below is a screen shot of some of the kits that are available today, if they haven't sold out. This image only shows a few of the sororities included in the sale.

Hurry before they are gone! (Click the screen shot below to see it all...)

If you like to make your own sorority gifts, check our sorority crafts page for lots of ideas and directions for sorority gifts you can make yourself.

Sorority Gift Baskets-  Use scrapbooking paper & ribbon to embellish a basket

Sorority Pillow with Ribbon Letters-  If you can sew a little, try this

Sorority Hat-  This is cute and fun to wear!

Sorority Cross Stitch- counted cross stitch coat of arms....LOVELY!!

Also, please leave comments of ideas you have made and upload pictures through the comment section.

You can buy generic tote bags like this one at any craft store or online. I added the red rick rack by sewing it on my sewing machine. I make a fabric lining for some of the sorority totes that I make.

Other easy gifts to make are sorority pillows, sorority stationary and cards.

You can find a lot of great ideas by browsing the forums of Greek Chat.

Dance, Slap, Stomp, and Clap

The Lovely Ladies of the Iota Lambda Chapter Of AKA Sorority  at the University of Florida.  May 05, 2008  —

Great Video!

Visit the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority website