Sorority Greek Letters Gift

I was browsing on eBay today and found this handmade Kappa Delta letters set. This is a great idea for sorority sisters that enjoy making sorority gifts for little or big sisters. I'm not sure what it is made of, but it looks like paper maché.  I have seen paper maché  letters something like this in the craft stores.

The "K" and the "D" appear to be painted in a light green with white polka dots and outlined with a deep forest green color. The letters are embellished with Kappa Delta symbols of  a white rose, a precious little brown teddy bear and a cutesy paper and button flower.  I like the way she added a handpainted "sisters" at the bottom of the "D" so it looks like the set says "KD Sisters"

I doubt you can find the Greek letters to decorate. Probably only the Greek letters that are also regular (Latin) letters will work like Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) or Zeta Tau Alpha (ZTA) and many others that would work with regular letters.

The hard way would be to make your own paper mache letters cut from styrofoam with a bread knife.  It is easier than it sounds, but it may be hard to have it turn out as neatly as you would like. Also, styrofoam doesn't lend itself well for being painted. Styrofoarm letters would look best covered with scrapbooking paper on the front side that faces out.

A better Greek letter set could be made from wood. If you have saws, cut letters from a  light-weight board.  Any Greek letter could be cut from wood. Draw off patterns before you start.

The seller on eBay posted this message, "These letters are perfect to give your little sister or put in your dorm room! They are hand crafted (by a KD!). Message me if you would like to request larger quantities. Get 10% off with orders of 10 or more."

If you are interested in seeing more KD stuff, CLICK: Kappa Delta gifts on eBay

Sorority Stamp Kits

Sorority rubber stamps offer a quick and easy way to make sorority gifts without having to worry about artwork since the stamps are ready to go and easy to use. It is usually hard to find sorority stamps and I am sorry to say that I only know of Alpha Omicron Pi and Delta Delta Delta sets that are available at the time of this post. The good thing is that they are on sale for 20% off right now The picture shows a Kappa Delta set, but it wasn't available at Greek Gear today. You can check out the sorority stamp sets to see what is available today.

Stamp Your Support is the only supplier of these creative rubber stamp kits for sororities. Each kit come with 3  rubber stamps  that represent the greek letters for that sorority, the full sorority name, and a sorority symbol  stamp.  The kit comes with igment ink pads in the official colors of the sorority.

I love to make my own stationery since it is an easy craft. Making sorority stationery is easy with a sorority stamp set like this.

(If you read this post later- it is possible the sale is discontinued, but it is also possible that more sorority stamps sets will be available. Just check it out).

Gamma Phi Beta Pillow

Gamma Phi Beta sorority gifts

are delightful in pinks and embellished with crescent moon designs. I had the pleasure of creating a Gamma Phi Beta hang up pillow design recently for a custom order.

Making a Custom Sorority Pillow

So she wants a Gamma Phi Beta pillow with carnation and moon in pink, gold,white. Here I go to my sewing closet, rummaging through my fabrics that are divided by color. The pink and white stripe is one of my favorites for the back of the sorority pillows that have PINK as their sorority color. I must choose between the stripe and a pink and white curly design.  This time, the curly design wins

Drawing My Design for a Gamma Phi Beta Pillow Front

I started with my pencil and paper to draw a design that included the crescent moon and a pink carnation.

When I was happy with my rough drawing, I outlined it with a marker. This is an important step for fabric painting designs, because the design in black lines is very easy to see through the white fabric that I use for the pillow front. Lightly, with a pencil, I sketch the basic lines of the design. Now I am ready to paint. I fill up a tin can with water, grab my mug filled with paint brushes, and set my tray of acrylic paints down on my work table. I place the pillow rectangle on top of a piece of cardboard so that any paint that seeps through will be absorbed into the cardboard rather than ruining my table. I must be careful to have my paint at just the right thickness so it will spread on the fabric, but not run watery outside of the lines. After, all is painted, I wait.  Acrylic paint dries quickly so waiting is short. I plug in my iron and after it is preheated, I place a clean sheet of white paper over the painted design and iron on top of the paper for about 15 seconds. The heat from the iron 'sets' the paint so that it will not wash out. Most people will probably never wash these pillows since there is not likely a need for cleaning them, but the ironing is part of the fabric painting process and I always do it anyway.

There, the painting set is complete, but not the sewing. That is for another post...

Sorority pillows are probably one of the most popular sorority gifts that can be made by hand. We all would love to hear some of your great sorority pillow ideas. Please add comments about how you have made a sorority pillow OR about how you would like to make one.   Also, you can email me with your pictures of you handmade sorority pillows at sororitygiftideas  AT  gmail.com. THANKS

For more ideas for Greek  sorority pillows, click over to our Sorority Pillows page.

Sorority Hearts Gift

Have a SORORITY SISTER Happy Valentine's Day!

Here is a little inspiration for a Sorority sister Valentine. Here you see a sorority Christmas ornament, but the quote and the drawing can be adapted to make a quick Valentine for a little sister or big sister.

Just take a 5 x 7 blank card - these can be bought in packs of a dozen or so OR just make a card from scratch with scrapbooking paper.

Draw two hearts in the center. The hearts look nice either the same size or your can make a big heart for big sister and a little heart for little sister.  I like to use colored pencils to color the hearts pink or red after personalizing each heart with a name.

Then draw strings to attach heart to heart using the picture above as a guide.

Last, Write:

SISTERS

Are tied together with Heartstrings.

Just write with a marker like a fine Sharpie in neat print.

Match your card with an envelope.

Address and mail.

Or

give to your little/big sister with a candy gift.

Alpha Chi Omega Pillow

Alpha Chi Omega gifts can be made special with a painted lyre in red and green.

This little pillow was a custom order for a gift. It is the first time I have had the pleasure of painting the lyre for an Alpha Chi Omega gift. I was curious to find out the origin of the lyre as the Alpha Chi Omega symbol. The lyre symbol was chosen by the founders after  a lot of research. It was designed by James G. Campbell. He was an undergraduate member of Beta Theta Pi  fraternity who acted as librarian for DePauw's School of Music. The lyre which is a replica of a three-stringed harp was named the symbol because it illustrated to the members' musical interest, as music connects the souls of many.  Also, according to Greek mythology, the lyre was first instrument played by the gods on Mt. Olympus.

Sorority Sisters  now has a Alpha Chi Omega Ideas page that includes quotes, poems, and interesting facts about Alpha Chi Omega. It is an ongoing project to add pages for every major sorority to this site. Readers, please add to these pages in the comments to share with others.

And related to the LYRE is the symphony of Alpha Chi Omega

The symphony of Alpha Chi Omega

"My Symphony"

To see beauty even in the common things of life.

To shed the light of love and friendship round me.

To keep my life in tune with the world that I shall make no discords in the harmony of life.

To strike on the lyre of the universe only the notes of happiness, of joy, of peace.

To appreciate every little service rendered.

To see and appreciate all that is noble in another,

Be her badge what it may.

And to let my lyre send forth the chords of love, unselfishness, sincerity.

This is to be my symphony.

-Celia McClure, Delta Chapter: Allegheny College, 1914