Big/Little Gifts

Here at MSU, Mankato spring recruitment officially kicked off with the annual sorority social this week. With spring recruitment in full swing that means big/little week is fast approaching. Big/little week is one of my favorite week during the semester. For those of you who do not know what big/little week is, it is a week were new members of the sorority receive gifts from their big sister who acts as their mentor, and at the end of the week they find out who she is at big/little reveal! I have put together a fun list of big/little gift ideas. In my chapter, we tend to have six traditional gifts that we give to our Little's during big/little week.

These are a few of the gifts that I gave my little this past fall semester!

1. Painted Initial

One thing that sorority girls love to do is to craft! So that means making fun personal gifts for our Little's. The girls in my chapter love to paint first name initials for our Little's to hang on their room wall. I painted a Lilly Pulitzer inspired letter for my little Hailey!

2. Painted Canvas

Along with the painted initial goes a fun painted canvas with a sorority saying or letters on it. I painted Be- You-Tiful with AΣA under it. My little loves it and it looks great in her pink themed room!

3. Tie Blanket

This is the tie blanket that I made for my little. It is not the best picture because I snapped it right before I gave it to her! They are great for sister movie nights, sleep overs and chapter retreats! Everyone in my chapter has a tie blanket from their big that they bring to retreats.

4. Candy

In my chapter big/little week is not big/little week with out candy! We love spoiling our Little's with their favorite candy. They always ask how we know, well big knows best! I wanted to be creative with how I gave my little a bunch of candy so I made it into a poster saying pictured above! Once again not the best picture, I had to take it with out her knowing!

5. Yarn Jar

In my chapter "yarning" is a tradition to find out who your big is. At the end of big little week after you have received all of your gifts, all the bigs string yarn all around the house and the Little's have to spend forever unraveling it! At the end of the yarn they finally get to meet their big sister! The last day of big little week we give them decorated yarn jars to put their yarn in from yarning. 

6. Letters!

What sorority girl does not love new letters! In my chapter and many others across the country it is tradition to give our Little's matching letters for big/little week. At yarning they wear their new letters and the bigs wear theirs under a sweatshirt and once the Little's reach the end of the yarn, their big takes off her sweatshirt and reveals her matching letters! It is a blast. Below are some pictures of my little and I at her yarning and in our matching letters!

What gifts do you like to give for big/little week?

Happy upcoming big/little week everyone!

Best, 

RTM