The craft community is fabulously generous and eager to make friendships and a great way to tap into this as a blogger is to host or participate in an online swap. It can be a daunting task to host your first (or thirty-first) swap and even more so to participate in one. To take the worry, uncertainty and hassle out of online swaps Craft Your Blog is going to run a series all on Online Swaps. The goal is to provide you with all you’ll need to host, participate, trouble shoot and develop your own online swap. We’ll cover the best ways to organise your swap, give you some nifty printables and tools to help and we’re even going to help you brainstorm some swap ideas.

If running a swap isn’t your thing, but you’d love to participate in swaps then don’t worry we have you covered. We’ll discuss the do’s and don’ts of swapping. How to post your swap items without breaking the bank. What to consider when making your swap item and the best way to engage with your swap partner. We’ll also cover what to do when your swap item goes missing in the post!

If all this isn’t enough I’ll also be tapping into some of the bloggers out there who’ve hosted successful swaps. They’ll share their lessons, success, words of wisdom and insight in to how to use a swap to drive traffic and connect with your audience. So let’s get started with the basics.

What is an Online Swap?

An online swap is run online, either via a blog or social media (think Instagram or Facebook Group), it involves a Host (the person coordinating the swap) and Swappers (the people participating in the swap). A theme is usually set for the swap, for example mini quilts, art cards, craft supplies or some other hand made item. Participants register for the swap and are then partnered with someone else to make an item for and give it to them for free. In return the participants will receive a swap parcel from either the person they swapped with or someone else in the swap. The swap will have a clear timeframe and all items will need to be posted by a specified date. The swap can be either open internationally or domestically.

How many people can participate in an Online Swap?

It’s totally up to the host to decide on how many people they would like to have participate in the swap. I’ve seen swaps as small as 10 people and as large as 1,000 people. It’s totally up to the host and how they would like to run it. Depending on the size of the swap the Host might like to ask for assistance in running and organising swappers. We’ll cover this in the Hosting a Swap portion of the series.

Does the Online Swap need to have a theme?

The best Online Swaps will have some clearly defined parameters to help swappers make the most of their swap. It can be as open as, “swappers will swap a handmade item”, or as defined as “swappers will swap a mini quilt measuring 20″ x 20″ that is inspired by a Disney character”.

You can be as specific or non-specific as you like, however you will need to consider the ramifications of each decision when planning your swap. We’ll cover this in the Swap Theme portion of the series.

How long do Online Swaps run for?

Again, this is up to the Host. Swaps need to have a timeframe so that people can work to deadline, know when to post things and know when to expect them in the post. It also helps you cleanly end a swap and sort out whether you need Swap Angels (people who make swap parcels for those who’s parcel never arrived).

I hope this little insight into Online Swaps has whet your appetite and you’re ready to learn more!

TELL ME MORE!

I’d love to know your thoughts on Online Swaps. Why not comment below!

Can you answer these questions?

• Have you participated in an Online Swap?
• What would you like to know more about when it comes to Online Swaps?
• Do you have any advice about Online Swaps?
• Would you like to host an Online Swap?