How to: Make a Paddle!

Nine times out of ten, when I go to craft something, I have a clear view of what I want the finished product to look like. There are always some minor adjustments along the way, because let's be honest, my mind imagines things that can’t always be done. Of course, this project was furthest from the truth. 

The supplies you need for any paddle are very simple. I have a tendency to use paper and modge podge instead of painting but that’s only because I make stick art look hard. You can buy everything you need at your local craft store and probably for cheaper than I got it. The paddle that I use is from Michaels. Really, other than the paddle you only need a couple of things if you use paper like I did. I picked this beautiful gold glitter cardstock and got regular modge podge and glitter modge podge to go with it. I also bought two wooden ovals and stick on letters to use for her name. Everything cost me under $20.

The before picture.

Using my paper cutter, I cut the cardstock into manageable strips and began to modge podge them onto the paddle. This is the tricky part; you want to use a lot more than you think. And by that I mean drench the paper and paddle in modge podge. Only drench it if you’re using cardstock like I did. If its normal scrapbook paper then you’ll have a way easier time. I got the middle part done fine and pretty quickly too. Now this is where I started to run into MAJOR issues. The cardstock I chose was just too thick to fold over the rounded parts of the paddle.

The process of adding card stock to the paddle.

I decided to take a trip back to Michaels to see if they had anything similar to what I used but in a thinner paper. I was in luck, I found something that could work, it wouldn’t be perfect but it would work. When you use the thinner paper, you work around the curves much like you would when wrapping a gift. I left the paddle to dry and came back about 10 minutes later to finish it. Of course, as soon as I left one of my sisters accidentally dropped her project onto my drying paddle. It was COVERED in bright pink paint. By the time I got back, there was no saving it.

While attempting not to cry over spilt paint, I painted one of the wooden ovals blue and then covered it in glitter modge podge (which by the way is amazing). I put her initials on it and set that aside to dry.

Cute wooden oval for the paddle.

I had to do something about the pink paint that covered the top half of my paddle. It luckily got mainly on the new paper that I had just added. I remembered that I had a ton of gold glitter in my craft box and decided to make it work. To remove the old paper from the paddle, you’ve got to pull it off and then sand the paddle down. This is really important because if you don’t, it won’t go on flat and the paddle surface will be uneven. 

Thick modge podge layers.

Once I covered the rest of the paddle in glitter, I put a thick (and I mean THICK) layer of modge podge over it to seal it down. Don’t skip this step. If you do, then I hope you like living covered in glitter. The next morning, the paddle was dry and my suite mate was overjoyed to have it!

The finished product!

Quote of the Week: August 29, 2013

"We may not have it all together, but together we have it all."

Going into my senior year and examining my life, I know the beginning of this quote well.  I don't have it all together, I don't know what type of job I will have when I graduate.  I don't know where I will be, what I will be doing, or who I will be with, and right now I am okay with that.  I know that I will get it all together, usually at the last minute. I also know that whatever happens, my sisters will have my back.  They are the connections that can help me get a job, or the friends I will have when my job causes me to move to a new city.  Whether these girls come from my chapter or afar, none of us have it all together, but together we will have it all.

XOXO- Taylor S

It's Basically a Fruit Salad... On a Stick!

Hey, y'all, it's Amanda Ramirez here! I'd like to say, first: thanks for checking out the Little Problems Blog! We appreciate each and every one of you, and hope you're here to stay!

Now, onto the post :)

We've decided on some interesting things for us to present to you and, today, I'm gonna be showcasing some cute, generic snack ideas for the upcoming recruitment season.

Now, it's probably easiest to think of small, easily accessible snacks (remember to stay away from things that most people are allergic to, like strawberries or nuts!) Less is always more, and it's definitely more affordable. One of the ideas that my organization's Recruitment Chair has come up with are Fruit Kabobs, which are incredibly easy to make. Here's the recipe for anyone who's interested!

Fruit Kabobs: It's basically a fruit salad... On a stick!
Prep Time: Approximately 30 minutes (depending on how many you plan to make)
Cook Time: N/A

Since Recruitment yields anywhere from 100-1,000 girls (depending on the size of your school and how many organizations there are to choose from), you're going to want to make these kabobs small, so  I suggest making them 6-inch skewers instead of the typical 10-inch. It makes it more affordable and easy to transport.

Ingredients Include:
Strawberries*
Cantaloupe pieces
Mandarin Orange pieces
Pineapple pieces
Kiwi or Honeydew Melon pieces
Blueberries
Any other fruit you might want to include

Most of these fruits can be found pre-cut in any supermarket.

*Strawberry Allergies!!! Be very careful!

Directions:
1. If using wooden skewers, make sure that all splinters and frayed wood are removed from the skewers (usually by rubbing two of them together between your palms)
2. Cut any fruit that is not already small in 1-inch, or bite size, chunks
3. Skewer the fruits in any assortment that you wish. You can make them uniform, or just have fun with it. Maybe make a rainbow.

You finished product should look a little something like this:

Always make sure there's room on both ends to hold the kabobs.

You can have fun with them, too! Some organizations buy ribbons in their colors and tie them onto one end, or you could even splurge and buy colored, plastic skewers (which eliminates step one entirely!) It's not too hard to make things cute for cheap, so never be afraid to push those boundaries and think of new ways to spice things up!

Remember: the way to a PNM's heart is probably through her stomach (because who doesn't love to eat?)

That's all for today, ladies! I hope this first recipe was helpful. Be sure to come back soon for new ideas and for all the amazing things we have planned for you!

Quote of the Week: August 22, 2013

"Sisterhood is not a destination, but a journey." 

This quote is so perfect to describe being in a sorority.  Being in a sorority isn't just about going through recruitment or being initiated, or even getting a big.  Being in a sorority is all four years.  It's the highs and lows, the philanthropy events and Friday nights out.  There isn't one exact time everyone feels they have gone from having friends to having sisters.  But one thing is for sure, after college is over and your 4 years is up, those girls will no longer be your sorority, they will be your family.

XOXO- Taylor S

Getting Your Name Out There Using Social Media

It is every sorority girl's and general organization member's dream to be that number one organization on campus and to be known by every student on campus. I wanted to share with you some tips, tricks and ideas I have learned firsthand from my position as Public Relations Vice President and Vice President of External Recruitment.

First, let me tell you a little bit about me, that way you will have full confidence that you too can make anything Public Relations possible. I am going to be a senior at the University of Nebraska-Kearney (UNK) and at my campus there hasn't been much of anything PR wise except for the last two years. In November, I was elected to both of my current positions which one is all about publicizing my chapter, and the second publicizing sorority recruitment to all of the new and current UNK students. I had no experience and I had never seen anyone really do PR who held the position before me. Have no worries though! I was able to teach myself how to use new programs and to learn from others.

To better your PR take a look at what other campuses or chapters on campus in your area are doing to get their name out there. If you see something that another chapter is doing that you like, take it, adapt it, and make it better. There is always improvement for whatever is being done, so don’t worry that you feel like you are copying someone, you are simply just building off of what they have done before. Don’t forget to check out what the fraternities are doing also! I have adapted some of their great stuff to work for my chapter!

Create pages and utilize social media for your organization. I have done this both for my chapter and our Panhellenic Council. One site is never enough! Not everyone uses the same types of social media, you want make sure that you are reaching all of your audiences! Some of the hot social media sites to use right now are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

This is the sorority life page I created for the University of Nebraska-Kearney with influence from the Sorority Life at Indiana State University page. 

Facebook will allow you to reach to your current members, those new to your school and alumnae as well! Not only can you reach a wider audience, you will be able to post longer stories, share what others have to say and can have members promote more prominently than twitter! Twitter is great for the sweet and short to the point updates! One thing to consider doing is promoting your longer Facebook stories that exceed the 140 character limit by linking them in your tweet and having all of your chapter members re-tweet the story. Instagram is great for showing what is happening now, in present time. Pintrest is any easy way to show your chapter style, collect future ideas and share with the world your old ideas.

This seems super overwhelming right? Don’t let it be! There are great programs out there that let you plan out your posts! My favorite is HootSuite. You can plan out your posts in advance allowing you to get a great deal of your posts done in between 8-5, rather than feeling like you have to sit at your computer with your sites pulled up at all hours of the day. Also learn to delegate. It helps to have one person in charge of each social media, so that way they can implement your ideas but keep track and have more time to work on each of the social media platforms.

I hope you have found this post useful on how to integrate social media sites in promoting your chapter or council! Have questions or comments, feel free to leave them and we will get back to you! Once again thanks for coming to the LP Blog!