Peace Arch SWAPS

This page is being created as I look at the many swaps that were traded for. But, first a little about the Peace Arch and "Hands across the Border", so someone may understand a little better. This is an annual event held in Blaine, WA. on the second Sunday in June. Interstate 5 across the border into Canada is closed for approximately three (3) hours for this ceremony. United States citizens line up facing the Peace Arch. This line can be as long as a mile or more. The Canadian citizens line up, facing the Peace Arch and this line is also very long. They are both four (4) deep and the lines progress towards each other until they meet on the United States side and then walk together through the Peace Arch to the Canadian side. Forming two sides as they they're completely through for the rest of the lines to finish walking through. There is a Flag Ceremony, in which both the United States and Canada flags are raised simultaneously on their respectful sides of the Peace Arch. Both National Anthems played and sung! The number of people, both children and adults is phenomenal. All with different kinds of swaps. However, not everyone will swap. Which is disappointing for the younger ones that worked just as hard on theirs, to make a new friend from a different area. Most of the non-traders I found (actually all that I encountered - but we didn't get to swap with everyone) were from the United States. The Canadian's seem more than willing to trade with anyone, except those that were there specifically to trade patches and pins. <Understandable> Now, this list is in no particular order at this time... I'll try to organize them later! I wanted to get the list together as soon as possible to share with all. NOW THE S*W*A*P*S

felt flowers:

3 different colors of felt, cut in weird ways. Stacked respectfully

from large to small and glued together. Pin glued on the back or pinned

through one of the pedals to dangle.

god's eyes:
        2 Q-tip swabs crossed with "baby" yarn (real thin with light pastel colors).
        The swab area was dyed lightly with watered-down food coloring. Yarn
        wrapped around each swab starting from the center.

large buttons:
        frozen juice lids painted on one side with stickers applied and a then
        glued over again. Pin glued on the back or small holes were drilled into
        the top (ice pick?) and the pins through here, to dangle.

cast-iron skillet:
        beer bottle tops painted black and a black oblong bead glued on for the
        handle. Pin glued onto the back. Inside the top small pieces of brown
        felt (bacon), white and yellow (eggs) glued inside.

flag or banner pins:
        seed beads on nine (9) small pins attached to another pin. The seed beads
        were red, white and blue. -OR- brown & orange beads -OR- green &
        white beads. We saw the US flag, wagggs banner, GS design, trefoil.

puzzles:
puzzle pieces glued together then glued to a pin. 3D effect using 3-4 puzzle
pieces.

fish: <variations>

fun foam shaped like a fish with a pin glued on the back. -OR-

fun foam shaped like a fish, another piece of foam glued on for the fin,

small wiggly eye glued on. -OR-

fun foam with fin designed using colored glue and wiggly eye.

cloud/rainbow:
        fun foam shaped like a cloud. piece of wiring strung with different colored
        beads formed in an arch shape over the cloud and glued. Pin through the
        arch to dangle.

wooden buttons: <variations>
        round piece of wood (like at the craft stores) painted and a face drawn on
        with marker. Pin glued on the back. -OR-
        star shaped piece of wood, written on with marker, pin glued to the back.
        square piece of wood, glue pin on the back, stamped design (heart) on the
        front & glued over with clear sparkle glue.

bookmark:
construction paper with designs and stickers all over it. Laminated with
a whole for a pin.

geckos:
these were really popular! string, beads, pins... I don't have the designs to
post here.

snakes:
like the geckos... only no real design just weave in and out of the beads, knots
to hold the beads, pinned.

ladybug:

same as above...using red & black pony beads.

US flag:
same as above...using red, white and blue pony beads.

Daisy pin: <variations>
        fun foam shaped ovals glued to tile, forming a daisy flower. A round piece of
        fun foam with a happy face was glued in the center. Pin was attached to the
        tile back. -OR- fun foam cut out in a daisy shape with a small pom pom
        glued in the center, a pin back glued on.

fuzzy critters:
pom poms with wiggly eyes and small felt piece for the mouth. Piece of thread
sewn through the pom pom and the pin hole (bottom).

council buttons:
council patch scanned and printed onto thick paper laminated and a pin
through the top.

craft stick kids:
        yarn wrapped around a 2 popsicle sticks respectfully, leaving a space on each
        end for the face, both hands, foot. Put the wrapped sticks together to form a
        "t" wrap cross-ways to keep this shape. Braid a piece of yarn and glue to the
        top for hair, draw on face and hands. Glue a pin to the back. (optional-piece
        of felt wrapped around for a "neckerchief".

drum:
        film canister, 2 round pieces of cloth, thread, 2 small sticks with feathers glued
        to them. Place the cloth on both ends of the canister, using the thread sew
        from top cloth to the bottom. Glue the sticks to the top and attach pin.

button:
small piece of square styrofoam (?) with multicolored beads glued on. The
entire piece then sealed with with glue. Glue on the pin back.

friendship bracelets: <many variations>

yarn strips with different world color pony beads attached with a knot in

between each bead. -OR- leather strips, same design -OR- beads just

strung on a piece of yarn or leather. For the closure, both ends of the

yarn/leather was either tied to the opposite side or a pushed through a

bead and tied off. (Some even had clasps-using fishing string)

sit-upons: <variations>
        film canister with cotton swab glued to the top and cloth glued on top. A
        hole in each side of the canister to thread a piece of yarn and knotted on
        the inside. pin attached through the yarn "handle". -OR- plastic canvas
        cut into 2 small squares, cotton in the middle of the 2 squares, stitched
        with yarn around the outside. Pin through one of the squares. -OR- felt
        pieces stuffed with cotton glued around the edge and stitches drawn on
        with marker. pin through the felt.

worms:
pipe cleaner wrapped around a twig with a wiggly eye glued on one end.
Pin back glued on.

note pads:
        two (2) pieces of material (square) and a couple of blank pieces of paper
        slightly smaller than the material. Material placed on both sides of the
        paper and thread used to sew the "binding". Pin attached through the
        thread binding.

key chains: <variations>
yarn with beads, knots tied on each end of the yarn to hold on the beads.
-OR- leather strips instead of yarn -OR- knots instead of beads.

ribbon dancers:
popsicle sticks painted with strips of ribbons tied to one end. Pin back
glued on.

ladybug on a leaf:
        red pom pom (body) glued to a plastic leaf, small black pom pom glued to the
        front of the red pom pom (head), wiggly eyes on the black pom pom, black
        glue lined down the center of the red pom pom and dots around the sides,
        pin back glued on the bottom of the leaf.

star struck:

foam shaped star cut-out glued to the top of a popsicle stick, pin back

glued on the back of the stick. The star had a face painted on with

marker and the stick was painted in rainbow colors with markers.

location button:
area map was scanned and copied (color copier) with a star pin-pointing
this troops town. Cut out and laminated, pin back glued on.

GS candy:
        construction paper cut out in the shape of wrapped restaurant mint,
        words written on both sides GIRL SCOUTS        ARE SWEET, a piece
        of candy mint glued (wrapper still on) to the construction paper, safety
        pin attached.

watermelon slice:
        red fun foam cut out in the shape of a watermelon slice (1/4 circle), black
        marker used for seeds, green foam strip glued along the top for the
        rind, small clothes pin glued to the back.

strawberry:
red fun foam cut, shaped like a strawberry, green fun foam weird shapes
glued to the top (leaves), pin back glued on.

penguin pin:
        black, yellow and white pipe cleaners. Bend the (6")yellow pipe cleaner in
        half then bend both ends (separately) up about 1", now wrap the black pipe
        cleaner around the yellow leaving the 2 ends unwrapped (feet) and the top
        bend unwrapped (bill), now take (2")white pipe cleaner and push it through
        the black just under the bill and above the feet (belly). Glue on pin back.

apple pin:
red fun foam cut out in the shape of an apple, green fun foam cut out in
the shape of a leaf and glued to the top of the apple. Glue on pin back.

warm fuzzy:

3 small pom poms glued to a pin back, attach 2 wiggly eyes.

opened fan:
        round triangle shape of cardboard, glue material to the cardboard, glue on
        pin back. (can cut out different shapes - hearts, diamonds and glue them
        on the front, too)

leather key chain:
        key chain ring, leather strip (12"), beads. Slip knot over the key ring,
        attach the beads to both sides of the leather strips, knot the ends, dab
        knots with glue

turtle:

thin piece of foam cut in the shape of a turtle, another piece of foam

cut into an oval shape and glued to top. Markers used for the eyes,

safety pin attached.

worm on a twig:
pipe cleaner wrapped around a twig, wiggly eyes attached to one end.
Glue on pin back.

ladybug pin:
        plastic spoon, plaster of paris, red marker or paint, black marker or
        paint. Insert pin back before the plaster is completely dry or glue on
        later. Use the bowl of the spoon for the body. Apply wiggly eyes.

mouse pin:
same as above, except use brown pipe cleaners for the tail & brown
floss for whiskers. Brown paint or marker, apply wiggly eyes.

As I go through my swaps and my daughters, I will add to the list. I'm sure someone
out there can use something on this list! Have fun... remember the one's listed here
are made pretty easily and quickly because the children were having to think
quantity!

My directions for many are probably confusing so just email me and I will try to better.
I just typed what I was looking at... of course with no pictures you can't see them!

Good Luck and let me know if you use any of them and how they turned out.

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Peace Arch S*W*A*P*S

Peace Arch SWAPS