If I can recall one moment forever burned into my memory it would be the stressful, slightly horrifying process of making my big a paddle. It was barely a year ago when I endeavored to create the perfect paddle for my new friend and big. Armed with paint, some Greek letters and mod podge I was tentatively excited to debut my crafting skills. My new sorority sisters would be sure to watch in envy as I effortlessly whipped out a masterpiece. Unfortunately… things did not go as anticipated.

Let me preface this confession by saying I am not one to frequent Michael’s craft store or keep a wedding page on Pinterest. Honestly, I should have expected paddle making to not be within my forte. Typically, I try to stay as far away as physically possible from attempting any type of art project. Although this may be slightly exaggerated it is not too far from the truth. When my mod podge mishaps resulted in a sticky mess and a ripped photo leaving my big little-less I knew some drastic action was required.

Luckily, I had the support of a fellow sister far superior in her artistic excellence. By cutting out a perfect piece of foam I was able to entirely hide the poor paddle. In the end I don’t think my big knew any differently. Honestly, the more I worried about crafting “the perfect paddle” the more I realized that although the gifts and crafts and cutesy stuff that gets thrown at you during your time as a big or a new member there’s a reason behind it all.

We craft because we care. When you join a Greek organization you hear time and time again “sisters for life” or other seemingly cliché phrases. The fact is, when you join a Greek organization you really do meet girls who will be in your life for far longer than the TGs and Greek Week. Even though, I’ll admit, I did harbor the hope that I may impress all my new friends with my paddle-making expertise the end goal was to try to show my big how much I cared and how excited I was to have her in my life.

So now, with big/little crafting season upon us I am again thrown into this haphazard mayhem, but this time to a scale of 100. Upon realizing I received twin littles I have taken myself to crafting places I never knew I had within me. Decorating canvasses, mason jars, key boxes and letters for two girls has pretty much been the focal point of my life for the past weekend. Yes, I know I am a procrastinator and probably should have started this crafting process much earlier than four days in advance. 

Yet when it gets down to it I do want to shower my new littles with fun surprises and cutely crafted gifts (and not because money or material possessions can buy love). Rather I want both of my wonderful, perfect twin littles to know how much I already love them and can’t wait to share not only our sorority life and college life but life in itself. If they need a joke to be cracked or a shoulder to be cried upon I hope to be there for these girls, and all the girls in my chapter, when it really matters.

And that’s why at 2 a.m. on a Sunday night I continue – like a little elf in Santa’s Sorority Toyshop – to craft away.