It's stressful, I get it. One week to drop hundreds of dollars on a girl you've known for, at most, 3 weeks. You're given her dorm room color scheme and favorite candy...not enough info to come up with 4 baskets? Yeah. It's rough. I'm here to help! Every sorority is different, but I know for mine, we go BIG for our littles. Big Little Week can get extremely expensive, but I found a couple ways to minimize the price tag while making things your Little would genuinely appreciate.
The Basket
You will need four baskets, one for each day of the week. I recommend starting small and saving the biggest basket for the very end. You will need to find something sturdy, which ends up being the priciest part. My go-to was wire or wooden baskets. Search at stores such as Marshalls and HomeGoods for affordable prices. I'll be honest though, this is going to put the biggest dent in your wallet, so just be ready.
The Filler
Shredded Paper
In order to make your basket appear full, you'll need to stuff the base with a filler. The Dollar Tree has shredded paper that looks perfect as a filler. This is ideal if you need to make your basket look more full. Use brown for a rustic look or white for a cleaner look. Make sure you get enough though, you'll likely need 2-3 bags of it.
Blanket
You can also buy plush blankets at Burlington for around $8-$10. You'll want to save the blanket as a filler for baskets that are see-through...let your Little appreciate the blanket as part of her gift! This is personally my favorite filler because it makes baskets look so chic.
Shirts
So, you're likely two years into being in a sorority. This means you've got PLENTY of shirts to spare. Sure, they might be highlighter orange and date back to 2009, but your Little will appreciate her new letters on just about anything! Roll up shirts and stuff them into the bottom of a deeper basket for added height. This is great towards the end of the week because shirts tend to be a big deal with the Littles.
Food & Drinks
Baked Goods
Of course I couldn't resist making baked goods for my little! A lot of time and effort goes into making baked goods, so it will show you went the extra mile for your Little. Think easy: cookies, fudge, brownies, muffins.
Candy
Assuming you know her favorite candy, that's the safest way to go. Make it cute by filling a mason jar with her candy and fitting the lid with a colored piece of paper. I bought glitter paper and glued it to the inner lid, then closed the seal around it. You can also tie a ribbon around the jar for added color. Candy can be very expensive for some unknown reason, but the Dollar Tree has it all! $1 is much cheaper than your local CVS or grocery store so consider taking a couple trips to the Dollar Tree.
Snacks
I'm convinced the Freshmen 15 is solely from Big Little Week. Candy, candy, more candy, and baked goods...you're trying to treat your Little, we get it. But, if she's anything like me or my Little, she'll need to put a limit to the sweets. Buy snacks she can enjoy on a daily basis such as popcorn, chips, crackers, maybe even a jar of olives if you're going for a martini theme. She likely doesn't have a car, so get her some snacks she can enjoy! Also, Marshall's and Burlington have great priced snacks that look more fancy than Goldfish or Tostitos, so take a look at those!
Drinks
Drinks are THE best way to fill up space. Glass bottles adds an extra touch that I just love. Buy some Trader Joe's fancy lemonade or bottled lattes from Walmart. Keep it cheap, but keep it fun. Anything that fits the color scheme is perfect.
Art & Decor
Now, we don't want to guilt our little's into hanging up things in their room. Craft things that you know you would hang in your own room. This can simply be painted letters or a gorgeous illustrated canvas. Judge your crafting skills and go from there.
Canvases
Take a look at my cooler painting post to see the easiest way to paint a canvas (it only involves tissue paper and a fine sharpie). I never free-handed a single craft, and that is why they look so clean. Trace. Trace. Trace. If anyone you know has a canvas they don't want anymore, just paint right over it.
Letters
Your little is going to want anything and everything with letters on it, so don't be afraid to use them. Sparkle, sequin, paint, whatever you want! I love doing a glitter ombré or gluing flowers all over. Use painters tape to paint straight lines across letters for a striped pattern. Use both letters and abbreviated sorority names for a variety of options for your little to choose from to hang. Using your letters in popular album designs, movie quotes, or t-shirt designs is a fun way to personalize her crafts while keeping it sorority-related.
Also feel free to get creative and decorate mugs, shirts, etc. I dip nearly everything in glitter and it ended up being the easiest craft ever. Spray the stems of plastic champagne glasses or wine glasses (from Dollar Tree) with adhesive and sprinkle with glitter. You can also draw on mugs with Sharpie and bake them to lock in the design.
Added fun!
Play with puns! "I love you a latte" on a mug or "you're the fudging best little" on a box of fudge makes a big difference! I was all about the puns and fun added things. Picture frames with the two of you, rolled up personalized notes, get creative. It's the extra thought that counts. Anyone could be throwing hundreds of dollars at their Little, but you picked yours because she's special! Let her know that.
Don't be afraid to also gift little knick knacks and smaller gifts. This could be face masks, bath bombs, koozies, bulletin boards, notebooks, lotion, etc. Anything useful that matches the theme is great for last minute fillers.
Tips & Tricks
Pick a THEME! Every basket is easier to design with a theme in mind. My first basket: baked goods, brown, and gold. My third basket: grey, black, and luxurious. Highly recommend choosing a different theme for each day, as long as they all match your Little's style.
When in doubt, GO TO THE DOLLAR TREE! You can get a lot of inspiration from just looking around, and it's so so cheap.
Go to Marshalls and Burlinton, but avoid places like Michael's and Hobby Lobby.
If you really need something from Michael's or Hobby Lobby, use coupons online to get a good discount.
Regift if necessary. For example, my Big gave me candy in mason jars, so I reused them! Of course, I changed the decoration and candy, but it makes a big difference financially.
If you ever need help, I'm here! Yes, I made four baskets, but my ideas are endless and I'm dying to keep the crafting tradition going. Feel free to reach out to me with anything and everything concerning Big Little.
Happy Big Little Week!
xoxo,
SKY
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