Niceties of Swapping
Reply when your pal contacts you. It only takes a few minutes!! If your spoiler or spoilee contacts you, please do them the courtesy and hit reply to their email to let them know that you received it.
Say thank you. It makes your spoiler feel that they labored well over your package when you post on your blog a public 'Thanks!' Take pictures of your package to show it off to the rest of the swap participants. It is true that you may not like everything you receive, but you should still show your appreciation for the time that they spent putting your package together.
Have realistic expectations and don't hold grudges. Unfortunately, not everyone really knows how to spoil their partner or something major happens for them financially during the swap that does not allow them to go above and beyond. If you hold grudges from previous swaps you may miss out on making good friends in this swap.
Do not sign up for this or any swap if you don't want to participate. Participating in swap activities allows your pals to see that you are committed to sticking around and it helps to build friendships with other people in the swap. You don't have to participate daily. Taking 5 minutes out of your day once a week is sometimes enough to let someone know that you are there and that you care about being in the swap. Take that 5 minutes to fill out the quiz that your prefect assigns and then post something to your spoilees blog. Bam!! You are done for the week!
Contact your pal as soon as you get your match. There are many ways to contact your pal and it only takes a few minutes out of your time. Let them know that you received the notification that you are paired up. Make sure that you send that initial email before a week has gone by.
Remain in constant contact with your spoiler and spoilee. There are many ways of doing this. You can send them emails to let them know you are thinking about them. You can set up pre-scheduled e-cards from Hallmark.com. Set up e-cards to go out every couple of weeks during the swap. That way if you get too busy your pal will still hear from you. Also, participating in the contests and games lets your pal know you are still around. Leave comments in your partners blog, participate in swap contests, or PM your partner if they are on Ravelry. There are so many ways to communicate if you are willing.
Budget your time as well as your money. If a swap is three months long you should not wait until the last month to start getting items ready for your partners kit. Write out a plan for yourself that looks something like this:
Month One ~ Get to know my partner. Gather materials to make bag or other handmade item for my pal. Begin gathering items that are not House specified, such as candy and other items.
Month Two ~ Complete handmade item by end of month. Order yarn or anything else that needs to be ordered if you haven't already. Make or order stitch markers.
Month Three ~ Gather extra materials - items that are not required for the kit, but are the special touch for your package.
If you follow a plan you will set yourself up for success in sending your package early or on time.