Coral Patches

Girl Scout 

verb

Being a Girl Scout is something you DO, and it is an EXPERIENCE that no girl should miss!

One day, I was perusing Facebook for further resources pertaining to girl scouts.  I happened to come across a really interesting post in my Facebook group - Girl Scout Troop Leader Connection.  The post was actually kind of distasteful, when I looked more into it.  On the surface, it was a post that said something like, hey check out this cool group - what it really meant was, I need to refer people to this group so I can win something for me, so I am spamming other groups for my own benefit.

ALL THAT ASIDE, when I went to check out the group - Coral Patches - and it was a REALLY COOL group!!  I followed the link to her website - http://www.coralpatches.com/store/ and just looked around.  This site.  You guys. It is awesome.  First and foremost - there are TONS of great resources.  

Let me introduce you to Nicole Sutherland.  She is the creative mind and power behind this site, and she is a doll.  I've spent quite a but of time talking with her, and spitballing, and I am very excited to do a collaboration in the form of a blog post with her.  We have an exciting surprise for you at the end of this post as well! <3 

I am a coffee drinking Girl Scout mom from San Diego who likes Disneyland, making cupcakes, watching football, cooking, crafting, and running marathons. Follow me on Instagram @nic0le for more ideas. ”

— NICOLE

First.  FREE.  There is a large number of FREE resources - I'm talking, download and print at Office Max on the cheap, free. There are awesome, detailed fun patch requirements that you can print for free.  I love this - you all know how we do fun patches in my troop - we have 3 requirements that must be met to earn it - so this was right up my ally.  However, it was also just the TIP of the iceberg.  Nicole has so much more than just patch instructions.  There are resources from super cute planners, to attendance forms.  Cookie sales trackers to calendars.  Kapers charts to badge trackers.  

People. They are gorgeous as well.  Nicole has a great eye for design, and color, and it really shows in her work.  Now - my FAVORITE part of the free printables is that Nicole will absolutely print these items for you.  And yes, there is a cost - but not the etsy cost you've come to expect.  Nicole prints these for a minimal fee ($0.65), on 90lb cardstock, in a flat envelope.  

Click on the photo to check it out!

There are also a variety of other fun things available for purchase for a small cost - patches, stationary, stickers, etc.  I would love for you to pop on over and check her things out.  AND it's probably pretty important that you do - because I am hosting a giveaway.

My readers are girl scout leaders who are selfless, and giving and dedicated. And deserving of a little something fun - so check out the rafflecopter below and enter to win a $20 credit to Coral Patches.  The giveaway runs from now until 12a EST on October 5th.  Enjoy and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Did you check out Coral Patches? Did you enjoy it? What are you going to get when you win the $20 credit?

Patch Distribution

There comes a time in every girl scouts life when they experience that quintessential girl scout experience, and they receive patches!

This is generally a *very* exciting and rewarding time for these girls, and as a leader, you want to make this experience special.  You have the fall back option of tossing the patches in a plastic baggie and calling it good, but most leaders like something a little prettier.  I have Daisy's so my girls are pretty little yet.  I have done a few distributions with girls this age, but we recently relocated, and so I have a new group of little ladies, and we are coming up on their first badge distribution.  This is an especially exciting time for them because these will be there *first* patches in their girl scout career.

I didn't want to spend a ton of money, since we are a new troop, and I also got my girls all a little gift to commemorate their first badges, so I rooted around in the house.  I started looking through craft supplies in my craft closet, and found a super cute spool of daisy ribbon, and I was off!



Supplies: 

Spool of Ribbon
Scissors
Lighter
Stapler
Patches
Embellishments


My girls all have different amounts of patches dependent upon who made it to what meetings, but I do like order, so I picked an order for the patches, and kept it throughout all of my girls, even if they were missing a few.

1.  Lay patches out in order on the table, and unroll the ribbon next to it.  You'll want to leave about 2 inches at the top and at the bottom.  Measure and cut ribbon.

2.  Lay out patches on the ribbon, and staple each on to the ribbon.  Each patch, I've found, works best with two staples in it, on opposite corners.

3.  Light the lighter and pass both ends of the ribbon through it - this will prevent the ribbon from fraying.

4.  I like to embellish these with some kind of theme, or cute start and finish.  I add the name in some capacity on the bottom - this time, I printed it on the ribbon itself - and I add some kind of embellishment at the beginning.  I haven't decided what I will put on these, but in the past I've used cute bottons, made bows, or added a small gift card for McD's (for my last troops first distribution).

My girls have always loved these, and I enjoy thinking up different ways to personalize them!  How do you handle your patch distribution?  Do you theme yours? I love seeing ways other leaders hand out their patches, so please comment and share!