Swap-bot Spotlight: Crafters Unite!

Dilemma: You've made a beautifully crafty crocheted octopus and have nowhere to fit it amongst your needlepoint pillows and porcelain cat statues. Solution? Swap-bot.com. Founded in 2005 by Brooklynites Rachel and Travis Johnson, the site boasts over 28,000 handmade-lovin' users, fully prepared to craft [then swap!] the night away.

That's right. An online service that organizes group swaps for a community of creative individuals. As a user, you can host swaps, join swaps, and chat with other swappers from all over the world. Speaking of chatting with other swappers, we flagged down co-founder Rachel Johnson for her take on the site's service to crafty individuals.

"Swap-bot is important to the handmade community because it inspires our users to try new crafts and share them with the world," Rachel says. "Many users tell us that Swap-bot gives them the motivation to try new things and get their projects completed. Swap-bot also connects creative people from all over the world, and I like to think it helps promote peace and understanding through the sharing of art and culture."

Swap-bot user Felicia Luera couldn't agree more. She writes, "I continue to visit the site for the camaraderie. I like interacting with creative and crafty people like myself, and I like that I can get constructive criticism on my crafts. It has helped me 'up' my crafting game."

So what's on the radar for Swap-bot over the holiday season? Rachel is looking forward to gifting handmade items from herself and other swappers. She notes, "Handmade is so special when it comes to gifting because it is like giving a little piece of yourself to the other person. Most people would say they value time over money, and handmade gifts are usually inexpensive in monetary terms, but very time-expensive. To me, that means they are often more valuable than a store-bought gift."

And if time is money, Swap-bot is saving swap-loving crafters a fortune. Want to try out the site? ShelterPop has a few great twig and branch crafts to get you started. Swap away!