A Friendship Ball

[pegkerr]

I just got the friendship ball back from kijjohnson, with a gift that made me laugh: a little guest towel folded up inside that reads: "You'll always be my best friend. You know too much."

Have I explained already about the friendship ball? This was one of the most scathingly brilliant gifts I ever hit upon. I gave it to Kij several years ago, for her birthday, I think, and we've been trading it back and forth ever since. It's a little silver-plated metal ball, round and three inches in diameter, with a hinge on it so that you can open it. Any small hinged container will do, like a little box. You put a small gift into it, and send it to your friend, and she puts a gift into it that she's found and sends it back, and you just keep trading it back and forth. The ball is so small that you can put tiny things into it that are inexpensive. The fun of it is finding the tiny perfect things to send. It's a terrific way to maintain a long distance friendship, and it's a lot of fun. I have sent Kij, among other things, a coyote shaped pin, glass beads shaped like monkey heads, a tiny cardboard pot sown with strawberry seeds. She has sent me little magnets with photographs that are stuck to the metal shelves in my office, a gorgeous silk scarf, and antique ribbons to sew on my ribbon coat.

Fiona has started exchanging letters with a little girl she met in daycare when she was two. They've been apart for years, but have always kept in touch. I'm going to suggest that we find a little hinged box, and they can start it as a friendship box.

Edited to add: See my later entry here, which includes pictures and ordering information if you'd like to get your own friendship ball.

Comments

[ceilidh]

That is a cute idea! Where did you get the ball?

[longtimegone]

Oh what a cute and brilliant idea!

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Where does one get strawberry seeds?

K.

[anoisblue.livejournal.com]

I love it! I hope some time you'll post a photograph of your ribbon coat, too.

[copperwise.livejournal.com]

That's the coolest thing I've heard in a very long time! I hope you don't mind if I borrow the idea...

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I got it at a gift shop which, alas, has since gone out of business. It was sold as a friendship ball--there was a gift card that went with it that explained the idea--and the first gift was inside, some lovely soap. I was delighted with the idea, and have become progressively more and more delighted with it the longer we've been passing it back and forth.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

They were sold preplanted in a teeny weeny little cardboard container, very pretty, which I bought at Patina.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Sure, go right ahead, and let me know how it goes! I think it's a terrific idea myself--it has given us so much pleasure--and I'd like to hear how other people have used the idea, too.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I hope you know someone you can do it with. It has given us so much pleasure!

[longtimegone]

I've been trying to think of someone to start something like that with. I have a few ideas.

[frydgreenvelvet.livejournal.com]

Awesome asweome idea. I think I shall start one with my oldest friend, who lives miles and miles away. Thanks.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Oh, do. It's so much fun. We're both always on the lookout for tiny gifts to put into it, and that keeps us mindful of each other, and what we both like. It's always just pleasurable anticipation when we receive the box ("What will it be this time? Oh, cool!") It's great because it's equally as fun to give as to receive. Like I said, it's really one of the best ideas I've ever come across.

[schnoogle.livejournal.com]

That's a great idea. :)

It reminds me of my Dad and one of his friends. They have a little peice of paper with a bar from "Happy Birthday" on it and they send it back and forth in their birthday cards. Dad's still not sure of the exact date of his friend's birthday though. ^^

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

Wow. That's awesome. I've only seen those sold as "money ornaments," where you're expected to put money in them and give it as a gift to someone. So they get money and something to hang on their tree. I like this much better.

I already know who I'm going to try to use this with.

[kishmish.livejournal.com]

What a delicious idea!:D Thank you!