Cruise Gift Exchange

Have you ever been on a cruise? The first time I went was back in 2003 with my husband, for our 20 anniversary. We pretty much go at least once a year now. I LOVE CRUISING!!!

There are a lot of people who love to cruise, and there is a wide variety of activities on these ships. Anything from drinking and gambling, to water slides, towel folding, art auctions, and even gift exchanges. 

My mom, two sisters, and I decided one year to take our one and only Disney cruise....back in 2015. One of the things we learned about. was something called Fish Extender Gifts; and yes! we participated.

So, what are Fish extenders? Well a group on the ship gets together, and exchanges small gifts. I have learned that is is a HUGE thing, so I decided to start creating things to list in my shop that would make great Fish Extender Gifts.

My most popular items are my keychains. No, Disney is not the only cruise line that people exchange gifts. We usually sale with Carnival, and since 2016, we have participated in gift exchanges on every cruise. So...I don't just cater to the Disney people.

I have several styles of Princess or Fairytale keychain sets

This set of keychains would be great for anyone leaving out of New Orleans!

Last year, we sailed on the Carnival Sunshine, and I gave these out. Everyone loved them, and they are actually one of my best sellers.

How about some keychains made from guitar strings...FYI...I don't sell the mouse ears, because that would be copyright infringement, but I do sell these and the other style with all types of tropical charms including FLAMINGOS, of course!

How about a guitar string princess ornament?

On our Disney cruise I made everyone one of these Mardi Gras themed guitar string ornaments. We all tried to give something that represented where you came from.

How about a cruise ship guitar string ornament?

Then of course there are my surfer style waterproof bracelets. Perfect for a cruise, and they come in a variety of colors!

We have our next cruise scheduled for May. Stay tuned for more on that later. We are already signed up for a meet and greet gift exchange, and yes, I do know what I will be making to gift....my mom will be participating too, and she has already appointed me to make her items too. 

Fishextender Gifts and Copyright Laws

Guitar String Keychains from 

TappingflamingoBling

A lot of you know what Fishextender gifts are, but some of you do not. Fishextender gifts are basically a group of people on a Disney Cruise that exchange gifts. I first heard of this when we took our first Disney Cruise in 2015. It was a lot of fun, and we continue to get gift exchanges going on other cruise lines we sail on.

So what do people give as gifts? Well, just about anything...from jewelry, to candy, to first aid kits to puzzles and ornaments and keychains.

Mardi Gras Style Beaded Keychains

from TappingflamingoBling

On our last cruise, our group decided to bring something that represents the state with which you live. I made these Beaded Mardi Gras Themed Keychains, and everyone LOVED them. 

Fishextender Keychains 

We are getting ready for another cruise in a few months, and my mom is going to give these pictured above as gifts. Since she lives near the Disney area, and we are also leaving from that area, she thought they would be perfect. I made them for her to give out.

Louisiana Themed Keychains

from TappingflamingoBling

I thought about making these Louisiana Themed Keychains pictured above, but then I thought of something else that I plan to share later.

Cruise Themed Keychains

from TappingflamingoBling

Something that I would like to share with you has to do with copyright laws. I see a lot of online shops that carry Disney themed gift ideas. This is a huge no, no...unless you have permission from Disney. 

Disney Themed Keychains

from TappingflamingoBling

I'll be honest with you. I thought that if you bought, say, fabric that was sold by Disney, that you could make something from it and sell it. Nope, legally, you cannot. You can make something for personal use or as a gift for someone, but you cannot sell it. OOPS!  Time to rethink my fish extender gifts. For the most part the keychains in the photo above are fine, except the Mickey ears. So, I redid them.

Princess Themed Keychains

from TappingflamingoBling

I took the mouse ears away, and now I have strictly Princess Themed Keychains. This is ok, as Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Princess and the Frog are all public dominion. Now when I list these on my shop, I have to be careful not to use copyrighted names. 

Fleur de Lis Keychains

from TappingflamingoBling

So, next time you go searching for anything that is copyrighted material, be careful. Try searching for items in a different way, as there are a lot of fun creations that are not coming up on your search, because they are not using copyrighted names. Search for "Cruise Fishextender Gifts." Or "Princess Themed Gift Exchange."

Patriotic Themed Keychains

from TappingflamingoBling

TappingflamingoBling has all kinds of fun sets of keychains and other gift ideas on  Etsy.  I've even made beaded dreadlocks that are great to wear in your hair for a pirate party or just to have the island vibe in your wardrobe.