You want to get friends together for a party, but you want an original theme. You also are in the middle of spring cleaning and want to get rid of a bunch of stuff that is junk to you, but still is in great condition. Have we got the perfect idea for you! Start planning a free swap among your friends, neighbors, or community.

Here's how you'll do it:

Figure out where you'll hold this swap. It could be your living room, garage or yard. Maybe you'll want a bit of a bigger space and decide to do it at a church or meeting space of some kind.

Make the rules. We suggest the following: Items must be clean and in working condition. No furniture or gigantic items. Label items that others might not know what it is for.

Invite people. Make sure to explain that everything will be given & taken for free. One person's trash is another's treasure! Also explain that this swap will reduce waste, save precious resources & ease the burden on our landfills by allowing usable but unwanted goods to find a new owner.

Organize the items. On the day of the event, you'll want to have several sections set up for people to leave their items. One table may be for small appliances, another for shirts, a section for shoes, toys, etc.

Have fun! Enjoy yourself and have fun looking through the piles of stuff…you just may find that "thing" you've been meaning to buy. Now you have it for free!

Donate remaining items. At the end of your event, you might wind up with some items that no one wants. If it's a large event, you may want to arrange in advance for a Goodwill or other donation organization truck to come for a pick up. Otherwise, you may want to drop off the items yourself.

Freecycle in New York has now held several FreeMeets to this effect. One of which was recently featured on Current TV. Swaporamarama is also a cool event similar to this, but that is purely for clothes & fashion accessories.

Rebecca says: Let us know how your swap goes if you choose to do one! We're planning on holding one during our Earth Day celebration, EarthFest. I've already got some good stuff ready to donate!

Related Green Options articles:

Got Stuff? New Site Will Help You Reuse It

Solid Waste Management, Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling