Basket Ideas for Raffles

Raffles are a game of chance. People buy tickets with the hope of winning a prize. Raffle baskets are excellent prizes but need to have broad appeal yet serve a specific need or interest. Focus on a theme or interest. Make one or two items in the basket the focal point, then fill in with supporting pieces. Baskets should be pretty as well as practical, so be creative putting your basket together.

Organization Theme

Pet accessories make a great gift basket for an animal shelter raffle.

Baskets can reflect the organization hosting the raffle. These baskets could contain logo items from the organization, such as t-shirts and coffee mugs. If the organization does not have logo or merchandise, find products representing the organization. A smoke detector, flashlights and batteries are a good start for a home safety basket for a volunteer fire department fundraiser. A tub of pet toys and treats and picture frames is appropriate for an animal shelter.

Fundraiser Theme

If the fund raising event has a theme, build your basket around that theme. Start a basket for a casino night with several decks of cards, gambling chips, and a can of peanuts. A popular basket for a bake sale is one with baking utensils, pans and recipes. You also can consider the location of the fundraiser. A basket with a nautical theme is perfect for a fundraiser at a boat club.

Children

Parents and kids will like baskets filled with art supplies.

Children's baskets by nature are colorful and fun to create. An art basket could have coloring books, crayons, stickers and other art supplies. Parents are drawn to educational games and books or to a back-to-school basket filled with school supplies. If the raffle will be held in the spring or summer, fill a large bucket with sandbox or other outdoor toys. Baskets can focus on boys, girls, babies, or be gender neutral.

Sports and Hobbies

Hobbies like gardening make good baskets.

Some sports and hobbies lend themselves to raffle baskets because of their broad popularity and ease in finding supplies. To draw the greatest interest stick with activities which are age and gender neutral. Men, women and children play golf, so a basket filled with tees, balls, water bottles and energy bars is appropriate for anyone. Cooks like cookbooks, kitchen utensils, herbs and spices. Gardeners are interested in seed packets, pots, trowels, gloves and sun block.

Make Life Easier

Create a basket of cleaning supplies, but use green products.

Sometimes gathering the supplies is more work than the job itself. Make the job easier by creating a basket of everyday household supplies. Put mailing labels, envelopes, markers, tape and a roll of stamps in a post office basket. Jazz up a gift wrap basket with boutique style gift wrap, tissue paper, ribbons and bows. Give a spring cleaning basket or bucket a twist with earth-friendly cleaners, sponges, paper towels and rubber gloves.

Holidays and Special Occasions

Include balloons, candles and decorations in party baskets.

If a holiday is approaching fill a basket with decorations, candies, party supplies and other items associated with that holiday. You also can design a basket using the holiday's primary colors, such as orange and black for Halloween or red, white and blue for the Fourth of July. Baskets can be built around special occasions like birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and baby showers.

Food

A basket can include all the ingredients for an Italian dinner.

Baskets are perfect for presenting an entire meal. Serve an Italian dinner with pastas, sauces, garlic bread, a dinner music CD and a bottle of red wine. Breakfast is ready in a basket that has assorted pastries, jellies, oatmeal, cereals and canned juice. Other food themes for raffle baskets include after school snacks, dinner for two and of course, a picnic basket. Don't forget to include bowls, plates, utensils and napkins to complete the basket.

References

• Basket Raffle
• Gift Basket Ideas
• Gift Basket Themes

Resources

• Raffle Prize Ideas