Ask volunteers to compile products for their own pursuits and put them into a basket. For instance, an artist might include a sketchbook with colored pencils, paint and brushes, and modeling clay. A knitter might include a selection of yarns, a few knitting needles, and an instructional booklet. A workout enthusiast might include a water bottle, power bar, and one-month membership to a local gym. A baker might choose a few small kitchen utensils, apron, and a few baked goodies. This type of basket lets volunteers share their passions with other people. It might appeal to local small business owners, as well, who can put together a basket of their products and share with the community.
A class or group of volunteers treats the basket owner to a night on the town with this theme. They collect gift certificates for local restaurants, theaters, or coffee shops and put them together into a basket. They might include tickets to local events such as sporting events, concerts, or shows. They can even include a night of free babysitting from a reliable local source, so parents can enjoy a kid-free evening together. Local merchants benefit from the promotion of their gift certificates, and basket owners get to experience local entertainment as part of a package deal.
A family night basket means fun for the whole family, including items for members of all ages. It might include gift certificates for a local video rental store along with microwave popcorn, candies, and sodas. Or pack in a new board game with some sweet and salty snacks, or perhaps a family four-pack of tickets to see a movie or other show in town.
All the students in a class can get in on the fun of this basket. Each child brings in a kit or other object that represents a future career; a budding jewelry designer might bring in a bead kit, while an aspiring chef contributes a cookbook for kids. The basket becomes a virtual marketplace of career and creative fun, and the child who receives it at the auction can experiment with new skills and possible new career goals.
A world cuisine auction includes baskets from around the world. Each basket holds a selection of food items from a particular culture or country, along with sample ingredients and recipe cards or a cookbook. Recipients can sample the foods in the basket, then try their hands at cooking up their own ethnic cuisine using the ingredients and recipes.
Parents and others do in-home sales might enjoy promoting their businesses in a basket. PTO organizers can put together one basket for each local sales representative or combine samples from each person into one super-basket. These might include cosmetics, candles, cooking supplies, plastic storage containers, or even jewelry items. Allow the sales representatives to add a catalog and business card.